Syracuse football’s 2026 week-nine opponent: Get to know the SMU Mustangs

As Syracuse football fans will learn soon enough, the Orange has a rather unforgiving schedule in 2026. Case in point is a Halloween date with the SMU Mustangs, a program with 31 wins over the last three years. Of course, a home game against a team just two years removed from the College Football Playoff can be looked at as an opportunity for Fran Brown and the Orange. With this being one of the marquee matchups on Syracuse’s schedule, let’s learn more about the Mustangs in 2026.

SMU head coach: Rhett Lashlee

Lashlee has been one of the most impressive college football coaches over the last few seasons. A shoulder injury cut his playing career short, so he jumped into coaching before he even graduated from college. He got his first gig as an offensive coordinator at Samford in 2011 when he was just 28 years old. He also had stops at Auburn and UConn before being the offensive coordinator at SMU in 2018 and 2019. Lashlee had the same job at Miami in 2020 and 2021 before getting the head coach job at SMU.

After going 7-6 in his first season, the Mustangs went 11-3 and won the AAC in 2023 during Lashlee’s second season at the helm. They replicated that record in 2024, SMU’s first year in the ACC. Despite losing to Clemson in the conference title game, the Mustangs made the College Football Playoff, only to lose to Penn State. Even though SMU took a slight step backward last season, the Mustangs finished 9-4, winning the Holiday Bowl, giving Lashlee a 38-16 record across four seasons at SMU.

Last meeting with Syracuse: SMU 31, Syracuse 18 (2025)

In the grand scheme of things, this was far from Syracuse’s worst defeat last season. On the heels of a 38-3 disaster against Duke, the Orange were competitive in this game. Granted, it was 24-0 before a Tripp Woody field goal put the Orange on the board right before halftime. But Syracuse had scoring chances early; they just didn’t capitalize. Fran Brown’s team also showed fight in the second half, winning the second 30 minutes 15-7 for a somewhat respectable 31-18 road loss.

Series history

Last year’s game was just the second all-time meeting between Syracuse and SMU. The only other game was a 1932 meeting that the Mustangs won 16-6. Needless to say, this will be SMU’s first trip to the JMA Wireless Dome. Given the uncertainty of the college football landscape, it could end up being their only trip to the Dome.

SMU’s 2025 season

The Mustangs had high hopes in 2025 coming off their CFP appearance the previous season, only to hit some snags early in the season. SMU lost in double-overtime to Baylor and then dropped a game to TCU two weeks later. After knocking off Syracuse, Stanford, and Clemson to open ACC play 3-0, the Mustangs suffered a puzzling 13-12 loss to Wake Forest. To their credit, they bounced back by beating Miami in overtime and blowing out Boston College and Louisville. In the final week of the season, a win over Cal was all SMU needed to get back to the ACC Championship Game, only to lose 38-35. As a consolation, the Mustangs beat Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, but losing two ACC games by a total of four points undoubtedly haunted SMU during the offseason.

SMU’s key returning players

Believe it or not, SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings still has one more year of eligibility. He’s been the starter in each of the past two seasons, racking up nearly 6,900 passing yards, 49 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions across those two seasons. While ball security has been an issue for Jennings in the past, he boasts plenty of experience and has a chance to be the best quarterback in the ACC this year, as well as one of the best in the country.

The SMU offense will also be aided by four returning upperclassmen starting on the offensive line. Depth behind that group is a question, but the O-line should be a strength for the Mustangs this year. Jennings will also have some familiarity with his receivers, as senior Yamir Knight will return after finishing second on the team in receptions and touchdowns, and third in receiving yards, last year. Jalen Cooper also has a chance to move into the starting lineup after a promising freshman season.

On the other hand, the returning talent on the SMU defense isn’t quite as impressive. That being said, starting linebackers Alexander Kilgore and Brandon Booker are back. Both finished 2025 with 60-plus tackles. The Mustangs also bring back a trio of cornerbacks who saw meaningful playing time last season, including Marcellus Barnes Jr., who began his career at Syracuse.

SMU’s notable additions

Jennings and the SMU passing game should get a boost from East Carolina transfer Yannick Smith, who had more than 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns across his two seasons with the Pirates. The Mustangs will also have a new starting running back with Kendrick Raphael transferring from Cal. Raphael spent two seasons as a part-time player at NC State before rushing for 943 yards on 232 carries for the Bears in 2025, giving SMU a workhorse back to pair with Jennings.

On the other side of the ball, virtually the entire SMU defensive line will be composed of transfers. South Florida transfer Ira Singleton and UMass transfer Marques White are projected as SMU’s two best edge rushers. Both have some experience at the lower levels but will face a step up in competition. Meanwhile, Texas A&M transfer Jayvon Thomas, South Florida transfer Jarvis Lee, and UTSA transfer Jimmy Wyrick will serve as immediate reinforcements for the SMU secondary.

SMU’s season outlook

With Jennings back at quarterback, the sky is the limit for the Mustangs if their senior quarterback can put the team on his back. With an experienced offensive line and a proven running back, the SMU offense should be a balanced and dynamic unit. Defensively, there are some areas of concern, especially with a pair of co-defensive coordinators replacing Scott Symons. But there should be enough talent on that side of the field to get by if the SMU offense can perform as expected.

Schedule-wise, the Mustangs should run the table at home, although Virginia, Cal, and Virginia Tech won’t be pushovers. However, road games against Florida State, Louisville, Syracuse, and Notre Dame all present potential stumbling blocks. The Mustangs have to visit both Florida State and Louisville in the first three weeks of the season and then venture to South Bend in late November. Those games will determine SMU’s ultimate fate, but if the Mustangs can beat Florida State and Louisville early in the season, playing for the ACC title and getting back to the CFP are distinct possibilities.

When and where does SMU play Syracuse in 2026?

Syracuse will host SMU on Saturday, Oct. 31. This will be the second straight season that the Orange plays a home game on Halloween, which should get the home crowd excited.

Prediction: SMU 38, Syracuse 24

A home game on Halloween could give the Orange a fighting chance to pull off an upset. After hanging tough with the Mustangs last year, Fran Brown should have no problem convincing his team they have a fighting chance. Look for Syracuse to keep things close at halftime, but keeping Jennings and the SMU offense under wraps for 60 minutes is asking too much. The Mustangs will eventually pull away for a two-touchdown win.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow