← Matchups

Virginia

ACC · 2-0 (1-0 ACC) · power +22.3 · #23
Our numberSMU -8.3 no book has priced this game

SMU

ACC · 2-0 (1-0 ACC) · power +26.8 · #13
Our side
MoneylineSMU to win ours 65%
Projected score 22–30 UVA – SMU
2026-10-17 · kickoff TBD Gerald J. Ford Stadium · Dallas, TX ACC game Early season

The books

No book has priced this game. Nothing to compare, and no ticket to build.

Series SMU lead 1–0 · 1 meeting since 2024
2025 unit ranks — last completed season, from games actually played
Run game even 36 ranks apart
Virginia Cavaliers #46 rush offense SMU Mustangs #10 run defense
Pass game edge SMU Mustangs 86 ranks
Virginia Cavaliers #128 pass offense SMU Mustangs #42 pass defense
Run game edge Virginia Cavaliers 77 ranks
SMU Mustangs #115 rush offense Virginia Cavaliers #38 run defense
Pass game even 11 ranks apart
SMU Mustangs #46 pass offense Virginia Cavaliers #35 pass defense
Virginia Cavaliers Balanced · 53% run Avg pace SMU Mustangs Balanced · 47% run Avg pace
Tony Elliott · 22-26 · defense-minded Rhett Lashlee · 38-16

Ranked by team-unit strength (rush & pass offense vs. run & pass defense) across all 265 D1 teams, not by individual players. Identity, tempo and unit strength are measured from the 2025 season.

The evidence 2025 production and power ratings · supporting the number above

Who carried each team in 2025
Virginia Cavaliers
DL Fisher Camac 6 tkl · 0.5 sacks · 0.5 TFL #140 DL
DB Jacobie Henderson 12 tkl · 3 PD #147 DB
DB Brandyn Hillman 6 tkl · 3 INT #152 DB
K Will Bettridge 3 FG · 11 XP · 20 pts #36 K
SMU Mustangs
QB Kevin Jennings 767 pass yds · 8 TD · 2 INT #2 QB
DB Jimmy Wyrick 11 tkl · 1 PD #77 DB
TE Randy Pittman Jr. 6 rec · 77 yds · 2 TD #18 TE
WR Yannick Smith 6 rec · 151 yds · 2 TD #91 WR

Top-rated players from last season, ranked within their position across D1. A grade measures what a player produced, and no 2026 game has been played yet — so this is who produced for these programs in 2025, not a claim about who is on the field this year.

Power breakdown
TeamPowerOffDefRank
Virginia CavaliersACC +22.3 +8.6 +13.7 #23
SMU MustangsACC +26.8 +13.9 +12.9 #13

Def is higher = better. The projection assumes a 2.4-pt home edge (0 at neutral sites).

Where the number comes from
Virginia offense vs SMU defense-4.3 pts
SMU offense vs Virginia defense+0.1 pts
Travel · context onlyAway team travels 1,087 mi
Rest · context onlyHome team on 7 more days rest

An efficiency adjustment from season-to-date EPA and success rate applies once teams have played enough games; before then it is 0 and the number is the power rating alone.

Situational spots are shown for context, not baked in: travel, altitude and rest were tested against 6,000+ games and the power and efficiency ratings already account for them. Adding them again would double-count.