Saturday, October 19, 2024 – 7 p.m. CT
[21/23] SMU (5-1, 2-0 ACC) at Stanford (2-4, 1-2 ACC)
Stanford Stadium – Stanford, Calif.
TV: ACC Network
Radio: The Ticket - KTCK 96.7 FM/1310 AM | Streaming: SMU App (Google Play | Apple App Store)
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SETTING THE SCENE
• SMU goes for its eighth straight road win when the Mustangs take on Stanford on Saturday at 7 PM CT on the ACC Network.
• The Mustangs have averaged 47.3 points per game during the current three-game winning streak. 
• Club Takeaway continues to be in business this season, forcing a national-best 15 turnovers this season.
• The Mustangs have forced at least one turnover in the last five games and in 15 of the past 16 contests dating back to 2023. 
• Kevin Jennings was stellar in the win against then-22nd Louisville, finishing with a career high in passing (281) and rushing yards (113), the first SMU quarterback to have at least 200 passing and 100 rushing in a single game since 2014. 
• SMU's 2-0 start in conference play is a first for a team jumping into a Power-4/5 conference from a Group of Five in their first season.  

QUICK HITS
• The Mustangs have won seven straight road games dating back to Sept. 2023, the second longest active streak in all of FBS. 
• SMU's defense has continued to force turnovers this year, ranking tied for first in the country with 15 turnovers gained, along with being first in defensive touchdowns with four.
• The Mustangs have had at least seven receivers catch a pass in 23 straight games, dating back to at Tulane on Nov. 17, 2022.
• Brashard Smith has made an impact in 2024, ranking seventh in total touchdowns (8), ninth nationally in all-purpose yards (151.20), ninth in rush yards per carry (7.27), 12th in rushing touchdowns (7) and 13th in rushing yards (509).
• Ahmad Moses ranks third in the nation in total interceptions with three after picking off TCU twice during the victory and becoming the first Mustang with multiple interceptions since Nick Roberts vs. Houston on Nov. 5, 2022.
• Collin Rogers has tallied 11 field goals this season, which is tied for second in the nation.
• Rogers leads the nation in field goals made longer than 50 yards with five.  
• SMU's 48 wins in the last six years are the most by any FBS Texas team. In addition, the Mustangs have won 21 of those on the road, tops for any team in the state since 2019.
• The Mustangs are 14-2 in their last 16 games.
• SMU has posted a record of 21-1 during Rhett Lashlee's three seasons in charge when they score 30 or more points in a game, and have won 19 straight when hitting the magic number.
• SMU had 20 players earn various accolades prior to the start of the season. 

THE SERIES
• This the second meeting in the all-time series, with Stanford winning the 1935 Rose Bowl, 7-0. 

ABOUT THE CARDINAL
• Stanford has a 2-4 record on the year and has lost its last three games. 
• The Cardinal is 1-2 at home this season averaging 25.0 points per game in three home contests. 

THE COACHES
• Rhett Lashlee is in his third season as the head coach at SMU and has a 23-10 career record. Lashlee, who served as offensive coordinator for the Mustangs for two seasons (2018-19), also served as the offensive coordinator at Miami in 2020 and 2021. A one-time finalist (2013) and two-time semifinalist (2019, 2020) for the Broyles Award, Lashlee has the distinction of being the only coach ever nominated for the Broyles Award four different times at four different schools (Arkansas State, Auburn, SMU, Miami).

• Lashlee was named a finalist last season for the prestigious Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award, handed out the nation's top coach as voted on by the National Sports Media Association, the Bryant Awards' Executive Leadership Team, and the Bryant Family. The Arkansas native was also named Co-Coach of the Year by the Dave Campbell's Texas Football publication, a finalist of the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, and a semi-finalist for Coach of the Year Award by the Maxwell Football Club for the job he did in 2023.

• Troy Taylor was named Stanford's Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football on Dec. 10, 2022 by Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bernard Muir and just completed his first season on The Farm in 2023. He has a career coaching record of 35-21.
 
• Taylor, the 35th head coach in program history, previously guided Sacramento State to a 30-8 mark in four seasons (2019-22) and a berth in the FCS quarterfinals for the first time in school history. Prior to the 2022 season, Sacramento State had never won an FCS Playoff game in its program history.

MUSTANG CAPTAINS
• Kevin Jennings, Jonathan McGill, Justin Osborne, Elijah Roberts, Preston Stone and Kobe Wilson were voted captains for the 2024 season. 

