We Speak College Football

Virginia Tech at SMU Opens ACC Week 10 Friday Night on ESPN as the Conference Race Tightens

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2026

Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, wearing No. 17 in a white uniform, runs with the football while pursued by Clemson defenders during a game at Clemson.

Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer runs with the football against Clemson on October 24, 2026. Photo: @HokiesFB

Week 10 in the ACC opens under the Friday night lights in Dallas, where two 6-2 teams meet with championship positioning on the line. Virginia Tech brings one of the nation’s most disruptive defenses to face an SMU offense ranked among the most explosive in the country, and the winner tightens its grip in a crowded race for the two ACC Championship Game berths.

Week 10 of Atlantic Coast Conference football opens Friday night with a pivotal matchup as Virginia Tech travels to SMU for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN. The Hokies and Mustangs are two of the ACC’s seven teams with at least four Power Four victories, and both enter the weekend firmly in the mix as the conference race reaches its final stretch.

Virginia Tech brings a 6-2 record and one of the nation’s most disruptive defenses into Dallas, while SMU returns home at 6-2 looking to rebound from last week’s three-point road loss at Syracuse. The matchup features a compelling contrast between the Hokies’ pressure-driven defense and an SMU offense that ranks among the nation’s most explosive, setting the stage for a key Friday-night ACC showdown.

The Friday night contest kicks off a Saturday slate featuring seven games, highlighted by No. 1 Miami’s road showdown at No. 11 Notre Dame on NBC and Peacock. Conference matchups include Clemson at Syracuse, Florida State at Boston College, Duke at NC State and Louisville at Georgia Tech, while North Carolina travels to UConn and No. 16 Wake Forest hosts Merrimack.

Friday, November 6

Virginia Tech at SMU | 7 p.m. ET

Series: SMU leads series, 2-1

Last meeting: SMU, 28-25 (1974)

TV: ESPN

SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 84 / SiriusXM 258

SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 84 / SiriusXM 258

SMU leads the all-time series 2-1, with the programs last meeting in 1974. The Mustangs have won the last two meetings and own a 75-44 scoring advantage in the series.
SMU enters at 6-2 overall and 4-2 in ACC play, while Virginia Tech is 6-2 overall and 3-2 in league play. An SMU win would move the Mustangs to 5-2 in conference play; a Virginia Tech victory would pull the Hokies to 4-2 and tighten an already crowded race for the two ACC Championship Game berths.
SMU is No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and receiving votes in the AP Poll. Virginia Tech is receiving votes in both polls, including 53 points in the Coaches Poll.
SMU’s two losses came on the road by a combined 13 points, while Virginia Tech’s two losses have come by a combined seven points.
Virginia Tech enters the Friday night contest off of consecutive victories and an open week.
The Hokies are one of only seven FBS teams with three Power 4 true road wins this season. Every Virginia Tech road game this season has come against a Power 4 opponent.
The Hokies rank No. 1 nationally in tackles-for-loss, No. 6 in sacks and No. 12 in rushing defense. They are one of only five FBS teams in the national top 10 in both tackles-for-loss and sacks.
VT quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer ranks No. 7 nationally in completion percentage (71.4), No. 9 in completions per game, No. 17 in passing yards and No. 19 in passing touchdowns (17). Virginia Tech ranks No. 5 nationally in team completion percentage and No. 8 in fewest interceptions thrown.
SMU returns home looking to respond after a three-point road loss at Syracuse last weekend.
SMU is 5-0 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium this season and are 11-0 in ACC home games since joining the conference in 2024.
The Mustangs are one of only six FBS teams ranked among the top 26 nationally in both total offense and total defense. SMU also ranks No. 3 nationally in third-down defense and is among the top 15 in total offense, passing offense and yards per play.
SMU’s Kevin Jennings ranks No. 7 nationally in passing yards per game (301.8), No. 7 in passing touchdowns (21), No. 3 in completion percentage (73.7) and No. 4 in passing efficiency. He is SMU’s career leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns.

No. 22 New Mexico Wins First Game as a Ranked Team, Routs Nevada 31-3

Toa Fa’avae led two first-quarter touchdown drives, Scottre Humphrey ran for 107 yards and two scores, and No. 22 New Mexico won the first game in the AP poll in school history, beating Nevada 31-3.

Published

5 hours ago

November 7, 2026

We Speak Media

Nevada defenders line up against No. 22 New Mexico during the Lobos' 31-3 win Friday night at Mackay Stadium in Reno. (Nevada Athletics)

Toa Fa’avae led two first-quarter touchdown drives and No. 22 New Mexico won the first game it has ever played as an AP Top 25 team, beating Nevada 31-3 on Friday night at Mackay Stadium.

The Lobos (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West), who entered the AP poll for the first time in program history this week, scored on their opening possession when Scottre Humphrey capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Kiefer Sibley added a 31-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead, and New Mexico was never threatened. Nevada’s only points came on Jacob Fernandez’s 32-yard field goal in the final minute of the first half.

Humphrey finished with 17 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns, adding a 1-yard score in the third quarter after Brett Karhu sacked Nevada quarterback AJ Bianco, forced a fumble and Darren Agu recovered at the Nevada 5. Fa’avae completed 14 of 20 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown and ran for 34 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cade Keith early in the fourth quarter. Nick Romero’s 37-yard field goal closed the scoring.

New Mexico’s defense, the nation’s top scoring unit, held Nevada (3-6, 2-3) to minus-9 rushing yards and 97 total yards, forced 10 punts and sacked Bianco four times. The Lobos held the ball for 38 minutes, 36 seconds and rushed for 213 yards as a team. It was also New Mexico’s first win in Reno in the series.

Bianco completed 14 of 31 passes for 106 yards for Nevada. New Mexico remains alone in first place in the Mountain West and hosts UNLV on Nov. 14, when Nevada plays at Northern Illinois.

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