Saturday, September 6, 2025 – 11 a.m. CT
[17/16] SMU (1-0, ACC) vs. [RV/-] Baylor (0-1, Big 12)
Gerald J. Ford Stadium – Dallas, Texas
TV: The CW
Radio: The Ticket - KTCK 96.7 FM/1310 AM | ESPN Radio
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SETTING THE SCENE
• The Mustangs are set to take on Baylor for the first time since 2016 on Saturday.
• SMU is coming off a 42-13 victory against East Texas A&M on Aug. 30 in Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
• Senior wide receiver Romello Brinson led the way, finishing with career highs in receptions (7) and yards (121) while recording one touchdown.
• Safety Ahmaad Moses and linebacker Alexander Kilgore each recorded defensive touchdowns for the Mustangs in the victory.
• Kevin Jennings helped power the SMU offense to 400 total yards while throwing two touchdowns and rushing for another.
• Cameron Robertson finished with four tackles, two TFLs, one sack and one forced fumble.
• The Mustangs were selected third in the conference's annual preseason poll on July 30, garnering 2,612 points and two first-place votes.
QUICK HITS
• SMU has been explosive on offense in Ford Stadium in its last 16 home games dating back to 2022, scoring 773 points, an average of 48.3 points per game during the 16-game span with a 15-1 record.
• The accolades have come pouring in during the preseason with 20 Mustangs earning a preseason honor.
• Isaiah Nwokobia has been recognized as one of the premier safeties in the country heading into 2025, being named preseason All-America by multiple publications (Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, Sporting News and Walter Camp).
• Nwokobia has also appeared on numerous watch lists including the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, Bronco Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl.
• Kevin Jennings looks to build on his breakout campaign last year, being selected to several premier watch lists that include the Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Manning Award, East-West Shrine Bowl and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
• SMU's 55 wins in the last six years are the most by any FBS Texas team. In addition, the Mustangs have won 24 of those on the road, tops for any team in the state since 2019.
• The Mustangs are 21-4 in their last 25 games, and 20-1 in their last 21 regular-season contests.
• SMU has posted a record of 26-2 during Lashlee's three seasons in charge when they score 30-or-more points in a game.
• The Mustangs have had at least seven receivers catch a pass in 28 of the past 31 games.
• Rhett Lashlee boasts a 21-3 conference record in his career. His 21-3 record in his first 24 league games on the Hilltop is the best in SMU history.
• SMU entered the year ranked 16th in both the US LBM Coaches and Associated Press Preseason Polls, its highest preseason rank since 1985.
THE SERIES
• This is the 83rd meeting between SMU and Baylor with the all-time series record of 36-39-7.
• The Bears have a 13-game winning streak in the series.
• The series has taken place over 11 decades, dating back to the first game in 1916.
• The two teams have not played each other since Sept. 9, 2016, a win for the Bears.
ABOUT THE BEARS
• Baylor finished the 2024 season with an 8-5 record and a 6-3 conference mark.
• The Bears played against LSU in the 2024 Kinder's Texas Bowl in Houston, Texas, ultimately falling to the Tigers 31-44.
• Baylor dropped its season opener to Auburn at home, 38-24 on Aug. 29.
THE COACHES
• Rhett Lashlee is in his fourth season as the head coach at SMU and has a 30-12 career record, with 29 wins the second most for a head coach in his first three years in program history. 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 Coach of the Year by Dave Campbell's Texas Football publication, a finalist of the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, and a semi-finalist for the George Munger National Coach of the Year.
• Dave Aranda, a 28-year football coaching veteran, was appointed Baylor's 28th head football coach on January 16, 2020. Now in his sixth season at Baylor, Aranda's all-time record with the Bears is 31-31 with a 21-24 conference mark.
MUSTANG CAPTAINS
• Kevin Jennings, Alexander Kilgore, Ahmaad Moses, Isaiah Nwokobia, Logan Parr and PJ Williams were named captains for the 2025 season.
OPENING STATEMENT
• The Mustangs have a recent history of starting the year right.
• SMU has won its last seven season openers dating back to 2019, the longest since a program-record 15-game stretch from 1972-1986.
SEASON OPENERS SINCE 2019
Aug. 30, 2025 East Texas A&M W, 42-13
Aug. 24, 2024 at Nevada W, 29-24
Sept. 2, 2023 Louisiana Tech W, 38-14
Sept. 3, 2022 at North Texas W, 48-10
Sept. 4, 2021 Abilene Christian W, 56-9
Sept. 5, 2020 at Texas State W, 31-24
Aug. 31, 2019 at Arkansas State W, 37-30
BEST IN TEXAS
• SMU has enjoyed much success in the past six seasons.
• The Mustangs have recorded 55 wins since 2019, are the most by any of the 13 FBS teams in the state.
• Of those 55 wins, 24 have come on the road, tops for any team in the state since 2019.
FIREWORKS IN FORD
• SMU has been explosive on offense in Ford Stadium in its last 16 home games, scoring 773 points.
• The Mustangs are averaging 48.3 points per game during the 16-game span dating back in 2022 while posting a record of 15-1.
LAST 16 GAMES IN FORD STADIUM
Nov. 5, 2022 Houston W, 77-63
Nov. 26, 2022 Memphis W, 34-31
Sept. 2, 2023 Louisiana Tech W, 38-14
Sept. 16, 2023 Prairie View A&M W, 69-0
Sept. 30, 2023 Charlotte W, 34-16
Oct. 28, 2023 Tulsa W, 69-10
Nov. 10, 2023 North Texas W, 45-21
Nov. 25, 2023 Navy W, 59-14
Aug. 31, 2024 HCU W, 59-7
Sept. 6, 2024 BYU L, 18-15
Sept. 21, 2024 TCU W, 66-42
Sept. 28, 2024 Florida State W, 42-16
Nov. 2, 2024 #18 Pitt W, 48-25
Nov. 16, 2024 Boston College W, 38-28
Nov. 30, 2024 Cal W, 38-6
Aug. 30, 2025 East Texas A&M W, 42-13
LUCKY NUMBER 30
• SMU has posted a record of 27-2 during Lashlee's four seasons in charge when they score 30 or more points in a game.
CLUB TAKEAWAY
• Club Takeaway was back and open for business again in 2025.
• SMU has forced a turnover in 22 of the past 25 games.
HOME SWEET HOME
• SMU is 31-5 at home since the start of the 2019 season, which included a 6-1 record in 2024, 6-0 in 2023, 5-1 in 2021 and a 6-0 record in 2019.
• Attendance of 33,044 for the season-opening win against East Texas A&M was the largest for an SMU home opener since 2014.
• SMU set a record for student attendance with 5,176 at the game.
• Four of the top five student attendances in Ford Stadium history have come since the start of the 2024 season.
• The Mustangs improved their current home winning streak to six games dating back to Sept. 21, 2024 with the win against the Lions.
SUCCESS IN SEPTEMBER
Since 2019, SMU has been one tough team to beat in the month of September. The Mustangs have posted a record of 18-5 (.782) over the past five seasons in the first official month of the fall.
2024: 2-1
2023: 3-2
2022: 2-2
2021: 4-0
2020: 3-0
2019: 4-0
OVERALL: 18-5 (.782)
