The Mustangs, who are 4-1 overall this season, are the leaders among the three ACC newcomers — just a couple of weeks after social media was having fun with the idea of California and Stanford meeting in the league title game after their exit from the now-splintered Pac-12, known as the "Conference of Champions" in its glory years.

Another standout performance by running back Brashard Smith paired with a career game for quarterback Kevin Jennings, who threw for over 250 yards and three touchdowns allowed SMU to become the first team to score more than 30 points on Florida State in the regular season since Nov. 25, 2022.