Saturday, November 23, 2024 – 11 a.m. CT
[13/12] SMU (9-1, 6-0 ACC) at Virginia (5-5, 3-3 ACC)
Carl Smith Center, Home of David A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium – Charlottesville, Va.
TV: ESPN2
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SETTING THE SCENE
• No. 13 SMU hits the road for the final time in the regular season when it faces Virginia on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
• The Mustangs enter the contest at 9-1 and ranked No. 13 in the nation, the highest ranking since 1985 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
• The Mustangs have averaged 42.3 points per game during the current seven-game winning streak. 
• Club Takeaway continues to be in business this season, forcing 20 turnovers this season, the 10th most in the nation.
• The Mustangs have forced at least one turnover in eight of the past nine games and in 18 of the past 20 contests dating back to 2023. 
• In its last game, SMU recorded a 38-28 victory over Boston College to improve its record to 9-1 in front of the third-straight sellout crowd at Ford Stadium.
• SMU's 6-0 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 since 1978. No other team has started 2-0. 
• SMU's nine-game current road winning streak is the second-longest active streak in college football and longest in program history since a 13-game streak from Sept. 26, 1981 to Sept. 15, 1984. 

QUICK HITS
• SMU is 29-5 at home in Ford Stadium since 2019.
• SMU's defense has continued to force turnovers this year, ranking 10th in the country with 20 turnovers gained, along with being second in defensive touchdowns with four.
• The Mustangs have had at least seven receivers catch a pass in 25 of the past 27 games.
• Brashard Smith has made an impact in 2024, ranking sixth in all-purpose yards per game with 147.00, 12th in total touchdowns (14) and 13th in rushing yards per carry (6.49), resulting in being named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. 
• Collin Rogers has tallied 19 field goals this season, whch is third in the nation. He leads the nation in made field goals over 50 yards with seven, one shy of the NCAA single season record of eight set by Tennessee's Fuad Reveiz in 1982, leading to being selected as a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award. 
• Kevin Jennings sits fifth nationally in passing yards per completion (14.56) and sixth in yards per pass attempt (9.52). 
• Jennings has the highest passer efficiency rating in conference games only in the ACC at 178.6.
• SMU's 52 wins in the last six years are the most by any FBS Texas team. In addition, the Mustangs have won 23 of those on the road, tops for any team in the state since 2019.
• The Mustangs are 18-2 in their last 20 games, and 17-1 in their last 18 regular-season contests.
• Rhett Lashlee boasts a 19-3 conference record in his career. His 19-3 record in his first 24 league games on the Hilltop is the best in SMU history.
• SMU has posted a record of 24-1 during Lashlee's three seasons in charge when they score 30 or more points in a game, and have won 22 straight when hitting the magic number.

THE SERIES
• This the first meeting all time. The two programs were scheduled to play in the 2021 Fenway Bowl, but was canceled due to COVID.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS
• Virginia enters the game at 5-5 and 3-3 in the ACC following a loss to Notre Dame on the road last week.

THE COACHES
• Rhett Lashlee is in his third season as the head coach at SMU and has a 27-10 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.

• Virginia Head Football Coach Tony Elliott enters his third season directing the UVA program in 2024.He has a career record of 6-16, and the Cavaliers are seeking their first bowl appearance under Elliott this season.

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 an 19-3 record against conference opponents since 2022, highlighted by the current 15-game winning streak. 
• The 15 straight conference wins breaks the program record set back from 1981 to 1982. 
• The winning streak is the second longest active streak behind Tulane (17). 

CURRENT 15-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)
Oct. 19, 2024     W, 40-10    at Stanford (12)
Oct. 26, 2024    W, 28-27(OT)    at Duke (13)
Nov. 2, 2024        W, 48-25    vs. Pitt (14)
Nov. 16, 2024    W, 38-28    vs. Boston College (15)

LET'S TAKE THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD
• SMU's nine-game current road winning streak is the second longest active streak in college football and longest in program history since a 13-game streak from Sept. 26, 1981 to Sept. 15, 1984. 
• SMU has averaged 35.2 points per game during the streak. 
• The Mustangs have scored at least 26 points in all nine road wins dating back to 2023. 

CURRENT 9-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)
Oct. 19, 2024    W, 40-10    at Stanford (8)
Oct. 26, 2024    W, 28-27(OT)    at Duke (9)

SMITH ARMY KNIFE 
• Running back Brashard Smith has been a weapon in multiple offensive facets so far this season, helping him being named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.
• The Richmond Heights, Florida, native has racked up 1,026 yards on the ground along with 203 yards receiving, making him one of just seven FBS players with 1,000+ rushing and 200+ receiving yards on the season. 
• Smith also has 243 kickoff return yards, making him the only player in the FBS with 1,000+ rushing, 200+ receiving and 200+ kickoff return yards this year.
• Smith has posted a 92.4 offensive grade by PFF on the season, the highest by any offensive player amongst all Power 5 teams (70 teams) (Min 75 snaps).
• Smith has 1,470 all-purpose yards on the year, which rank 28th most in a single season in program history. 
• Smith eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season against Boston College, making him the 12th player in program history to rush for 1,000 in a single season. 

JENNINGS AS QB1 
• This season, Jennings has gone 151-231 passing for 2,198 yards and 15 touchdowns. 
• In addition, he has recorded 315 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. 
• Since Jennings has taken over as the starter at quarterback in week 4, he has posted a 81.2 offensive grade by PFF, eighth highest by any offensive player in the ACC (Min. 75 snaps). 
• Jennings has the highest passer efficiency rating in conference games only at 175.15.
• Jennings career day against Stanford resulted in career highs in passing yards (322) and passing touchdowns (3). 
• He was named by the Davey O'Brien Foundation a Great 8 quarterback for week 8 and 10, along with being a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award.

LUCKY NUMBER 30 
• SMU has posted a record of 24-1 during Lashlee's three seasons in charge when they score 30 or more points in a game.
• The Mustangs currently have a 22-game winning streak when they hit the magic number.