SMU vs Stanford Prediction: Can the Mustangs Make an ACC Statement?

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 2:50 PM ET

SMU isn't quite finding the same magic of last season.

It's good, but tough losses to Baylor and TCU took away the swagger of 2024. However, the two losses came to Big 12 teams.

The ACC is still there for the taking.

The Mustangs already beat an injured Syracuse, and now they need this with three of their next four games on the road, including a date at Clemson and a home game against Miami.

Stanford has won two of its last three, but it's 1-1 in the ACC and gets Florida State and Miami next.

SMU Mustangs vs Stanford Cardinal Preview

How To Watch SMU vs Stanford

Saturday, October 11, 2025
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV: CW Network
Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX

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Why Stanford Will Win

The Cardinal passing game has gone off.

After a rough start against Hawaii and a rocky first three games, quarterback Ben Gulbranson has found his groove, hitting Virginia for 286 yards and San Jose State for 444. The interceptions have stopped, things appear to have slowed down, and the attack is producing.

SMU's secondary is getting hit hard. The pass rush is fine, and quarterbacks aren't connecting at a consistent level, but the big plays and yards are blowing up. In the two losses, Baylor and SMU combined for nine touchdown passes and over 800 yards.

Stanford has to get hot fast. But ...

Why SMU Will Win

The Stanford defense is having a few problems.

If you can throw a forward pass, you're going to complete it on the Cardinal D that allowed close to 1,200 passing yards and nine. touchdowns in the last three games.

SMU's running game hasn't been anything great, but Kevin Jennings has been good enough to keep the offense going. The six interceptions are too many, but he was red hot against Syracuse, but ...

Can Stanford and SMU Wake Up In Time?

The Cardinal have a pass rush, and the pressure has been there throughout the season, but the production isn't good enough.

SMU won't do anything dynamic, but in the early start - 9:00 am Stanford time - it'll get going early. Stanford will keep pressing with the passing game, but there won't be any ground game to balance things out.

It'll be a bit of a firefight in the second half once everyone gets going, with the Mustangs doing a better job of closing out drives.

SMU vs Stanford Prediction, Betting Lines

SMU 38, Stanford 20
Line: SMU -18.5, o/u: 55.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
Must See Rating: 3

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

- CFN Rankings

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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