Syracuse football notched a thrilling overtime win in Chapel Hill last weekend against North Carolina, the Orange's first Atlantic Coast Conference triumph since September 2025. Now the Orange looks to capitalize on that momentum and spring an upset this coming Saturday afternoon against a ranked conference foe.
The 'Cuse will welcome No. 19 SMU to the JMA Wireless Dome in a Halloween matinee (costumes are mandatory). The Mustangs (6-1 overall, 4-1 in ACC) come to the Hill on a bit of a roll, having won four straight. Currently, SMU is tied for second place in the league standings with No. 14 Wake Forest, with both teams one game behind No. 1 Miami.
The Orange (3-4 overall, 1-4 in ACC), meanwhile, has five regular-season games left. To qualify for a postseason bowl, Syracuse football will need to capture at least three victories. That won't be easy, although SU has plenty of winnable games remaining on its 2026 schedule.
The keys for the 'Cuse include having at least one healthy quarterback ("knock on wood"), continuing to run the ball well, playing solid defense, minimizing penalties and figuring out how to improve its kicking woes.
Syracuse's initial injury report from Wednesday night ahead of Saturday afternoon's home game against No. 19 SMU.
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) October 29, 2026
OUT: WR Darien Williams, DB Jai Eugene Jr., QB Amari Odom, QB Malachi Nelson, OL Jackson Iak, OL D'Joni Scatliffe and WR Terrell Wilfong.
Thread 1/2: 🔽
How to watch No. 19 SMU at Syracuse football on Saturday afternoon.
The Mustangs and the Orange are scheduled to kick off beginning at noon EST on October 31, with ESPN2 providing television coverage. At the time of this writing, FanDuel had SMU as a 9.5-point betting favorite, with the under/over set at 58.5 points.
The teams have only played twice in the past, with the Mustangs sporting a 2-0 mark against SU. SMU joined the ACC in July 2024, along with California and Stanford. Last season, on October 4, 2025, the Mustangs defeated the Orange at home, 31-18.
Throughout the 2026 campaign to date, SMU hasn't always looked overly impressive, but the Mustangs are an extremely well-balanced team. Within the ACC, SMU is in the top eight in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
Additionally, the Mustangs are within the ACC's top three in total yards generated per game and total yards allowed per contest. The line of scrimmage on each side of the field will be pivotal for the Orange. SMU is the ACC's No. 2 team in terms of the fewest number of sacks given up, and the Mustangs are also No. 2 in the conference in total sacks that they've produced. Yikes.
Odds change periodically and are subject to change.
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