BYU football vs SMU game prediction: final picks before kickoff

BYU is entering week 2 with an undefeated 1-0 record. It's time to release the celebratory victory balloons! Release them! I mean, it's not that we expected a season-opening loss to an FCS program, but in a season where most expect the Cougars to battle for bowl eligibility, every win counts. Therefore, every win ought to be celebrated.

This week won't be so easy, I'm afraid.

The SMU Mustangs enter this game with a 2-0 record. Yes, in one official week of college football, Southern Methodist pulled off a miracle and won two games before the second week of the schedule. That means that BYU will emerge from the tunnels of Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas to face an opponent that has already doubled the Cougars' win total.

With wins over Nevada and FCS Houston Christian, SMU looks warmed up and ready for what should prove to be the first test for both teams. For BYU, while their win over SIU exceeded expectations, a 28-point W over an FCS squad won't be enough to catapult a team expected to battle for last place in the Big 12 into the top 25 at this early stage of the season.

Meanwhile, if the AP Poll extended beyond its rigid 25-team format, the Mustangs would currently sit at 32nd in the nation (a 3-spot drop from the week prior). Expected to enter the ACC with pizzazz and flare, SMU is highly rated in the early days of the season. Their narrow victory over Nevada has given some room for concern, however.

BYU vs SMU prediction:

This contest will be different from previous matchups, like the 2022 New Mexico Bowl which saw BYU beat the Mustangs with a third-string QB and without a single pass in the second half. This SMU team is different, and was unbeatable at home last season, as they earned a win in every home game on their way to a 10-win regular season.

In this game, SMU will try to run the ball. A lot. They ran for over 300 yards in their previous game, and their starting QB can get it done with his legs. Mobile QBs have long been BYU's kryptonite, and they'll need to improve their QB spy efforts this weekend if winning this football game is a serious consideration.

Though BYU has looked much tougher than I thought they would during the preseason (and Jake Retzlaff looks much improved), I'm trying to become a more reasonable man with more reasonable expectations, and that has to start with the Cougars. As much as I'd love to pick the upset, I think that SMU takes the lead early and never looks back.

Expect the Cougars to keep this game competitive, but I'm reluctantly picking SMU to advance to 3-0 when the final whistle blows.

Score Prediction: BYU: 23, SMU: 27

Current Prediction Record: 1-0

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