Game preview: PC North at Mustang

Putnam City North (0-1) at Mustang (0-1)
When: 7:30 tonight
Where: Bronco Stadium, Mustang

Why PC North could win: The Yukon offense found success, piling up more than 550 yards last week on the Broncos, and if Mustang doesn’t make adjustments, the Panthers will find a way to do the same. PC North’s offense is similar to Yukon in that both have a good running back and use a short passing attack. So if Jace James can get the ball to his receivers, and if Sam Wolfe has some running room, the Panthers should be able to move the ball. The key will be eliminating turnovers that killed them last week. The defense only gave up 186 yards in last week’s loss.

Why Mustang could win: The Broncos are a better team than they showed last week, but the growth curve might take some time. The offensive and defensive lines have a lot of inexperience, and will need some game reps to get up to speed. QB Brandon Taylor just needs an extra half-second in the pocket to get a better look on some of his throws. Once that starts happening, the offense will be on the move again.

Key matchup: Mustang receivers vs. PC North secondary. Putnam City only threw 10 times last week, completing six of them for 95 yards and a touchdown. That’s pretty efficient, and Mustang will throw the ball a lot more, maybe three or four times as much, so that PC North secondary, which includes multiple sophomores, will be tested by David Glidden and Jon Luckey.

The pick: PC North 35, Mustang 34. I still think the Broncos need some time to get everything together. Even though PC North has some youth, too, and had an ugly performance last week, I think they’re further along right now. However, Mustang’s refurbished stadium could be the wildcard. That place is really nice and the crowd should be fired up for the home opener tonight.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com