Here are 10 things Virginia fans should know about SMU football

Anyone old enough to remember life before the Internet also may recall the last time SMU was a national football power.

The Mustangs went a combined 41-5-1 from 1980-84, including an 11-0-1 mark in 1982, and laying claim to a least a share of the mythical national championships in 1981 and '82 (when it was decided by polls rather than a playoff). Those teams were powered by the "Pony Express" tag-team backfield of Eric Dickerson and Craig James.

The fun ended, though, when SMU became the first (and only) program to receive the NCAA's "Death Penalty" for improper payment to players. The Mustangs were banned from fielding a team in 1987 or '88, and went 4-29 in their first three seasons back, failing to post a winning season until 1997.

Now, paying players is legal and mandatory, and SMU's program is as strong as it has been since those glory days of nearly half a century ago. Here are 10 things Virginia fans should know as the Cavaliers travel to Dallas on Saturday to face the Mustangs:

1. They love home cooking

Gerald Ford Stadium has been a nightmare for visiting teams of late. The Mustangs are 22-2 at home under fifth-year coach Rhett Lashlee, and they've averaging 44.5 points per game in the friendly confines. ACC opponents are 0-9 on the Mustangs' home turf.

2. They love conference calls

SMU has a 16-3 record in Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season games since joining the league in 2024. But the Mustangs' history of dominating conference foes didn't begin there. Counting their tenure in the American Athletic Conference, they're 29-6 against league foes since 2022. That includes a 20-game win streak from 2022-25.

3. They score quickly

In 18 games over the past two seasons, the Mustangs have produced 27 touchdown drives that consumed less than two minutes of time off the clock. SMU has averaged less time of possession (29:38 per game) than its opponents, but it hasn't needed to control the clock.

4. They spread the wealth

Seven different Mustangs have at least one touchdown reception this season, led by tight end Theo Melin Ohrstrom's four. And at least seven SMU players have caught at least one pass in 45 of their last 49 games.

5. Jennings makes it run

The maestro for this offensive efficiency is senior quarterback Kevin Jennings. He's thrown for 1,588 yards and 14 touchdowns in five games. He has a 23-8 record as the Mustangs' starter, and he's the ACC's active leader in career passing yardage (9,297) and total yardage (9,925). In the only previous meeting between the teams, a 33-7 SMU win in Scott Stadium in 2024, he threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns.

6. It's not just an air show

Lest you think the Mustangs rely completely on their passing game, meet Kendrick Raphael. The senior running back picked up 197 yards on the ground and scored three touchdows against Louisville this season. Remarkably enough, that was SMU's only loss so far.

7. The pass rush is formidable

Since 2023, no FBS program has registered more quarterback sacks than the Mustangs' 141. They have 17 in five games this season, including 4.5 by Marques White. Ten Mustangs have at least one. That's the challenge for a Virginia line that allowed Beau Pribula to go down 10 times against Florida State.

8. They're tough on third downs

Opponents have converted just 18 of 70 third-down attempts against SMU this season , a 25.7 percentage rate that leads the ACC and ranks fourth in the nation. Virginia's offensive third-down conversion rate is 33.3 percent. The Cavaliers will need to run the ball and stay ahead of the chains to have any reasonable chance.

9. The magic number is 30

Under Lashlee, the Mustangs have a 34-5 record when scoring at least 30 points. Not coincidentally, Virginia is 0-2 away from home this season, allowing 38 points to both West Virginia and N.C. State.

10. Cavaliers winless in Texas

This is Virginia's first trip to SMU and only its fourth game ever in the Lone Star State. They're 0-2 all-tme at Texas and lost at TCU in 2012.

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