Game notes: SMU at Notre Dame
Saturday, November 21, 7:30 p.m. ET, Notre Dame Stadium.The game page.
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The matchup
- SMU (5–1, 3–1 in conference) at Notre Dame (6–1), Saturday, November 21, 7:30 p.m. ET, Notre Dame Stadium.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 14th meeting; Notre Dame leads the series 10–3.resultsEvery meeting on file; official counts take out wins the NCAA vacated and count forfeits as the rivalry’s article does.
- Last meeting: Saturday, November 11, 1989: Notre Dame 59, SMU 6.resultsThe most recent meeting on file.
- They first met in 1930: Notre Dame 20, SMU 14.resultsThe earliest meeting on file.
- Notre Dame is 6–1 at home against SMU.resultsThe home team’s record against this opponent in its home games (neutral sites aside), every meeting on file.
- Last five meetings: 1989: Notre Dame 59–6 (at Notre Dame); 1986: Notre Dame 61–29 (at Notre Dame); 1984: SMU 27–20 (neutral site); 1958: Notre Dame 14–6 (at SMU); 1957: Notre Dame 54–21 (at SMU).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 faces Notre Dame as a head coach for the first time.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 1981, SMU beat No. 16 Arkansas 32–18.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.
Notre Dame
- Notre Dame is 6–1, 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 41–13 vs. Wisconsin; W 52–0 vs. Rice; W 27–10 vs. Michigan State; W 49–10 at Purdue; W 37–26 at North Carolina; W 58–7 vs. Stanford; L 24–28 at No. 8 BYU.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Notre Dame is No. 5 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Marcus Freeman is 49–13 in his sixth season at Notre Dame.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Marcus Freeman faces SMU as a head coach for the first time.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- C.J. Carr (QB): 1,639 passing yards, 16 TD, No. 10 in FBS in passing touchdowns.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Nolan James Jr. (RB): 412 rushing yards, 6 TD, the team leader in rushing touchdowns.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Drayk Bowen (LB): 38 tackles, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- C.J. Carr needs 2 touchdown passes to pass Everett Golson (41, 2012–14) for eighth on Notre Dame’s career touchdown passes list. He has 40 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.
- Jordan Faison needs 9 catches to pass Tyler Eifert (140, 2009–12) for 10th on Notre Dame’s career receptions list. He has 132 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.
- On this date in 1981, Notre Dame lost to No. 13 Penn State 24–21.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
- It is the first meeting of Rhett Lashlee and Marcus Freeman as head coaches.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).
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