SMU Has Clear Bye-Week Priorities Before ACC Schedule Heats Up

DALLAS - SMU reached its bye week at 4-1 overall and 2-1 in ACC play, which is a solid place to be. But the Mustangs’ 25-16 win over Boston College also exposed exactly what Rhett Lashlee’s team should spend the next two weeks fixing.

The biggest priority is obvious: get the offense back on schedule.

MORE: SMU's Kevin Jennings Reveals How Mustangs Took Down Boston College

SMU managed just 218 total yards against Boston College, including only 58 rushing yards and 160 through the air.

Kevin Jennings completed 20 of 30 passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions, but the Mustangs averaged only 3.5 yards per play. That’s far below the explosive standard SMU established earlier in the season. 

The wet conditions certainly played a role, but the bye gives SMU time to examine whether the problems were purely weather-related or signs of something more concerning.

One goal should be reestablishing the running game. Kendrick Raphael led SMU with 45 rushing yards against Boston College, and the Mustangs averaged just 1.8 yards per carry as a team.

If SMU wants to remain balanced against stronger ACC defenses, that number has to improve.

A second priority should be reducing offensive inconsistency. Jennings has already shown he can carry the passing game, and SMU entered the Boston College matchup averaging more than 500 yards of offense per game through its first four contests.

The challenge now is producing that efficiency more consistently, especially when defenses take away explosive plays. 

Defensively, the message is different: keep building on what’s working.

Boston College gained 322 yards but scored only 16 points, and SMU held the Eagles scoreless in the second and third quarters. The Mustangs also forced a fumble and repeatedly got off the field in scoring territory. 

The final goal is simply get healthy before the grind starts.

SMU returns Oct. 17 against Virginia, followed by Cal, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest before finishing with road games at Notre Dame and Stanford. That’s a demanding closing stretch with little room for offensive sloppiness. 

MORE: SMU's Rhett Lashlee Praises Mustangs' Gameplan In Boston College Win

The Mustangs don’t need to reinvent themselves during the bye.

They need to rediscover the offense that made them dangerous — while preserving a defense that is increasingly giving them a chance to win even when the yards aren’t there.