How to Watch No. 19 SMU at Syracuse as Mustangs Look to Avoid Halloween Scare

The last time SMU played a football game in Syracuse, Herbert Hoover was president.

That 1932 meeting took place at the old outdoor Archbold Stadium in front of about 15,000 people. Saturday brings the sequel, 94 years later, inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

READ MORE: SMU's Rhett Lashlee Ready For Overdue Road Test vs. Syracuse

SMU arrives at 6-1 and 4-1 in the ACC, ranked No. 19 in the AP poll and No. 16 in the coaches poll while riding a four-game winning streak. The Mustangs control their own path to a second ACC Championship Game appearance in three years.

Last week provided the template for how this team wins. SMU trailed Cal 20-17 at halftime, then outscored the Golden Bears 42-0 after the break in a 59-20 rout. Kevin Jennings went 16-of-23 for 223 yards and three touchdowns, breaking Tanner Mordecai's school record for career touchdown passes.

Kendrick Raphael did the rest against his former team. The Cal transfer carried 22 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns while adding a 22-yard touchdown catch. He accounted for three of the seven touchdowns SMU scored on consecutive drives. It was his second straight 100-yard game and he now has 641 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season while averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

Syracuse enters at 3-4 and 1-4 in conference play, which undersells what this team has been. The Orange cycled through three starting quarterbacks because of injuries and still lost several close games before going to Chapel Hill last week and beating North Carolina 31-30 in overtime.

Steve Angeli is back under center and threw for 256 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in that win. Ahmad Miller carried the load on the ground with 30 attempts for 125 yards and a touchdown, while receiver Darrell Hatcher had 103 yards and a touchdown on four catches.

The pace-of-play matchup is worth watching in the coaching battle between Rhett Lashlee and Fran Brown. Syracuse ranks seventh nationally in time of possession at 33:37 per game, while SMU sits 87th at 29:15. The Orange want to shorten the game and keep an explosive Mustangs offense on the sideline.

READ MORE: SMU's Kevin Jennings Hails 'Amazing' Rhett Lashlee, Reveals Offensive 'Mission' For Season

Slow starts remain the obvious concern. SMU has trailed at halftime in multiple games this season and a noon kickoff in a dome against a team coming off an emotional upset is exactly the kind of setup that could create problems. The Mustangs have generally found answers after halftime, but they would prefer not to need them.

A win keeps SMU in position for Charlotte and the College Football Playoff conversation heading into November, with Virginia Tech and Wake Forest at home before trips to Notre Dame and Stanford.

WHAT: No. 19 SMU (6-1, 4-1 ACC) at Syracuse (3-4, 1-4 ACC)

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 31, at 11 a.m. CT

WHERE: JMA Wireless Dome | Syracuse, N.Y.

TV: ESPN2

RADIO: KTCK 96.7 FM/1310 AM and SiriusXM

BETTING ODDS VIA DRAFTKINGS

SPREAD: SMU -10.5

TOTAL: 58.5

MONEYLINE: SMU -380 | Syracuse +300