No. 11 Wake Forest (8-1) visits No. 25 SMU (7-2) on November 14 at noon ET in a top-25 Atlantic Coast Conference matchup.
Wake Forest defeated Merrimack 77–0 on November 7. Quarterback Steele Pizzella completed 23 of 28 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, and rushed for 63 yards and a score. Wide receiver Jack Foley caught six passes for 162 yards.
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SMU beat Virginia Tech 51–28 on November 6. Quarterback Kevin Jennings passed for 350 yards on 24-of-32 attempts with four touchdowns and one interception. Wide receiver Yamir Knight had six receptions for 103 yards and three scores. Running back Christian Rhodes carried seven times for 92 yards.
Wake Forest ranks fourth nationally in scoring (43.3 points per game) and ninth in total offense (487.7 yards per game). Its red zone offense converts 93.5% of opportunities — 13th in the FBS. The Demon Deacons rank last in the FBS with 83.2 penalty yards per game.
SMU ranks 11th in total offense (478.6 yards per game) and sixth in passing (323.8 yards per game). Its defense allows opponents to score on 91.3% of red zone trips — 120th in the FBS. The Mustangs rank 105th in turnover margin (–4); Wake Forest ranks 28th (+4).
Both teams convert at high rates on third down: Wake Forest ranks ninth with a 51.4% success rate, while SMU ranks 19th at 47.7%. Wake Forest allows 15.9 points per game (13th) and 85.0 rushing yards per game (8th). SMU yields 22.9 points per game (53rd) and 125.9 rushing yards per game (45th).
The game airs on ESPN. Wake Forest is favored by 2.5 points. Wake Forest is 7–2 against the spread; SMU is 4–4–1 ATS. Wake Forest plays at Georgia Tech on November 21; SMU visits No. 3 Notre Dame that same day.
More: NCAAF · SMU Mustangs · Wake Forest Demon Deacons
