Eye-popping SMU football stats ahead of FSU game
The SMU Mustangs put on a show on Saturday against their Iron Skillet rival TCU. A third of the way through the season, the team stands at 3-1 as it heads into its first ACC bout against Florida State.
Florida State enters the matchup with a 1-3 record after notching their first victory of the year against Cal, 14-9. The Seminoles currently rank 126th in the nation in points scored (15 ppg), but 49th in scoring defense (20.25 ppg allowed).
Saturday’s game against Florida State will be the first test of SMU’s mettle in the ACC. Here are some eye-popping stats to consider before the conference opener at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
Points scored by SMU
SMU put up a whopping 66 points against the team from Fort Worth on Saturday. Their performance came in third during Week 3 games, behind Pittsburgh, which scored 73 points against Youngstown State, and, even more impressively, James Madison, which scored 70 points against North Carolina.
Though the Mustangs scored 66 points total, it wasn’t all from the offense. They benefited from two touchdowns posted by defense, as well as another touchdown on special teams. SMU is tied for first in the country for defensive scores with three on the year.
With the additional 66 points added to the season total, the team is averaging 42.2 points per game, which ranks 16th in the nation. SMU has made 11 field goals through four games, which is tied for first overall.
Takeaways
A huge part of the Mustangs’ defensive success so far this season has been its ability to stop opponents’ drives dead in their tracks. SMU has racked up 11 takeaways in four games, which ranks tied for 3rd in the country. Only two teams – Oklahoma and San Jose State (12) – have stolen the ball from their opponents more times than the Mustangs.
Their takeaways have come from (6) interceptions and fumble recoveries (5). Safety Ahmaad Moses leads the way with three interceptions, including one pick-six. There are only seven players in the country with three or more interceptions. Meanwhile, defensive end Elijah Roberts has come up with two fumble recoveries, leading the team.
Though tripling their total for takeaways this season to 33 in 12 games seems like a stretch, even doubling their total to 22 would put the defense in elite company.
Unstoppable Brashard Smith
Despite splitting carries and working alongside a quarterback who takes off with the ball quite a bit, SMU running back Brashard Smith is currently ranked 21st in the nation in rushing yards with 380. Smith added 127 yards on 18 carries on Saturday against the Horned Frogs, while notching three rushing touchdowns, bringing his season total to six.
Not only is his four-game total ranking in the top 25, he’s also 15th in rushing yards per carry. He’s averaging 7.17 yards per carry. He has more than tripled the carries he had in three seasons while at Miami, becoming the Mustangs’ feature back. He also has 71 yards on eight receptions with one touchdown.
Behind Smith, the Mustangs’ rushing offense ranks 30th in the country, averaging 206 yards per game. The passing offense, which posts 203.8 yards per game, currently ranks 93rd.
