SMU Football 2026: Defensive Preview

Can the Pony Express gallop to another CFP appearance?

Optimism is and ought to be high in Dallas this fall. SMU has orchestrated one of the more impressive ascents in modern college football, leaping from the doldrums of near extinction to a perennial contender in a power conference. They made the playoff in their first year in the ACC and were on track to repeat that feat last year until a Cal team with a fired head coach stunned them at the buzzer.

But if you are Rhett Lashlee, the painful outcome of that game cannot obscure the fundamentals: institutional investment, retention of key players, decent coaching, and a friendly schedule are all massive tailwinds for his program. SMU is once again ranked and well in the mix to make another trip to Charlotte. While the offense has been quite respectable in the Jennings era, it is the defense that will make or break hopes in Highland Park.

OVERVIEW: This offseason, Lashlee split defensive coordinator duties between Maurice Crum Jr. and Rickey Hunley Jr. Crum, who has play-calling duties this season, played his college ball at Notre Dame before embarking on a coaching career. He has had the DC role at SMU since 2024, after being Co-DC at Ole Miss. Hunley joined the Mustangs staff in 2021, rising from secondary coach to Co-Coordinator after the departure of Scott Symons to the Dallas Cowboys.

SMU averages about one turnover and 3 sacks per game. In contrast to a Cal team that has struggled mightily in the disciplinary department, SMU is infrequently penalized. They rank right in the middle on most advanced metrics such as adjusted EPA/play. Of particular concern for Cal is that SMU is one of the best teams in the nation in terms of Havoc Rate. That signifies that on a down-to-down basis, the Mustangs are quite adept at disrupting opponent plays. Most of this comes from their 5th-in-the-nation rank in sack percentage. They further excel at limiting explosive plays, meaning that the Bears will have to take what is in front of them. The group has recently started firing on all cylinders, holding opponents to under 17 points in each of the last two games after a slightly slower start.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Marques White: The Mustangs edge rusher and senior journeyman leads the team in sacks and is likely to have a field day against the Cal tackles.

Brandon Booker and Alex Kilgore: SMU’s talented LBs are coming off some of their best performances to date. Kilgore leads the team in tackles and Booker can both provide pressure and drop into pass coverage.

Jarvis Lee: The senior safety has done a great job forcing turnovers.

STRENGTHS:

Pass Defense: The Pony Express has averaged 163 passing yards allowed per game this season. For a Cal offense that is quite one dimensional, that is far and away the most pressing concern heading into this week. They allow completions on just 60% of pass attempts. Furthermore, SMU is excellent at keeping opposing receivers in front of them with just 6.1 yards per completion, a feat among the best in the nation.

POTENTIAL VULNERABILITIES:

For most teams, SMU’s run defense should be a welcome opportunity to pad the stat sheets of their backs, but the Cal rushing attack hasn’t caused another team trouble in a very long time. Another hole in this defensive unit is that they don’t excel at creating turnovers.

PREDICTION:

SMU’s defense likely will not have trouble keeping Cal from lighting up the scoreboard and there is not a mismatch significant enough in any phase of this group for the Bears to exploit. Expect the Bears to really struggle with this pass rush in a way that they haven’t seen over the past few weeks. The stats don’t fully demonstrate the extent to which the SMU defense has found its stride as of late, meaning that any hope of rattling the Mustangs will require a variety of new looks and creative schemes that they aren’t prepared for. Otherwise, it could be a snoozy day for Cal’s offense.