The SMU Mustangs (4-1) face off against the Louisville Cardinals (3-1) on Saturday, October 5th. This game will be played at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville and televised on ESPN. SMU is coming off a win in their previous game, while Louisville is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Notre Dame. Kickoff is set for 12:00 ET.

SMU Mustangs vs Louisville Cardinals

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SMU Offense Breakdown

SMU’s offense is averaging 42.2 points per game, placing them 12th in the nation heading into week 6. Their rushing attack is their strength, ranking 7th in attempts with 41.6 per game and 14th in rushing yards, averaging 217.2 yards per game. Brashard Smith leads the ground game with 506 yards, seven touchdowns, and an impressive 7 yards per carry.

Quarterback Kevin Jennings has thrown for 733 yards, completing 63.4% of his passes, with six touchdowns and one interception, giving him a passer rating of 104. SMU ranks 30th in third-down conversions, converting 46.4% of their attempts. In our offensive power rankings, they are 70th heading into this week’s games.

Louisville Offense Breakdown

Louisville’s offense is averaging 41.5 points per game heading into week 6, placing them 16th in the nation. In our offensive power rankings, they are 21st. Quarterback Tyler Shough has thrown for 1,114 yards with a passer rating of 123. He has 11 touchdowns and just one interception.

Overall, Louisville ranks 11th in passer rating and 20th in completion percentage, completing 67.4% of their passes. They are 40th in passing yards, averaging 297 yards per game. Leading receiver Ja’Corey Brooks has 368 yards and four touchdowns.

SMU Team Defense

SMU’s defense has been strong against the run this season, allowing just 91.6 rushing yards per game, ranking 20th nationally. In their recent game against Florida State, they held the Seminoles to 73 rushing yards on 25 attempts. SMU’s secondary allowed 222 passing yards but also forced three interceptions.

Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 68 against SMU, completing only 50.5% of their passes, the 13th-lowest percentage in the country. On average, SMU’s defense has given up 21.4 points per game, ranking 43rd nationally.

SMU Team Defense

Louisville’s defense has been solid this season, allowing just 16 points per game, ranking them 15th nationally. Even in their recent 31-24 loss to Notre Dame, they gave up only 283 total yards, including 120 rushing yards and 163 passing yards.

Opponents have averaged 95.5 rushing yards per game against Louisville, while quarterbacks have posted a passer rating of 84.7, completing 64.6% of their throws. On average, Louisville has faced 26.8 pass attempts per game, allowing 176.8 passing yards.

SMU vs Louisville Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the SMU Mustangs have a straight up record of 4-1 while going 1-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 28 points per game in these contests.
• Across their three previous home games, Louisville has an ATS mark of 0-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 19 points per game.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the SMU Mustangs have gone 3-7 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-8.
• The Louisville Cardinals have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 3-2 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.

Mustangs vs Cardinals Prediction

Our combined score prediction for this matchup is 49 points, which is below the current O/U line of 57 points. We recommend taking the under in this one.

SMU comes into this game as the -7 point favorite over Louisville. We expect Louisville to cover the spread, with a final score prediction of 30-19 in favor of the Cardinals.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.