SOMETHING SPECIAL GOING ON HERE
• The Mustangs have been a force in conference play over the last three seasons. 
• SMU has posted a 15-3 record against conference opponents since 2022, highlighted by the current 11-game winning streak. 
• The 11 straight conference wins ties the program record set back from 1981 to 1982. 

CURRENT 11-GAME CONFERENCE WINNING STREAK 
Nov. 26, 2022              W, 34-31         vs. Memphis (1)
Sept. 30, 2023             W, 34-16         vs. Charlotte (2)
Oct. 12, 2023               W, 31-10         at ECU (3)
Oct. 20, 2023               W, 55-0           at Temple (4)
Oct. 28, 2023               W, 69-10         vs. Tulsa (5)
Nov. 4, 2023                W, 36-31         at Rice (6)
Nov. 10, 2023              W, 45-21         vs. North Texas (7)
Nov. 18, 2023              W, 38-34         at Memphis (8)
Nov. 25, 2023              W, 59-14         vs. Navy (9)
Sept. 28, 2024             W, 42-16         vs. Florida State (10)
Oct. 5, 2024                 W, 34-27         at No. 22 Louisville (11)

LET'S TAKE THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD
• SMU's seven-game current road winning streak ranks second longest in college football and longest in program history since a 12-game streak from Sept. 26, 1981 to Sept. 15, 1984. 
• SMU has averaged 35.6 points per game during the streak. 
• The Mustangs have scored at least 26 points in all seven road wins dating back to 2023. 

CURRENT 7-GAME ROAD WINNING STREAK 
Oct. 12, 2023               W, 31-10         at ECU (1)
Oct. 20, 2023               W, 55-0           at Temple (2)
Nov. 4, 2023                W, 36-31         at Rice (3)
Nov. 18, 2023              W, 38-34         at Memphis (4)
Dec. 2, 2023                 W, 26-14         at Tulane (5)
Aug. 24, 2024              W, 29-24         at Nevada (6)
Oct. 5, 2024                 W, 34-27         at No. 22 Louisville (7)

WHERE NO TEAM HAS GONE BEFORE
• SMU made history with its 2-0 start in ACC play this year. 
• The Mustangs are the first team to go 2-0 in conference play in their first season after jumping up from a Group of Five to Power 5 Conference.

LIST OF TEAMS TO GO FROM G5 TO P5 AND CONFERENCE RECORD IN FIRST TWO GAMES IN FIRST YEAR
Utah (2011, Joined Pac-12 from Mountain West): 0-2 (Lost at USC, Lost at Washington)
TCU (2012, Joined Big 12 from Mountain West): 1-1 (Won at Kansas, Lost at home vs. Iowa State) 
Rutgers (2013, Joined Big 10 from AAC): 1-1 (Lost at home vs. Penn State, Won at home vs. Michigan)
Louisville (2014, Joined ACC from AAC): 1-1 (Won at home vs. Miami, Lost at Virginia)
Cincinnati (2023, Joined Big 12 from AAC): 0-2 (Lost at home vs. Oklahoma, Lost at BYU)
Houston (2023, Joined Big 12 from AAC): 0-2 (Lost at home to TCU, Lost at Texas Tech) 
UCF (2023, Joined Big 12 from AAC): 0-2 (Lost at Kansas State, Lost at home vs. Baylor) 
BYU (2023, Joined Big 12 from Independents): 1-1 (Lost at Kansas, Won at home vs. Cincinnati)
SMU (2024, Joined ACC from AAC): 2-0 (Won at home vs. Florida State, Won at Louisville) 

SMITH ARMY KNIFE 
• Running back Brashard Smith has been a weapon in multiple offensive facets so far this season.
• The Richmond Heights, Florida, native has racked up 561 yards on the ground along with 138 yards receiving, making him one of just eight FBS players with 550+ rushing and 100+ receiving yards on the season. 
• Smith also has 128 kickoff return yards, making him the only player in the FBS with 550+ rushing, 100+ receiving and 100+ kickoff return yards this year.
• Smith has posted a 93.4 offensive grade by PFF on the season, the highest by any offensive player amongst all Power 5 teams (70 teams) (Min 50 snaps).

JENNINGS AS QB1 
• This season, Jennings has gone 80-120 passing for 1014 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception. In addition, he has recorded 262 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. 
• Since Jennings has taken over as the starter at quarterback in week 4, he has posted a 91.9 offensive grade by PFF, the highest by any offensive player amongst all Power 5 teams (70 teams) (Min. 25 snaps). 
• Jennings has the highest passer efficiency rating in conference games only at 183.7.