Oct 4, 2026 6:37 PM
The Mustangs have not looked like the same offense they were early in the season, but a 4-1 record and a favorable ACC picture have kept them firmly in contention.
SMU has won two games in a row and looked uncomfortable doing it.
Saturday's 25-16 win over Boston College was the second consecutive performance where the offense never found a rhythm. The Mustangs managed 218 total yards, with 58 on the ground and 160 through the air. A week earlier, a 34-24 win over Missouri State was closer than anyone wanted.
The numbers behind the dip are worth examining, though, because they are not as alarming as the eye test suggested.
Across the first three games, SMU averaged 38.0 points and 537 yards per game. Over the last two, those figures dropped to 29.5 points and 405 yards. That is a real decline, but 29.5 points and 405 yards is still a productive offense by almost any standard. The Mustangs went 2-0 in that stretch.
Context matters on Saturday in particular. Rain fell throughout the game at Ford Stadium, and a wet ball changes what any offense can reasonably do. Boston College also entered the day ranked first in the ACC and third nationally in third-down defense at 20.4%, and SMU still converted 7 of 14. Kevin Jennings threw two touchdowns and ran for another in conditions that were not built for him.
What matters more right now is that the conference around SMU has gotten considerably more forgiving.
Louisville, which beat the Mustangs 41-31 three weeks ago and looked like the primary obstacle to Charlotte, now carries two conference losses. The Cardinals have not built on that win, and their path has narrowed significantly in a short period.
Virginia, which started the season strong and sat atop the standings with an unbeaten conference mark, has dropped two straight. That skid comes at exactly the wrong time for a team that had positioned itself as a legitimate contender.
Miami remains unbeaten and remains the favorite. Behind the Hurricanes, though, the picture is murkier than it was a month ago, and SMU's 2-1 conference record suddenly looks better relative to the field.
The schedule helps, too. Virginia visits Ford Stadium on Oct. 17, giving SMU a direct shot at a team currently sliding. The Mustangs are 9-0 at home in ACC play since joining the conference.
The bye arrives at a useful moment regardless. Rhett Lashlee gets two weeks to sharpen an offense that has been good rather than great lately, and the defense has quietly been the steadier unit, holding Boston College scoreless across seven straight possessions and sacking Mason McKenzie five times.
Nobody left Ford Stadium thrilled about how Saturday looked. But SMU is 4-1, still averaging better than 35 points per game on the season and watching its closest competition fall apart.
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