Game notes: SMU at Stanford
Saturday, November 28, kickoff time not yet set, Stanford Stadium.The game page.
30 notes · built Oct 19, 12:34 PM ET
The matchup
- SMU (5–1, 3–1 in conference) at Stanford (3–4, 1–3 in conference), Saturday, November 28, kickoff time not yet set, Stanford 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 fourth meeting; SMU leads the series 2–1.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 11, 2025: SMU 34, Stanford 10.resultsThe most recent meeting on file.
- They first met in 1935: Stanford 7, SMU 0.resultsThe earliest meeting on file.
- Last three meetings: 2025: SMU 34–10 (at SMU); 2024: SMU 40–10 (at Stanford); 1935: Stanford 7–0 (neutral site).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 2–0 against Stanford.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 1959, SMU lost to No. 8 TCU 19–0.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.
Stanford
- Stanford is 3–4 (1–3 in conference games), 0–2 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 37–27 vs. Hawai’i; L 6–45 vs. No. 7 Miami; L 7–35 at Duke; W 34–27 vs. Georgia Tech; L 3–57 at Wake Forest; L 7–58 at No. 3 Notre Dame; W 34–7 vs. Elon.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Stanford is No. 101 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Tavita Pritchard is 3–4 in his first season at Stanford.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Tavita Pritchard 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.
- Davis Warren (QB): 1,630 passing yards, 7 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Micah Ford (RB): 529 rushing yards, 8 TD, the team leader in rushing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Jaivion Green (S): 42 tackles, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- On this date in 2015, Stanford beat No. 4 Notre Dame 38–36.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 Tavita Pritchard 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).
No picks and no odds. Found something wrong? Tell us with how you know.