Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 7, 2026 47 OPPONENT ON DECK: SMU MUSTANGS Date: Nov. 21, 2026 Site (capacity): Notre Dame Stadium (77,622) Kickoff (TV): 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC) All-time series: Notre Dame leads 10-3 Last meeting: Notre Dame 59, SMU 6 (Nov. 11, 1989, Notre Dame Stadium) 2026 Record To Date: 6-2 (4-2 ACC) SMU head coach: Rhett Lashlee (5th sea- son, 44-18) Season summary: SMU is firmly in the mix to make the College Football Playoff for the second time in three years. The Mustangs are tied for second place in the ACC, with a chance to return to the conference championship game, also for the second time in three years. Their offense is the reason they're in the conversation. Led by veteran quarterback Kevin Jennings, SMU ranked 13th nation- ally in total offense (470.3 yards per game) and 20th in scoring offense (36.4 points per game) heading into Week 9. Jennings has been one of college football's sharpest sig- nal-callers so far this season, ranking among the top 15 nationally in passing efficiency (fourth, 177.6), completion percentage (fifth, 72.6 percent), passing touchdowns (sixth, 19) and passing yards (14th, 2,062). The biggest concerns are on defense. SMU's national rankings are respectable, tying for 47th nationally in scoring defense (21.1 points per game) and ranking 24th in total defense (303.3 yards per game) through Week 8. How- ever, a closer look reveals some vulnerabilities. In SMU's first loss Sept. 19, it surrendered 41 points to Louisville. In their second loss, the Mustangs surrendered 30 points in a three-point defeat at Syracuse Oct. 31. The offense won them the game with touch- downs on its first six second-half possessions. With Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Stanford on deck, that might be enough to get SMU to the ACC championship game. Whether it's enough to defeat Notre Dame on the road is a much more difficult question the Mustangs still have to answer. SMU is in the conversation as a potential College Football Playoff team in large part because of quarter- back Kevin Jennings' performance through the first seven games of the season. PHOTO COURTESY SMU ATHLETICS OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. WR 10 Jalen Cooper 6-2 182 So. 2 Jalen Hale 6-1 192 Sr. WR 8 Yamir Knight 5-8 185 Sr. 9 Zack Turner 6-3 230 Fr. LT 74 Andrew Chamblee 6-6 311 5th or 78 Drew Evers 6-4 306 Fr. LG 77 Alex Woods 6-3 310 Sr. or 55 Sam Utu 6-5 325 Fr. C 64 Joshua Bates 6-3 310 Sr. 50 Graham Uter 6-5 305 Jr. RG 63 Addison Nichols 6-5 320 5th 52 Toa Katoa 6-4 335 Fr. RT 59 PJ Williams 6-5 306 5th 75 Dramodd Odoms 6-6 310 So. TE 5 Randy Pittman Jr. 6-2 240 Sr. or 18 Theo Melin Öhrström 6-6 250 5th WR 3 Yannick Smith 6-2 208 Jr. 15 Aljour Miles II 6-3 205 Fr. or 22 Jordyn Adams 6-1 196 Fr. QB 7 Kevin Jennings 6-0 195 5th 1 Ty Hawkins 6-0 205 So. RB 6 Kendrick Raphael 5-11 201 Sr. 0 Derrick McFall 5-11 182 Jr. or 21 Christian Rhodes 6-1 210 Fr. DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DE 6 Tavion Atkinson 6-4 272 Jr. or 58 Aakil Washington 6-2 250 5th DT 5 M. Alcorn-Crowder 6-6 300 Sr. 93 Kevin Allen 6-2 298 Sr. DT 97 Christian Davis 6-3 315 Sr. 94 Jonathan Jefferson 6-4 330 5th or 55 Woo Spencer 6-4 315 Sr. EDGE 16 Marques White 6-2 250 5th or 52 Jahkai Lang 6-4 255 Sr. MLB 28 Brandon Booker 6-1 231 Jr. 29 Brandon Miyazono 6-2 235 Sr. WLB 23 Alexander Kilgore 6-2 231 Sr. 32 Jamal Anderson 6-3 231 Sr. N/S 1 Jarvis Lee 5-10 190 Sr. or 15 La'Modrick Spencer 6-0 192 Sr. CB 8 Marcellus Barnes Jr. 6-1 175 Jr. 0 William Nettles 6-0 200 Jr. FS 21 Jimmy Wyrick 5-10 195 5th 26 Jaylen Moses 5-10 191 Jr. RS 22 Sael Reyes 6-1 195 So. or 11 Jaden Milliner-Jones 6-0 202 Sr. CB 4 Jayvon Thomas 5-11 200 Sr. 3 Javion Holiday 6-1 193 So. SPECIAL TEAMS Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. KO 97 Brendan Baird 6-1 200 5th 99 Nick Reed 5-8 178 Sr. PK 97 Brendan Baird 6-1 200 5th 99 Nick Reed 5-8 178 Sr. P 43 Wade McSparron 6-4 225 Jr. 96 Wiley Olson 5-11 171 Fr. LS 48 Morgan Tribbett 5-11 217 Jr. 47 Cody Williford 5-10 202 Fr. H 96 Wiley Olson 5-11 171 Fr. 14 Charlie Fiser 6-1 184 5th KR 0 Derrick McFall 5-11 182 Jr. 21 Christian Rhodes 6-1 210 Fr. PR 8 Yamir Knight 5-8 185 Sr. 22 Jordyn Adams 6-1 196 Fr. SMU MUSTANGS DEPTH CHART 2026 SMU SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 7 at Florida State W, 27-24 Sept. 12 Cal Davis W, 56-10 Sept. 19 at Louisville L, 41-31 Sept. 26 Missouri State W, 34-24 Oct. 3 Boston College W, 25-16 Oct. 17 Virginia W, 23-13 Oct. 24 California W, 59-20 Oct. 31 at Syracuse L, 30-27 Nov. 6 Virginia Tech (ESPN) 7 p.m. Nov. 14 Wake Forest TBA Nov. 21 at Notre Dame (NBC) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 at Stanford TBA