DALLAS — The East Carolina football team (2-2, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) will look to take momentum from its win over Virginia Tech last week into a conference game with Southern Methodist (1-3) on Saturday.

Despite what the record shows, the Mustangs are a more than formidable opponent this week with two of the team’s losses coming to Texas Christian and Baylor. Last week’s loss is not as forgivable.

SMU was torched by FCS power James Madison last week, 48-45. JMU quarterback Vad Lee rushed for 276 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 289 yards with three touchdowns against the questionable Mustang defense. ECU head coach Ruffin McNeill isn’t overlooking the defense, however.

“They play extremely hard. They have a linebacker, Jonathan Yenga, who is an active player. I like him a lot,” McNeill said. “They’ve got some rangy guys up front and pass rushers. Justin Lawler is a really good pass rusher.”

The trouble SMU had with stopping the quarterback run bodes well for ECU, who has a quarterback of its own that can move.

Though Blake Kemp will still more than likely start under center, backup quarterback James Summers will have the opportunity to exploit the weakness in Saturday’s contest. The junior is coming off a 169-yard and two-touchdown rushing performance against the Hokies. ECU head coach Ruffin McNeill said the two-quarterback system will stay in place this week.

“I look at it as a great opportunity for our team,” McNeill said. “You’ve got two really talented guys that play the position and do it a little bit differently. They make each other better with their abilities.”

Wide receiver Trevon Brown made his first appearance last week and was an early target for Kemp. Brown finished with 44 yards on four receptions and a touchdown. Brown is a deep-threat along with Davon Grayson. The duo, along with leading receiver Isaiah Jones, should open things up for the run game.

Chris Hairston will have the opportunity to get his feet back under him against a team that has allowed nearly 280 yards per game on the ground. However, with the emergence of Summers and the quarterback running game, Hairston has been willing to take up a role as a blocker as well.

“Chris had no objection to doing that because he wanted to do whatever he could to help the team. The majority of our team thinks like that,” McNeill said. “If you don’t, you’ll be exposed by these guys. That’s why Chris has been a captain these first four games.”

For the ECU defense, containing dual-threat quarterback Matt Davis will be a challenge. Last week, Virginia Tech’s Brendan Motley had success running the football against the Pirates. Davis is the Mustangs’ leading rusher with 397 yards and six touchdowns on the season. He has also managed to throw for just under 1,000 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions thrown.

While the team struggled, freshman tailback Xavier Jones had a two-touchdown outing against JMU. He also scored once against TCU and Baylor on the ground.

Ultimately, the ECU defense will have to earn a few stops to keep the game from being a shootout. The Mustangs can still move the football efficiently, as seen in a 40-point barrage against JMU and a 37-point showing against TCU. The defensive line will be the biggest key to containing the run and SMU’s offense as a whole.

“I really believe that the strength of a team is in your big guys on the offensive line, defensive line and special teams.” McNeill said. “Coach (Marc) Yellock — I couldn’t play for him. He’s tough on them, but they love him and play hard. I like the way those guys are playing.”