It took a failed two-point conversion in overtime, but No. 22 SMU escaped Duke on the road and set up a ranked matchup against Pitt next weekend.
Duke had a 90.6% chance to win against SMU with three seconds left in regulation, according to ESPN analytics, but SMU blocked a 30-yard field goal as time expired in regulation and struck first in overtime — ultimately the game-winning score.
SMU lost the turnover battle 6-0, including five from starting quarterback Kevin Jennings, but managed to hang on and improve to 7-1 (4-0 ACC).
The Pitt-SMU matchup will very likely be the first ranked matchup for the Panthers since hosting Tennessee in 2022.
It’s a matchup that will draw College GameDay hype and will have conference and national storylines.
“Again, team win overall,” Narduzzi said Thursday night. “Moving on to the next, SMU. Big game down in Dallas. Looking forward to it.”
It’s a big game, the biggest in years. The ACC is still talked about as a three-team race between Miami, Clemson and SMU. ESPN gives Pitt a 2.4% chance to win the conference, behind the three aforementioned teams by a considerable margin.
A win against the Mustangs would go a very long way in establishing Pitt as a legitimate conference (and Playoff) contender. And make the November matchup against Clemson that much bigger.
The Mustangs are a good team, with an offense capable of scoring points in bunches, but the Pitt defense is coming off the best performance of the season. And Jennings threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball four times against Duke, losing two. It’s another big opportunity for the defense.
Pitt and SMU are scheduled to kickoff at Gerald J. Ford Stadium next Saturday at 8 p.m. on ACC Network.
