Syracuse’s season took a much-needed turn last week, but the reset button doesn’t stay quiet for long in the ACC.
After 11 straight conference losses, the Orange finally got back in the win column with a 31-30 overtime victory over North Carolina on Oct. 24.
That result gave Syracuse its first ACC win since September 2025 and sent it into Halloween with something it hasn’t had in a while: a little momentum. The problem is what comes next.
No. 19 SMU comes to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, and the Mustangs are the first ranked team on Syracuse’s schedule.
The matchup also brings a familiar opponent. SMU owns the all-time series 2-0, including a 31-18 win over Syracuse on Oct. 4, 2025, in Dallas. That night, the Mustangs jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and stretched it to 28 before Syracuse finally found some life late, scoring 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
That game was part of the Orange’s eight-game losing streak, and it came with plenty of damage early. Rickie Collins, making his second start, threw for 279 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
One of those picks went to former Syracuse cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr., who transferred to SMU after the 2024 season. On the other side, Kevin Jennings carved up Syracuse for four passing touchdowns and 285 yards, completing all but six of his passes.
Syracuse actually outgained SMU 389-370, but the turnovers and the sluggish start buried the Orange before the comeback could matter.
SMU arrives in Syracuse at 6-1 overall and 4-1 in ACC play, with its only loss coming Sept. 19 in a shootout against then-No. 23 Louisville.
Louisville also beat Syracuse, 34-26, on Oct. 17.
Since that defeat, the Mustangs have ripped off four straight wins, including three against ACC opponents, though they still haven’t knocked off a ranked team this season.
Jennings remains the centerpiece. He’s tied for sixth nationally with 19 passing touchdowns, just seven shy of his single-season career high, and his 2,062 passing yards rank 14th in the country.
SMU’s passing attack has spread the ball around, too, with eight different receivers topping 100 yards and three clearing 300. As a team, the Mustangs rank third in the ACC in total offense at about 470 yards per game and put up 36 points per game.
Defensively, SMU has been just as sturdy. The Mustangs are second in the ACC with 21 sacks and have forced six turnovers, four of them fumbles. They’re giving up a little more than 21 points per game and just over 303 yards, although the source notes they’ve allowed lesser opponents, including Missouri State, to hang around longer than they should have.
For Syracuse, the formula is pretty clear: keep pace and protect the football. The Orange are 3-4 and 1-4 in the ACC, but their offense has been productive enough to keep them within shouting distance. Syracuse ranks fourth in the conference with about 450 yards per game, and Steve Angeli looked closer to himself against North Carolina, throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
The challenge is that SMU’s defense is built to make life difficult, especially through the air. The Mustangs are allowing just 179.1 passing yards per game, the best mark in the ACC, while Syracuse is fifth in the league with 286.1 passing yards per game. Saturday should come down to which passing game can dictate the terms.
There’s also the turnover battle. SMU has turned it over nine times this season, Syracuse 10. In a game like this, the margins figure to be thin, and the Orange will need close to a clean performance on offense if they want to protect home field.
Jennings is the name to circle. If SMU wins the way it usually does, he’ll be right at the center of it.
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For a roster looking to define its interior identity, Wilson arrives with a skill set that stands out immediately. He is expected to compete for the starting center job, and his defensive profile is already established after leading the Sun Belt in blocks last season. If that edge carries over, Syracuse may have found a player who changes the way opponents attack the paint. [Read more 🡒]
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Kevin Jennings has been the centerpiece of SMUs climb, piling up the kind of production that has made him the most prolific passer in Mustangs history and helped position his team near the top of the ACC standings. SMU is tied for second and chasing a fifth straight win, which makes this a far sturdier measuring stick for Syracuse than the one it just passed, with the Orange trying to prove last week was a turning point rather than a one-off. [Read more 🡒]
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Syracuses first ACC win of the season came with a few unexpected names stepping into the spotlight in the 31-30 overtime victory at North Carolina. The Orange finally snapped a conference losing streak that had stretched more than a year, and the performance felt less like a one-off upset than a reminder that help can emerge from all over a roster when a game turns tight late.
Among the players who drew strong PFF grades were freshman offensive lineman Jayden Mann, junior running back Ahmad Miller, true freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell III and junior linebacker Zyian Moultrie-Goddard. Their work fed a balanced offensive effort and gave Syracuse enough defensive resistance to survive a one-point thriller, leaving the bigger question now whether these breakout contributions can become part of something more lasting as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]