Syracuse’s Halloween date with SMU now has a kickoff time, and it will look a little different from the string of night games the Orange have been playing through.
The Orange will host the Mustangs on Oct. 31 at 12:00 p.m. ET, ending a run of four straight ACC night kicks.
Syracuse has already been in that 7:30 p.m. ET window against Pittsburgh, Virginia, Louisville and will do it again this week at North Carolina before coming back home for SMU.
The matchup also gives Syracuse another Halloween game, the second in the last two seasons. Last year, the Orange hosted North Carolina on a Friday night and started Joe Filardi at quarterback after Steve Angeli’s injury set off another quarterback shuffle.
Filardi’s first college action was a rough one, as he finished 4-for-18 for 39 yards in Syracuse’s 27-10 loss. Filardi is on the 2026 football team and has not played this season.
He also plays for the Orange lacrosse team.
Syracuse is coming off another frustrating finish, this time a 34-26 home loss to Louisville on Saturday night. The Orange led again and let it slip away for the second straight game, dropping to 2-4 overall and 0-4 in ACC play. That also extended Syracuse’s ACC losing streak to 11 games.
SMU brings a strong record into the stretch run. The Mustangs are 5-1, with their only loss coming in September against Louisville, 41-31.
They host California this week and are favored by more than two touchdowns in a 12:00 p.m. ET kickoff in Dallas.
SMU is one of five ACC teams with one conference loss, and another defeat in league play could put a return trip to the ACC title game in serious jeopardy for the second time in three seasons.
Syracuse’s upcoming schedule now reads like this: Oct. 24 at North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET, Oct. 31 vs.
SMU at 12:00 p.m. ET, Nov. 7 vs.
Clemson, Nov. 14 at NC State, Nov. 21 at Boston College and Nov. 28 vs. Notre Dame.
At 2-4, Syracuse needs to win four of its final six games to reach bowl eligibility, with any postseason selection expected in the middle of December.
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