Wake Forest has emerged as one of college football’s biggest surprises this season, winning eight of its first nine games and climbing into the Top 15 of the national rankings.
Yet, skeptics remain and doubters point to the absence of a signature win.
The No. 11 Demon Deacons will get a chance to address those critics this Saturday, Nov. 14, visiting No. 25 SMU in a showdown with major ACC championship and College Football Playoff implications.
Wake Forest currently sits alone in second place in the conference standings, with an opportunity to move closer to a berth in what will be the ACC’s final annual football championship game.
The matchup features two of the conference’s most explosive offenses, led by quarterbacks Gio Lopez (Wake) and Kevin Jennings (SMU).
SMU also has revenge on its mind after Wake Forest handed the Mustangs their first ACC regular-season loss on a last-second field goal in 2025.
Here’s everything to know about Wake Forest vs. SMU, including kickoff time, TV information, team statistics, key storylines, player availability and what’s at stake for both programs.
🔄 Last Updated: November 10, 2026 7:49 pm
🏟️ Game Information: Wake Forest at SMU
Matchup: No. 11 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-1, 5-1 ACC) at No, 25 SMU Mustangs (7-2, 5-2)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium (University Park, TX)
TV/Streaming: ESPN
Broadcast Crew: Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Roddy Jones (analyst)
Game Day Atmosphere: Saturday is homecoming, senior day and “Wear Blue” day for SMU
📊 What are the betting odds for Wake Forest at SMU football?
Spread: SMU -1.5
Over/Under Total: 60.5 points
Moneyline: Wake Forest -108 | SMU -111
Lines courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds will be refreshed periodically during the week. All lines are subject to change.
🔥 Wake Forest at SMU: Five Storylines to Watch
A chance for the Deacs to make ACC history
Wake Forest enters the weekend alone in second place in the ACC standings, with an opportunity to strengthen its position in the conference championship race. With the ACC eliminating its annual football championship game after this season, the Demon Deacons have a chance to earn a spot in the final edition – and potentially become the last team to win it.
Wake Forest’s biggest legitimacy test
The No. 11 Demon Deacons are 8-1 and have been bludgeoning teams since suffering its lone loss to Miami – 51-7 over Virginia, 41-7 over Cal, 38-14 over NC State, 57-3 over Stanford, etc. But still there are doubters. Saturday’s road matchup against No. 25 SMU represents another opportunity to prove they belong among the nation’s elite and in the College Football Playoff conversation.
Wake already owns a victory over then-Top 25 Louisville. A second Top 25 win would strengthen its case for consideration in the 12-team College Football Playoff. A loss doesn’t eliminate them but certainly puts a damper on the momentum Wake has been building since losing to Miami in September.
Two of the ACC’s most dynamic quarterbacks
Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez and SMU’s Kevin Jennings have been among the conference’s most productive quarterbacks this season. Lopez has thrown 18 touchdown passes against just one interception, while Jennings is coming off a 350-yard, four-touchdown performance against Virginia Tech.
Lopez was held out of last week’s Merrimack game as a precaution because of a lower-body injury, but optimism remains high that he’ll return Saturday. The first ACC availability report is expected Wednesday.
SMU’s home-field advantage
The Mustangs enter Saturday with a 12-0 record in ACC home games since joining the conference. Wake Forest will need to overcome that history to keep its championship ambitions on track. SMU is also playing its Homecoming and Senior Day game, adding to the atmosphere surrounding an already significant conference matchup.
Revenge on the Mustangs’ minds
Wake Forest handed SMU its first ACC regular-season loss last year on homecoming in Winston-Salem, winning 13-12 on a 50-yard field goal by Connor Calvert as time expired.
The Mustangs now get their opportunity for homecoming payback in Dallas, with both programs ranked nationally and conference championship implications adding considerably more weight to the rematch.
🩹 Wake Forest vs. SMU Injury Report: Gio Lopez Status and Updates
Latest update (Nov. 10): The ACC’s first official player availability report for Saturday’s Wake Forest-SMU game is expected Wednesday, Nov. 11.
The biggest question surrounds Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez, who was held out of last week’s game against Merrimack because of a lower-body injury. There is optimism that Lopez will return against SMU, but his official game status has not yet been released.
Wake Forest Player Availability
Awaiting Wednesday’s initial ACC availability report.
SMU Player Availability
Awaiting Wednesday’s initial ACC availability report.
Check back for updates: NC Football News will update this section as the ACC releases its availability reports leading up to Saturday’s kickoff.
⏪ 2026 Season Rewind
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-1, 5-1 ACC)
Wake Forest 38, Akron 16
Wake Forest 38, Purdue 36 (2 OT)
#5 Miami 33, Wake Forest 20
Wake Forest 30, #16 Louisville 27
Wake Forest 57, Stanford 3
Wake Forest 38, NC State 14
Wake Forest 41, California 7
Wake Forest 51, Virginia 7
Wake Forest 77, Merrimack 0
SMU Mustangs (7-2, 5-2 ACC)
SMU 27, Florida State 24
SMU 56, UC Davis 10
#23 Louisville 41, SMU 31
SMU 34, Missouri State 24
SMU 25, Boston College 16
SMU 23, Virginia 13
SMU 59, California 20
Syracuse 30, SMU 27
SMU 51, Virginia Tech 28
What a win would mean for Wake Forest
- Keeping sole possession of second place in the ACC, one game behind Miami
- Extending the team’s current win streak to seven in a row since a September loss to the Hurricanes
- Adding another quality win to the team’s potential College Football Playoff resume
- Getting to nine overall victories for the second year in a row, while capturing a sixth ACC triumph for the first time since 2021.
