First Look: No. 22 SMU plays at Duke football Saturday in an important game to ACC race

In Manny Diaz’s first season as its head coach, Duke football has already ended two frustrating streaks and qualified for a bowl game.

With five games to go, however, the work gets even tougher as the Blue Devils aim to remain relevant in the ACC championship race.

No. 22 SMU (6-1, 3-0 ACC) comes to Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday night to face Duke, the first of back-to-back games against ranked teams for the Blue Devils.

A trip to Miami to face the No. 6 Hurricanes (7-0, 3-0 ACC) looms after that for Duke (6-1, 2-1 ACC). The Blue Devils likely need wins in both games to have a chance to return to the ACC championship game for the first time since 2013 and just the second time in program history.

No. 9 Clemson (6-1, 5-0 ACC), Miami and SMU are the lone remaining ACC teams unbeaten in league play. The top two teams in the league standings will meet at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 7 to decide the league champion and determine who gets the automatic bid to the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

That’s a lofty goal for Duke, but the Blue Devils are already assured of playing in a bowl game for the third consecutive season. That’s because, on the way to six wins in their first seven games under Diaz, Duke beat rival North Carolina for the first time since 2018 and notched the program’s first-ever win over Florida State.

Saturday’s 8 p.m. game with SMU figures to be an even tougher test for Duke. In their first season as an ACC team, the Mustangs are No. 4 in scoring at 40.7 points per game while allowing just 20.6 points per game, No. 3 in the ACC.

Duke’s defense was the difference when the Blue Devils beat Florida State, 23-16, last Friday night. That group is No. 1 in the ACC by allowing just 17.3 points per game.

Key matchup

As well as Duke’s defense is playing, the Blue Devils’ offense is regressing of late and injuries are making things worse for that unit.

So Duke’s ability to sustain drives against SMU’s defense is a key matchup to watch Saturday night.

The Blue Devils average just 25.9 points per game, better than only three other ACC teams (Stanford, Cal and FSU). Duke beat FSU despite only gaining 180 yards of total offense.

He’s a key area to watch. SMU’s defense is the toughest in the ACC to run the ball against. The Mustangs allow just 87 yards per game, or 2.64 yards per carry.

Duke is only averaging 112.43 rushing yards per game, gaining an average of 3.47 yards per carry. Both stats are No. 14 in the league.

The Blue Devils have already lost tight ends Nicky Dalmolin and Jeremiah Hasley for the season to leg injuries. They were the top two tight ends on the depth chart when the season began.

Leading wide receiver Jordan Moore, dealing with an undisclosed injury, played only 17 snaps and caught one pass against Florida State.

Running back Jaquez Moore, the starter when the season began, suffered a lower body injury in the second week of the season at Northwestern and has hardly played since. While Star Thomas and Peyton Jones have filled in well for Jaquez Moore, the Blue Devils need more punch in their running game.

Player to watch: LB Alex Howard

Duke’s play-making linebacker Alex Howard has been a pleasant surprise this season. The Youngstown State transfer leads the Blue Devils in tackles (52), averaging 7.4 per game. He has 11 tackles for losses, with five sacks. That includes two sacks against Florida State last Friday night.

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings is having an effective season. He’s completed 66% of his passes while throwing for nine touchdowns against two interceptions. He’s also rushed for two touchdowns so he has to be contained in that area as well.

Howard will be an important player for Duke in that quest.

Vegas betting odds

SMU is an 11.5-point favorite over Duke with the over-under total at 48.5 points.

SMU at Duke

Teams: Southern Methodist Mustangs (6-1, 3-0 ACC) at Duke Blue Devils (6-1, 2-1 ACC)

Where: Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham

Date: Saturday, Oct. 26

Time: 8 p.m.

TV: ACC Network

Stream: DIRECTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, SlingTV