Lashlee knows that this will be anything but an easy outing.
The SMU Mustangs have started the new college football season in good form, winning both games, but now comes the 25th-ranked Louisville Cardinals on the road.
In a huge ACC battle, a loss would see the Mustangs, according to ESPN, struggle to reach the title game, but head coach Rhett Lashlee knows his team has all the tools to roll into L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium and walk out with a win.
With the Mustangs winning their previous two meetings against the Cardinals, 38-6 last season, and then a 34-27 win, we aren't exactly sure what sort of game we will get.
Louisville is 1-1 and is coming into this in good form, so you can nearly throw what has happened between these two sides lately out the window.
And Lashlee knows the Cardinals will give his team plenty of problems.
“Last year, by the time they got to us, they had a lot of injuries, and so they weren't playing for as much, we still were, I think last year is probably an outlier," Lashlee said.
"What I do know is coach [Jeff] Brohm, he's as good of an offensive mind, and [Paul] Petrino over there, as there is in the game. This offense has the ability, both with their scheme, identity, and personnel, to be as explosive an offense as we play all year.
"Defensively, I think they're much improved from the last two years. They have a lot of their best players returning. I don't know if there's anything that's worked for us other than we just were fortunate to get a win there two years ago, and then last year we won at home. So, it's going to be a good challenge."
Lashlee is well aware of the problems the Cardinals will present to Kevin Jennings and his team, but SMU has shown its toughness with a season-opening win over Florida State.
I expect that they will need some of that mental toughness here as well, because the stadium is going to be rocking with Louisville fancying their chances at handing the Mustangs their first loss of the season.
Having shown the Cardinals a clean set of heels last time at home, Lashlee knows that at home, Louisville is a different beast.
So, it will be a true test of this team's mental and physical strength, and time will tell whether these Mustangs pass.
