2024 SMU Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 1

SMU opens 2024 season with road trip to former WAC foe Nevada

SMU Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee walks down the sidelines during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

It’s taken nearly a quarter century, but SMU has nearly completed its cross-country conference realignment journey.

In 2000, SMU joined the Western Athletic Conference after the Southwest Conference shuttered its doors. Eight years later, SMU would join Conference USA and then the American Athletic Conference in 2013. In 27 days, the Mustangs will join the Atlantic Coast Conference to complete its cross-country move.

The upcoming season may be one of the most important seasons for SMU since the days of Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Joining the ACC puts SMU against some of the best college programs in the nation. But first, the Mustangs will start the 2024 season with a trip out west to former WAC rival, Nevada.

The Wolfpack are coming off their second consecutive 2-10 season that led to dismissal of head coach Ken Wilson who was replaced by Texas co-defensive coordinator Jeff Choate. But will a new coach and overhauled roster be enough for Nevada to dampen SMU’s excitement?

Here’s an early look at the Wolf Pack as we begin to preview the Mustangs’ opponents for the upcoming season.

Offense

In 2023, Nevada relied more on its run game than passing and returns its two leading rushers. Sean Dollars led the team with 527 yards on 151 runs and six touchdowns. Quarterback Brendon Lewis wasn’t far behind Dollars with 495 yards and four touchdowns.

The Wolfpack’s passing attack wasn’t nearly as effective, though. Lewis completed 55.5 percent of his passes and 1,313 yards but had only two touchdown passes while throwing six interceptions. Nevada added a quarterback through the transfer portal which may ring a bell for football fans, Chubba Purdy. The younger brother of San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Brock Purdy transferred to Nevada from Nebraska where he played in six games and threw for 382 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

No matter who starts at quarterback, they’ll be throwing to a receiving corps who are playing their first season for the Wolfpack.

Defense

Choate is a defensive-minded coach and he has his work cut out for him. Last season, the Wolfpack gave up an average of 442.7 yards per game and 33.4 points per game. The defense also lost two of its best defenders in safety Emany Johnson (graduated) and Richard Toney (transferred to TCU), who combined for nearly 200 tackles last season.

The Wolfpack will bring back Marcel Walker-Burgess who led the team with four sacks and linebackers Due Watts and Tongiaki Mateialona. All three combined for 160 tackles last season and they’ll be joined by an influx of players from the transfer portal.

Nevada added linebackers Austin Harnetiaux (Washington) and Kaden Johnson (Wisconsin), cornerbacks Nate Floyd (Texas Tech) and Kitan Crawford (Texas), and safety Keyshawn Cobb (West Virginia).

Schedule

SMU won 11 games in 2023, which would’ve been second-most in the ACC last season behind conference champion Florida State (13-1). The Mustangs will face a higher level of competition in the 2024 ACC schedule, but with the new 12-team playoff, 11 wins in a Power 5 conference could be enough to earn an at-large bid.

That journey starts with Nevada, who the Mustangs are almost guaranteed to be favored in. It’ll be the kind of game SMU must win to be one of the 12 playoff teams.

Outlook

Mustang fans shouldn’t be faulted for thinking their team’s season-opening game will be an easy win. The Wolfpack won just two games last season (their second-straight two-win season) and neither its offense or defense inspires much confidence in the upcoming season. Add in a new head coach for Nevada and a SMU team coming off an AAC championship, it won’t be a surprise to see SMU favored to win.

But there’s one variable the Wolf Pack have a clear advantage. The Aug. 24 game will be played at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nev. and is 4,610 feet above sea level. Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas is only 574 feet above sea level. Anyone who has seen a Denver Broncos home game has seen the effects of playing at a high altitude.

SMU players probably won’t enjoy the conditioning drills leading up to the season-opening game and there will be oxygen tanks on the sidelines. However, Mustang fans are right to be optimistic about this game.

The Game

When is the game?

August 24

What time is the game?

7 p.m. CT

What channel will the game be televised on?

CBSSN

Where will the game be played?

Mackay Stadium, Reno, Nev.

What is the series history between SMU and Nevada?

The series is tied 3-3. The former WAC foes haven’t played since the 2009 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl which SMU won 45-10. SMU quarterback Kyle Padron set a school record with 460 yards in a bowl game and two touchdowns in the win and running back Shawnbrey McNeal had three rushing touchdowns. While members of the WAC, the Mustangs and Wolfpack played five times with Nevada winning three-straight (2001-2003) and SMU winning the first and last meetings in 2000 and 2004.