No. 22 SMU Mustangs are back at home this weekend to take on Boston College. Kickoff is Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. CT (noon ET) at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. The Mustangs (3-1) are coming off a 34-24 win over Missouri State, a game in which quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for 464 yards and became the program’s career passing leader. Boston College (2-2) arrives after a 21-14 home loss to Virginia Tech and makes its longest road trip of the season. This will be the fifth meeting between the two programs and the fourth in as many years. The Eagles won the 2023 Fenway Bowl, but SMU has won each of the last two meetings, including a 45-13 rout in Chestnut Hill last season. 

SMU’s offense was dominant in its last game, a 34-24 win over Missouri State in which the Mustangs outgained the Bears 592 yards to 239. Quarterback Kevin Jennings completed 33 of 39 passes for 464 yards and three touchdowns, including a school-record 21 straight completions, and became the program’s career leader in passing yards and total touchdowns. He had plenty of help. Slot receiver Yamir Knight caught 11 passes for 164 yards and a late touchdown, sophomore Jalen Cooper added eight catches for 125 yards, and tight end Theo Melin Öhrström scored twice. Running back Kendrick Raphael ran for nearly 100 yards and a score to keep the offense balanced. Against Boston College, the questions are mostly about SMU’s own mistakes. An early Knight fumble and a Jennings pick-six put the Mustangs in a 10-0 hole, and they missed two field goals, so head coach Rhett Lashlee said afterward that the team made the game harder than it needed to be. Expect Jennings to keep attacking through the air with Knight and Cooper, but a Boston College defense that has been opportunistic in the secondary will make protecting the football the biggest thing to watch.  

Boston College’s offense ran almost entirely through quarterback Mason McKenzie in last week’s 21-14 loss to Virginia Tech. He ran 26 times for 138 yards and both touchdowns, then completed 11 of 23 passes for 111 yards in a nor’easter, accounting for 249 of the Eagles’ 261 total yards. The rest of the offense struggled, converting only 2 of 13 third downs while McKenzie was sacked three times. Against SMU, expect the Eagles to lean on McKenzie’s legs again and try to shorten the game, since Boston College will need to sustain drives and avoid falling behind Jennings and the Mustangs’ high-powered offense. 

Key Players

SMU

• QB Kevin Jennings: Passed for 464 yards and three touchdowns against Missouri State and is now SMU’s career leader in passing yards and total touchdowns. He’s the engine of the offense.
• WR Yamir Knight: Top target out of the slot, with 11 catches for 164 yards and a touchdown last game.
• WR Jalen Cooper: Sophomore who added eight catches for 125 yards in the same game and is emerging as a clear second option.
• TE Theo Melin Öhrström: Scored twice against Missouri State and gives Jennings a reliable red-zone target.
• RB Kendrick Raphael: Ran for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown last game and leads a retooled backfield.

Boston College

• QB Mason McKenzie: Ran for 138 yards and both touchdowns against Virginia Tech and accounted for 249 of the Eagles’ 261 total yards. He’s the focal point of the offense, especially with his legs.
• LB Griffin Collins: Sophomore who helped deliver a key fourth-down stop against Virginia Tech.
• DB Charlie Comella: Redshirt sophomore who teamed with Collins on that stop and anchors a secondary that has been opportunistic this season.

Given SMU’s talent advantage, its home crowd and an offense that piled up 592 yards last week, expect the Mustangs to take control in the second half, but don’t be surprised if Boston College keeps it competitive early. The Eagles will try to shorten the game around Mason McKenzie’s legs and lean on a secondary that has been opportunistic, and SMU has shown it can help its opponents by turning the ball over and missing field goals. If the Mustangs protect the football and finish drives, they should move to 4-1 with an ACC home win, and the only question is how comfortable the final margin looks.