BYU vs. SMU: Prediction, Preview, Picks and Odds
Week two of the college football season is here. BYU plays SMU, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Friday, Sept. 6; 6 p.m. (CT); Gerald J. Ford Stadium; Dallas, Texas
TV: ESPN2
Records: BYU (1-0); SMU (2-0)
Last Week: BYU def. Southern Illinois, 41-13; SMU def. Houston Christian, 59-7.
Series History: BYU leads series, 4-0.
Last Meeting: BYU def. SMU, 24-23 (2022 Albuquerque Bowl)
Fun Fact: BYU and SMU played one of the best-remembered bowl games in college football history. The Cougars defeated the Mustangs, 46-45, in the 1980 Holiday Bowl. The pass-heavy Cougars faced the run-heavy “Pony Express,” with BYU claiming the victory on three touchdowns in the last 2:31 of the game, the last a Hail Mary by Cougars quarterback Jim McMahon. The contest effectively put the Holiday Bowl on the map.
BYU vs. SMU Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: BYU (+11)
KEY PLAYERS
BYU
QB Jake Retzlaff
Retzlaff, who started four games a year ago, was named the surprise starter over Gerry Bohanon for the opener against the Salukis. He didn’t disappoint. He claimed his first win as a starter, throwing for 348-yards and three touchdowns in the victory. It looks like the job his his, even though Bohanon brings more experience to the table. But the redshirt sophomore’s arm may allow the Cougars to stretch the field more.
LB Jack Kelly
Because the Cougars had the lead early and didn’t let up, they were able to play most of their two-deep roster and 24 different BYU defenders had a tackle. Kelly led the way with five tackles, three solo and a quarterback hurry. He transferred in from Weber State in the offseason, but left the Wildcats with 16.5 career sacks. With more playing time, he’ll have more of an impact on the BYU pass rush.
SMU
QB Preston Stone
He’s been splitting time with Kevin Jennings the past two games, but make no mistake — in a big game, Stone is the quarterback the Mustangs will turn to. Last year he threw for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns and was among the top passers in the country. He also led SMU to the American Athletic Conference championship. With Stone at the helm, the Dallas, Texas, native will keep his hometown team competitive in any game.
DE Isaiah Smith
Keep your eye on the junior defensive end because he’s the one getting to the quarterback early this season. The 6-4 junior already has two sacks on the year, along with three tackles for loss. He looks poised to take a real jump in production after he had just 14 solo tackles a year ago. Just go back and look at his game tape from the AAC title game against the Tulane Green Wave. He had 2.5 sacks in that contest. It was a sign of things to come, it appears.
KEY STORYLINES
BYU
As long as Retzlaff keeps producing, the quarterback job probably belongs to him. But head coach Kalani Sitake knows his team must show significant improvement in the Cougars’ second year in the Big 12. Chase Roberts showed himself to be a big target as he caught seven passes for 108 yards. LJ Martin and Hinckley Ropati each scored rushing touchdowns. The defense held the Salukis to 13 points.
But that came against an overmatched FCS opponent. SMU will be a different animal. The Mustangs have a high-octane offense coming off a conference championship. They will be a tough early opponent as the Cougars try to measure where they are in their development as a power conference program.
SMU
Nearly 40 years after the so-called death penalty, the Mustangs are finally back in a major college football conference. SMU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in August, along with Stanford and Cal. To facilitate the move SMU actually offered not to take any TV money from the league.
But with well-heeled donors SMU has already raised more than $150 million for athletics.
This is a program starving for the legendary days of the early 1980s when they contended for national championships. After winning the American Athletic last year, they’re setting their sights on contending in the ACC. The Mustangs may be a year or two away, but they feel as if they’re on their way.
PREDICTION: SMU 37, BYU 31
SMU isn’t typically a tough place to play, but its program is in a great place under coach Rhett Lashlee. The Mustangs are playing the kind of offense that brings fans to the stadium. This should be an interesting matchup for BYU because the Cougars have the talent to keep up, but the real question is whether that talent is on the same page after just one game. The fact that SMU has already played two games could make a difference in who wins.
