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No. 19 SMU Takes the ACC Race on the Road to a Syracuse Team Fresh Off an Overtime Escape

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No. 19 SMU (6-1, 4-1 ACC) has been the ACC’s most reliable road show since joining the league, and the Mustangs put that reputation on the line Saturday at noon ET on ESPN2 against Syracuse (3-4, 1-4 ACC) at the JMA Wireless Dome.

SMU arrives on a three-game winning streak after dismantling Cal 59-20, a game that flipped at halftime: the Mustangs outscored the Golden Bears 42-0 in the second half and held them to 50 total yards. Quarterback Kevin Jennings went 16-of-23 for three touchdowns and broke the school record for career touchdown passes. Jennings, 25-8 as SMU’s starter, is the ACC’s active leader in career passing yards (9,771) and total yards (10,451) — Syracuse coach Fran Brown spent part of his Monday press conference calling him a “Heisman candidate.” Running back Kendrick Raphael ran for 104 yards against Cal, his third 100-yard game of the season, on a day he totaled 126 yards and three touchdowns.

The Mustangs’ defense travels, too. Opponents have converted just 27.3 percent of third downs against SMU, fourth-best in the country, and the program’s 145 sacks since 2023 are the most in the FBS. SMU is 18-3 in ACC play since joining in 2024, the most wins by any team in the league over that span.

Syracuse’s hope is momentum and math. The Orange just beat North Carolina 31-30 in overtime, with Steve Angeli finding Calvin Russell III for the touchdown and the two-point conversion on a play that survived replay review. Syracuse averages 31.6 points and 450.4 yards per game, so the offense can trade scores; the defense, allowing 26.3 points per game, has to hold up against an SMU attack scoring 36.4. One caution for the visitors: SMU is 5-0 at home but only 1-1 on the road, and the Orange lead nothing in this series — SMU won both previous meetings, including 31-18 last year.

If Jennings protects the ball and the pass rush gets home, SMU stays a game back in the ACC race. If Syracuse turns it into a shootout in the Dome, the ranked team is on upset alert.

Kickoff: Saturday, October 31, 12:00 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN2. Venue: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, New York.

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Halloween Under the Lights in Ames: No. 24 Oklahoma State’s Air Show Meets a Desperate Iowa State

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October 28, 2026

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Iowa State gets its first night game of the season at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, and the opponent is the Big 12’s most entertaining surprise. No. 24 Oklahoma State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) visits the Cyclones (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) at 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1, with Halloween in Ames as the backdrop.

Almost nobody saw Oklahoma State coming. The Cowboys lost their opener to Tulsa, and first-year head coach Eric Morris — who brought quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins with him from North Texas — has gone 5-1 since, the only other loss a three-point game at Houston. Mestemaker has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country: 65.7 percent completions, 2,326 passing yards (second-most in the FBS), 20 touchdowns against six interceptions. Oklahoma State averages 40.0 points and 529.1 yards per game, and just hung 598 yards on Colorado in a 57-24 win that put the Cowboys back in the AP Top 25 after a one-week absence.

Iowa State’s week has been about a decision. After playing two quarterbacks in a 39-3 loss to Arizona, head coach Jimmy Rogers announced Tuesday that Jaylen Raynor will start. Raynor has started every game this season, going 93-of-158 for 1,107 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions, with 145 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. The Cyclones need three more wins to reach bowl eligibility, and their path runs through home: their only loss in Ames came against Utah, and their last home game was a 45-42 shootout win over West Virginia.

History gives Iowa State a real argument. The Cyclones won the last two meetings, 20-13 in Stillwater last season and 34-27 in Ames in 2023, though Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 34-22-3. The deciding matchup is Mestemaker against an Iowa State defense allowing 24.1 points per game: if the Cyclones can slow the Cowboys’ tempo and make this a fourth-quarter game, the crowd and the moment give them a shot. If Oklahoma State gets to 40 again, the ranking survives and the Big 12 race keeps its wildest story.

Kickoff: Saturday, October 31, 7:00 p.m. ET. TV: FS1. Venue: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa.

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