Two ranked ACC teams battle in a key early season matchup - the No. 16 SMU Mustangs travel to Kentucky to take on the No. 23 Louisville Cardinals.
Game | SMU vs. Louisville |
Date | Saturday, September 19, 2026 |
Kickoff Time | 3:30 p.m. ET |
Stadium | L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium |
Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
TV Channel | ESPN2 |
These two evenly matched teams have had relatively similar starts to the season. SMU is 2-0 and Louisville is 1-1, but both rank top-ten in offense and both have struggled mightily defensively.
The Cardinals opened their season with high-scoring loss to Ole Miss in quarterback Lincoln Kienholz's first start with the team. While they allowed 41 points to Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, and Darius Alexander, their offense - specifically Kienholz - put on a show to the tune of 38 points.
The Ohio State transfer has shown a special trait with his legs and scrambling ability - he's quick, unafraid, and can juke past defenders on the move. He's been adequate throwing the ball as well, looking for big plays down the field consistently. Overall for the season, Kienholz has completed 34 passes for 639 yards, four touchdowns, and no picks, while also adding 111 yards and three touchdowns on the ground through two games.
On the other side, SMU took home a massive win in Tallahassee against Florida State to kickoff their season, then followed it up with a shellacking of UC Davis in Week 2. 5th-year senior Kevin Jennings is still leading these Mustangs, and there's a good reason why his relationship with the school has lasted so long. He's second to Ben Hicks in school history in passing yards, third in passing touchdowns, and third in passer rating.
Jennings currently leads the ACC in pass touchdowns (8) and leads the FBS in yards per attempt (14.8). He'll look to air the ball out again against the Cardinals porous passing defense on Saturday.
SMU vs. Louisville Betting Odds
Spread | Total (O/U) | Money | |
SMU | +1.5 -110 | O 58.5 -110 | +105 |
Louisville | -1.5 -110 | U 58.5 -110 | -125 |
SMU vs. Louisville TD Scorer Odds
First TD | Anytime TD | |
Keyjuan Brown (LOU) | +550 | -150 |
Kendrick Raphael (SMU) | +575 | -150 |
Isaac Brown (LOU) | +600 | -140 |
Lincoln Kienholz (LOU) | +625 | -135 |
Derrick McFall (SMU) | +800 | +100 |
Tre Richardson (LOU) | +950 | +115 |
All odds written in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change. Touchdown odds not available in all states.
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