SMU
SMU is 7-2 and No. 25 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 12.2 points better than an average FBS team. Last game: won 51-28 vs Virginia Tech in Week 10. The machine gives SMU a 6% chance to make the playoff.
Week 11: vs Wake Forest, Saturday, Nov 14: the matchup, unit by unit
Why SMU is No. 25
- SMU's rating is 12.2: the machine's estimate that SMU is 12.2 points better than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 25 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
- It started the season at 11.1, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it up 1.1.
- The biggest weekly moves: −3.4 after Week 4 (W 34-24 vs Missouri State) and +2.7 after Week 8 (W 59-20 vs California).
- Its record is 7-2. The 2 losses were to No. 27 Louisville, No. 60 Syracuse, by 6.5 points on average. The 7 wins came by 20.0 points on average; the best was over No. 32 Florida State. The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
- Its FBS opponents so far average No. 64 in the machine's ratings.
- Just above is No. 24 Oklahoma State (12.3); just below is No. 26 Arizona (12.2).
The rating, week by week
Strengths and weak spots
Head coach
Rhett Lashlee is in his 5th season at SMU (since 2022). This season: 7-2. At SMU overall: 45-18, counting this season.
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
Team stats
Season totals and averages over 9 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.
Passing
| Completions-attempts | 223-301 |
|---|---|
| Passing yards | 2913 |
| Touchdowns-interceptions | 27-6 |
| Yards per attempt* | 9.7No. 6 of 138 |
| Explosive pass rate | 14.8%No. 11 of 138 |
| Sacks allowed (rate) | 4.2%No. 43 of 138 |
Rushing
| Carries-yards | 316-1394 |
|---|---|
| Yards per carry | 4.4No. 68 of 138 |
| 10-plus-yard runs (rate) | 15.1%No. 47 of 138 |
| Stuffed at or behind the line (rate) | 19.7%No. 104 of 138 |
Scoring
| Points per game | 37.0No. 19 of 138 |
|---|---|
| Yards per play | 7.06No. 8 of 138 |
| Third-down rate | 47.7%No. 20 of 138 |
| Red-zone TD rate | 69.8%No. 28 of 138 |
| Giveaways | 12No. 84 of 138 |
Defense
| Points allowed per game | 22.9No. 53 of 138 |
|---|---|
| Yards per play allowed | 5.09No. 37 of 138 |
| Yards per pass attempt allowed | 6.2No. 25 of 138 |
| Yards per carry allowed | 3.9No. 60 of 138 |
| Sack rate | 7.6%No. 18 of 138 |
| Takeaways | 8No. 119 of 138 |
| Third-down rate allowed | 29.9%No. 10 of 138 |
Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
Player leaders
The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).
Passing
- Kevin Jennings209-283, 2783 yds, 25 TD, 6 INT
- Ty Hawkins12-14, 117 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing
- Kendrick Raphael150 carries, 760 yds, 10 TD
- Christian Rhodes19 carries, 156 yds, 2 TD
- Dramekco Green42 carries, 150 yds, 1 TD
Receiving
- Yamir Knight50 catches, 626 yds, 6 TD
- Yannick Smith33 catches, 521 yds, 2 TD
- Jalen Cooper32 catches, 487 yds, 2 TD
Tackles
- Alex Kilgore51
- Jimmy Wyrick44
- Brandon Booker40
Sacks
- Marques White7.5
- Aakil Washington3
- Brandon Booker2.5
Interceptions
- Brandon Booker1
- Jarvis Lee Jr.1
- Jimmy Wyrick1
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
Who's playing
Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.
Throwing
- Kevin JenningsMost passes in the last game9 games283 attempts94%
- Ty Hawkins2 games14 attempts5%
Carrying
- Kendrick Raphael9 games150 carries62%
- Dramekco Green5 games42 carries17%
- Christian Rhodes4 games19 carries8%
- Derrick McFall5 games15 carries6%
Catching
- Yamir Knight9 games50 catches22%
- Yannick Smith8 games33 catches15%
- Jalen Cooper9 games32 catches14%
- Randy Pittman9 games25 catches11%
Tackling
- Alex Kilgore9 games51 tackles9%
- Jimmy Wyrick9 games44 tackles8%
- Brandon Booker8 games40 tackles7%
- Sael Reyes7 games40 tackles7%
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
The season, week by week
- Week 1 W 27–24 at Florida State. The passing game was the strength: 12.0 yards an attempt, 4.8 more than Florida State usually allows. Lost the turnover battle by 3.
- Week 2 W 56–10 vs UC Davis. UC Davis is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against. Won the turnover battle by 2.
- Week 3 L 31–41 at Louisville. The run game was the strength: 5.7 yards a carry, 2.3 more than Louisville usually allows. Lost the turnover battle by 3.
- Week 4 W 34–24 vs Missouri State. The passing game was the strength: 11.6 yards an attempt, 4.3 more than Missouri State usually allows. The defense had 7 sacks.
- Week 5 W 25–16 vs Boston College. The run game struggled: 1.8 yards a carry, 2.7 less than Boston College usually allows. Its fewest yards an attempt of the season.
- Week 7 W 23–13 vs Virginia. The pass defense was the strength: Virginia got 6.2 yards an attempt, 1.2 under what it usually gains.
- Week 8 W 59–20 vs California. The run defense was the strength: California got 1.4 yards a carry, 1.6 under what it usually gains. The fewest yards a carry it has allowed all season.
- Week 9 L 27–30 at Syracuse. The run game struggled: 2.3 yards a carry, 2.3 less than Syracuse usually allows. The machine had SMU by 8.4 (70%), so this was a loss it did not see coming; SMU lost the turnover battle by 2.
- Week 10 W 51–28 vs Virginia Tech. The passing game was the strength: 10.9 yards an attempt, 3.6 more than Virginia Tech usually allows. Its most yards a carry of the season.