Game notes: SMU at Syracuse
Saturday, October 31, kickoff time not yet set, JMA Wireless Dome.The game page.
30 notes · built Oct 19, 11:29 AM ET
The matchup
- SMU (5–1, 3–1 in conference) at Syracuse (2–4, 0–4 in conference), Saturday, October 31, kickoff time not yet set, JMA Wireless Dome.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file. Ranks as of the game, as listed with the schedule (AP poll, else the coaches’).
The series
- It will be their third meeting; SMU leads the series 2–0.resultsEvery meeting on file; official counts take out wins the NCAA vacated and count forfeits as the rivalry’s article does.
- Last meeting: Saturday, October 4, 2025: SMU 31, Syracuse 18.resultsThe most recent meeting on file.
- Last two meetings: 2025: SMU 31–18 (at SMU); 1932: SMU 16–6 (at Syracuse).resultsThe last five meetings on file.
SMU
- SMU is 5–1 (3–1 in conference games), 0–1 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 27–24 at Florida State; W 56–10 vs. UC Davis; L 31–41 at No. 23 Louisville; W 34–24 vs. Missouri State; W 25–16 vs. Boston College; W 23–13 vs. Virginia.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- SMU has won three straight, since losing 41–31 to Louisville (Sept. 19, 2026).resultsThe team’s current run of results, every finished game on file across seasons.
- SMU is No. 18 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- SMU is one of five FBS teams that have led at halftime of every game this season, with Nebraska, Ohio State, Utah and Virginia Tech.resultsFBS teams ahead at halftime of each game this season, read from the score after every scoring play (four games or more).
- Rhett Lashlee is 43–17 in his fifth season at SMU.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Rhett Lashlee is 1–0 against Syracuse.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Kevin Jennings (QB): 1,859 passing yards, 16 TD, No. 8 in FBS in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Kendrick Raphael (RB): 542 rushing yards, 6 TD, the team leader in rushing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Alex Kilgore (LB): 35 tackles, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Kevin Jennings holds SMU’s career record in passing yards with 9,512 and counting, past Ben Hicks’s 9,081 (2016–18).Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Kevin Jennings needs 1 touchdown pass to tie Tanner Mordecai (72, 2021–22) for SMU’s career record in touchdown passes, 2 to break it. He has 71 so far.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Kevin Jennings holds SMU’s career record in total offense with 10,159 and counting, past Ben Hicks’s 8,977 (2016–18).Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Kevin Jennings is tied with Ben Hicks (71, 2016–18) for second on SMU’s career touchdown passes list, at 71 so far; one more touchdown pass breaks the tie.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- On this date in 1992, SMU lost to No. 5 Texas A&M 41–7.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
Syracuse
- Syracuse is 2–4 (0–4 in conference games).resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 66–3 vs. New Hampshire; L 18–21 vs. California; L 13–27 at Pittsburgh; W 42–41 at UConn; L 25–28 at Virginia; L 26–34 vs. Louisville.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Syracuse has lost two straight, since beating UConn 42–41 (Oct. 3, 2026).resultsThe team’s current run of results, every finished game on file across seasons.
- Syracuse is No. 114 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Fran Brown is 15–16 in his third season at Syracuse.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Fran Brown is 0–1 against SMU.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Umari Hatcher (WR): 50 catches, 784 yards, 7 TD, No. 3 in FBS in receiving yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Tylik Hill (RB): 430 rushing yards, 1 TD, the team leader in rushing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Chris D’Appolonia (LB): 45 tackles, 2 sacks, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- On this date in 2015, Syracuse lost to No. 17 Florida State 45–21.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
The coaches
- Fran Brown is 0–1 against Rhett Lashlee’s teams as a head coach.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
Sources
Every sentence here is ours, written from counts we make over the games on file. Where the facts come from:
- CollegeFootballData.com: Game results, rankings and player statistics; the sentence and every count in it are ours. Derived output (CollegeFootballData.com terms, section 4).
- CollegeFootballDigest: Our own ratings (Elo) and research notes. CC BY 4.0.
- Wikipedia: Facts from Wikipedia’s lists and articles (schools’ record books, trophies, College GameDay sites, coaching records), restated. CC BY-SA 4.0 (facts restated; credit Wikipedia).
No picks and no odds. Found something wrong? Tell us with how you know.