When the SMU football team takes the field against Wake Forest on Saturday, it does so as one of three teams undefeated in ACC play, with another five just behind.

But the Mustangs aren't even looking ahead to next week against No. 9 Miami, let alone the ACC championship game on December 6. They aren't celebrating last week's win at Clemson more than any other win either.

"No, we're not looking ahead to anything. It's human nature, right?" SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee said. "When things are going well, you come off of a win, a big road win, to relax, to find yourself complacent, even if you're not trying to. It's just human nature. … That game's not any bigger than this one."

It was a big win for the Mustangs, though. 

"It's definitely amazing, honestly," quarterback Kevin Jennings said. "Clemson is a really good team. They rarely lose at home, and just being able to go there and play a good team like that with a great environment and come out victorious, it means a lot for us."

But they can't overlook Wake Forest. The Deacons gave No. 7 Georgia Tech one of its toughest tests, needing a last-second field goal to force overtime and an interception in OT to seal the win.

The game-tying kick came after an apparent missed call would have kept the Wake Forest drive alive. If called, it could have run out the clock for the win. 

"They're 4-2 and really 4-2 with, I mean, they did what they needed to do to beat Georgia Tech, and they just got a call that was tough to handle that if it goes their way, they win the game," Lashlee said. "So they could easily be 5-1 right now with a win over a team that's ranked No. 7. So we've got our work cut out for us."

The Deacons have already matched the win total from the last two years under first-year head coach Jake Dickert. They come into the game with the No. 27 pass defense in the country, the No. 2 scoring defense in the conference, and Demond Claiborne is the third-leading rusher in the ACC. 

The Mustangs know what they are up against. 

"They're a really good team. I think they're a Top 30 team in pass defense, and they've got a really good run defense as well," Jennings said. "So, just looking at that going in, knowing we've got to give our A-game going up there and playing against a really good team at home, they're at home. So just having that in the back of our mind, not being able to go up there and slack at all."

There might be talk of what type of game this is on the outside. It's just the next game for the Mustangs.

And that's all that matters.

"Our big message is just, don't take the cheese, don't take the bait," tight end Matthew Hibner said. "People are going to say it's a trap game. However you want to look at it, for us it's just week by week. That's just who we have this week. Wake Forest is a good team. They're super gritty. They make a lot of plays. … We'll treat it the same as any other week. That same mindset that we're just trying to win a conference game and that's all that matters."

The Mustangs have made a habit of winning conference games. With the win at Clemson, SMU has now won a nation's-best 20 straight conference games, including all 11 it has played in the ACC. 

SMU has dealt with whatever has been thrown its way. That's been the approach for the Mustangs for a few years now, and that's not changing. They expect to win but know the work they have to put in to have that expectation.

"Keep playing our type of football, keep playing SMU football," linebacker Alexander Kilgore said. "They're a great team. … It's a challenge, and we aren't going to do anything but accept the challenge. We're going to come into Wake Forest chin up, chest out and we're going to accept the challenge and put our best foot forward."