Pitt vs. SMU football preview: How to watch, odds, what to know, key players in ACC matchup
No. 18 Pittsburgh (7-0, 3-0 ACC) at No. 20 SMU (7-1, 4-0), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ACC Network).
BetMGM College Football Odds: SMU by 7 1/2.
Series record: SMU leads 3-2-1.
This is an unexpected November matchup of ACC teams without a conference loss. Pittsburgh is trying to get to 8-0 overall for the first time since 1981 after being picked to finish near the bottom of the expanded 17-team league. ACC newcomer SMU has won its first four conference games, the past three on the road, since beating Florida State 42-16 in its last home game Sept. 28.
SMU's offense against Pitt’s young defense, which has five interceptions (three returned for TDs) and 10 sacks over the last two games. The Panthers had five picks and 12 sacks in their first five games. SMU is coming off an overtime win at Duke when it became the first team since 2011 to win after losing the turnover battle by six or more. The Mustangs had six turnovers and no takeaways.
Pittsburgh: Sophomore LB Rasheem Biles returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown last week against Syracuse, and his game-high 12 tackles included a 15-yard sack after missing the Panthers' previous game. Playing primarily special teams as a freshman last season, his three blocked punts were the most among FBS players.
SMU: The Mustangs have won all five games since Kevin Jennings took over as the starting quarterback, but he had five turnovers (three interceptions and two lost fumbles) at Duke. Jennings has completed 110 of 171 passes (64.3%) for 1,594 yards with 10 TDs and five interceptions, and is SMU's second-leading rusher at 40 yards per game.
SMU has won a school-record 13 conference games in a row, including all eight last year in their final American Athletic Conference season. ... This is the first regular-season meeting between the schools since 1948. SMU has won two bowl meetings since: the Compass Bowl at the end of the 2011 season and the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day 1983. ... Pitt kicker Ben Sauls' school-record 14 consecutive made field goals includes four 50-yard kicks. ... Pitt junior running back Desmond Reid leads the ACC with 160.2 all-purpose yards per game, though the 5-foot-8 Reid was slowed against Syracuse, when he ran for just 47 yards and was held without a catch for the first time this season.
