Pete Fiutak Thu, October 29, 2026 at 6:30 AM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everyone knows what Miami is doing, and Wake Forest is starting to make some national noise because it's 6-1 with a shot at the College Football Playoff, but SMU is also 6-1, and it hosts the Demon Deacons in a few weeks. The Mustangs are quietly knee-deep in the playoff hunt, but that will start to change if they win this and get into mid-November with just the one loss to the Hurricanes. And then there's Syracuse. Coming off a miserable season, it's only 3-4, but it had to deal with a revolving door of injured quarterbacks. Even so, the four losses were fights. And then, just when it seemed like all hope was lost, it shocked North Carolina 31-30 last week. The Orange can keep bowl hopes alive with a win, and put a serious dent in SMU's College Football Playoff dream.
Syracuse is in the midst of three home games in four weeks, closing it out against Clemson next.
SMU deals with Virginia Tech and Wake Forest at home next before going to Notre Dame.
SMU beat Syracuse 31-18 last year and 16-6 in 1932. Those were the only two times the two schools played.
Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026 Game Time: 12:00 PM ET TV: ESPN2 Location: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY – Week 9 Schedule, Game Previews – CFN Top 25 | Bowl Projections – Predicting the First CFP Top 25 – CFN Week 9 Expert Picks
The Mustang offense has kicked it into high gear. The yards were there early on, but they were offset by a boatload of turnovers. With nine turnovers in four games – including three in the loss to Louisville – there was a problem. The offense toned it down a wee bit, played it a little safer with the passing game, and voila – no turnovers in three games, and three double-digit wins. Meanwhile, Syracuse concentrated ten turnovers into four games. Three of them were losses, and the other was an overtime win over a UConn team the Orange should've whacked by 20. The pressure from the SMU defense should force a few errors.
Syracuse has its guy back. Starting quarterback Steve Angeli returned from a devastating injury that cost him most of last year, and he struggled to start the season. After missing three games hurt, he returned against North Carolina and rolled for 256 yards and two scores with no picks. He might not be accurate enough, but he makes plays. The Orange are great at controlling games and keeping the tempo at their pace. The penalties that were a problem have slowed down, and they should be able to throw the Mustangs off their rhythm.
Can Syracuse convert their third down plays to own the time of possession battle? It's 3-0 when converting at least 42% of their chances, and 0-4 when they don't. SMU is fourth in the nation in third down defense, keeping teams to around a 27% conversion rate. The Orange will keep this close, but the Mustang defense will keep getting off the field when it absolutely has to.
SMU 31, Syracuse 26 Latest Consensus Line: SMU -10.5, o/u: 57.5 ATS Confidence (out of 5) : 4 Must See Rating (out of 5) : 3
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Source: Sports
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