What a win would mean for SMU
- Moving a half-game ahead of Wake Forest in the ACC standings and muddying the chase behind Miami for the second slot in the upcoming conference title game
- Ending Wake Forest’s current six-game win streak
- Achieving the program’s highest ranked win of the season
- Avenging a loss at Wake Forest last season that ended on a Connor Calvert 50-yard field goal as time expired.
📊 Wake Forest vs. SMU Stat Comparisons
Wake Forest Team Highlights
- Points For: 43.3 points per game
- Points Against: 15.9 points per game
- Rushing Offense: 175.8 yards per game
- Passing Offense: 311.9 yards per game
- Rushing Defense: 85.0 yards per game
- Passing Defense: 225.0 yards per game
- Total Offense: 487.7 yards per game
- Total Defense: 310.0 yards per game
Wake Forest Individual Leaders
- Passing: Gio Lopez – 153-of-228, 2,176 yards, 18 TDs, 1 INT
- Rushing: Ty Clark III – 86 carries, 416 yards, 8 TDs
- Receiving: Carlos Hernandez – 61 catches, 945 yards, 7 TDs
- Tackles: Vincent Firenze – 55 tackles (22 solo)
- Interceptions: 5 players with 1 INT each
- Scoring: Connor Calvert – 82 points (13 FG, 43-of-43 PATs)
SMU Team Highlights
- Points For: 37.0 points per game
- Points Against: 22.9 points per game
- Rushing Offense: 154.2 yards per game
- Passing Offense: 321.6 yards per game
- Rushing Defense: 125.9 yards per game
- Passing Defense: 193.9 yards per game
- Total Offense: 475.8 yards per game
- Total Defense: 319.8 yards per game
SMU Individual Leaders
- Passing: Kevin Jennings – 209-of-283, 2,764 yards, 25 TDs, 6 INTs
- Rushing: Kendrick Raphael – 150 carries, 755 yards, 10 TDs
- Receiving: Yamir Knight – 50 catches, 626 yards, 6 TDs
- Tackles: Alexander Kilgore – 51 tackles (26 solo)
- Interceptions: Three players with 1 INT each
- Scoring: Kendrick Raphael – 66 points (11 TDs)
Notes & Numbers
- Wake Forest has outscored teams 390-143 this season, including 125-47 in the second quarter and 95-23 in the third. The Deacs have notched 50 touchdowns while allowing 17.
- Carlos Hernandez (Wake Forest) needs just 55 more receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season. He’s averaging 105.0 receiving yards per game and 15.5 yards per catch.
- The Demon Deacons have thrown just one interception and lost two fumbles through nine games. Wake is +4 in overall turnover margin, while SMU is -4, with six interceptions and six lost fumbles.
- Langston Hardy (Wake Forest) leads the ACC with 13.5 tackles-for-loss, while Marques White (SMU) is tied for fourth with 10.0 TFLs. Hardy also has 5.5 sacks, seven quarterback hurries and 44 total tackles through nine games. White has 7.5 sacks, second-most in the ACC.
- If there is an area where Wake Forest has struggled, it’s with penalties. The Deacs have been flagged 77 times for an average of 83.2 penalty yards per game.
- Wake has been able to keep drives alive, converting 51.4 percent of the time on third down (56-of-109) and 69.2 percent on fourth down (9-of-13).
- Kicker Connor Calvert, who beat SMU last season with a long-distance field goal, ranks third in the ACC in total points with 82. He is perfect on 43 extra-point tries and has missed just one of 14 field goal attempts.
- SMU kicker Brendan Baird has hit 8-of-9 field goals and 24-of-25 PAT attempts. Nick Reed has added 14-of-14 PATs and 3-of-6 in field goals.
- Both teams have been solid at getting to opposing quarterbacks. SMU has logged 27 sacks as a team, while Wake Forest has 21 sacks. The Mustangs have allowed 15 sacks, while the Demon Deacons have surrendered 13.
- Wake Forest’s 77-0 win over Merrimack last week tied a season-high for points by an ACC team this season. Miami also scored 77 points in a Sept. 10 win over Florida A&M.
📚 Series History
- SMU leads the all-time series history 3-1
- Last meeting: Wake Forest 13, SMU 12 (Oct. 25, 2025)
- First meeting: SMU 13, Wake Forest 7 (Sept. 24, 1949)
- Last year’s game was the first meeting between the schools since SMU beat Wake Forest 14-7 in Winston-Salem on Sept. 6, 1975. The Demon Deacons handed the Mustangs their first regular-season loss as an ACC member a year ago.
🔗 More North Carolina College Football Coverage
- Wake Forest Football Schedule
- ACC Standings
- 2026 week-by-week schedule
- North Carolina college football scores
