This has the potential to be a blast.
SMU found its offense after an 18-15 loss to BYU that looks a lot better than it did at the time. It scored 66 points on TCU and put up 42 on Florida State. It might need to be that good to hang around with Louisville.
The Cardinals dropped a tough date at Notre Dame, but they have the talent to get over that in a hurry and dive back into ACC play. Four of the next five games are on the road after this.
Sep 28, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm talks to quarterback Tyler Shough (9) in the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium
© Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
SMU vs Louisville Preview
SMU vs Louisville How to Watch
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
Game Time: 12:00 pm ET
Venue: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KY
How to Watch: ESPN
Louisville (3-1), SMU (4-1)
- Week 6 Schedule, Predictions
- 5 Biggest College Football Surprises
- 5 Biggest Disappointments
- Bowl Projections | CFN 1-134 Rankings
- College Football Playoff Projections: Week 6
Predicting the Rest of the Season
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC
Why SMU Will Win
Yeah, the Mustangs are known right now for their ability to put up points in bunches, but it helps that the defense if forcing mistakes.
It might not generate enough pressure - more on that in a moment - but it forced five takeaways against TCU, three against Florida State, and 14 in the last four games.
Louisville has been relatively careful with the ball with just three giveaways, but this Mustang group attacks when the ball is in the air and on the ground.
AND the offense is hammering up 419 yards per game, but …
Why Louisville Will Win
SMU has been able to perk up the offense, but now it gets to face a complete team that can not only keep up, but come up with stops, too.
Louisville doesn’t have the pass rush of last year, but it’s still as good up front as any team in the ACC. It’ll get far more pressure into the backfield than SMU has seen, it should be disruptive throughout, and best of all, SMU can’t return the favor.
Give Cardinal QB Tyler Shough time, and look out. SMU doesn’t have the pass rush to bother him.
SMU vs Louisville: Who Will Win
Louisville will be careful enough with the ball to be okay.
SMU might be playing well, but it caught a struggling Florida State team dealing with stuff at home and on the field, forced a ton of TCU screwups, and now it has to go on the road.
Expect a firefight, but with the Cardinals doing more in the fourth quarter to pull away.
SMU vs Louisville Prediction, Betting Lines
Louisville 37, SMU 20
Line: Louisville -6.5, o/u: 56.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
SMU vs Louisville Must See Rating: 3
Week 6 CFN Expert Picks
Houston at TCU | Michigan St at Oregon
Syracuse at UNLV | UCLA at Penn State
Missouri at Texas A&M | SMU at Louisville
Iowa at Ohio State | Auburn at Georgia
Ole Miss at So Carolina | Rutgers at Neb
Clemson at Florida St | Tenn at Arkansas
Michigan at Washington | Miami at Cal
Texas Tech at Arizona
