# College Football Week 11: Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-1) vs. SMU Mustangs (7-2) Game Preview and Predictions

Source page: https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/news/college-football-week-11-wake-forest-demon-deacons-8-1-vs-smu-mustangs-7-2-game-preview-an

> Wake Forest (8-1) visits SMU (7-2) in a near-even matchup at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Saturday, November 14, 2026.

By Cole Saturday · Published 2026-11-13 17:02 UTC

_Drafted with AI from our own data and checked by an editor._

A one-point spread says this one could come down to the final possession.

[Wake Forest Demon Deacons](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/wake-forest-demon-deacons) enter at 8-1, winners of six straight games. [SMU Mustangs](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/smu-mustangs) sit at 7-2, riding a one-game winning streak. The two meet at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Saturday, November 14, 2026, with kickoff at 12:00 PM ET on ESPN.

## Game details

- When | Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET
- Where | Gerald J. Ford Stadium
- TV | ESPN
- Line | SMU Mustangs -1 | O/U 60.5 (market view)
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons record | 8-1
- SMU Mustangs record | 7-2

## The matchup

Wake Forest Demon Deacons have been running through opponents lately. The six-game streak includes a 77-0 win over Merrimack Warriors, a 51-7 win over Virginia Cavaliers, a 41-7 win over California Golden Bears, a 38-14 win over NC State Wolfpack and a 57-3 win over Stanford Cardinal. On the season the Demon Deacons have outscored opponents 390 to 143.

SMU Mustangs have been a little less steady but still winning more often than not. The Mustangs beat Virginia Tech Hokies 51-28, lost to Syracuse Orange 27-30, beat California Golden Bears 59-20, beat Virginia Cavaliers 23-13 and beat Boston College Eagles 25-16 across their last five. SMU has scored 333 points this season while allowing 206.

## Key matchups

This one sets up as Wake Forest's offense, which has piled up 390 points, against an SMU defense that has given up 206. If the Demon Deacons keep scoring at the clip they have shown over their six-game streak, SMU's defense will need to find a way to slow them down that it hasn't shown against similar competition.

On the other side, SMU's offense, good for 333 points this season, runs into a Wake Forest defense that has allowed just 143 points on the year. That gap between SMU's scoring output and what Wake Forest has allowed could be the difference in a game set up to be close on paper.

## The pick

The betting market has this as close to a toss-up as it gets, with SMU Mustangs installed as one-point favorites and the total set at 60.5. The market's projected score has SMU winning 31-30 over Wake Forest.

Wake Forest's six-game win streak and its wide scoring margin this season give it a strong case on recent form, while SMU gets the game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. With the spread sitting at just a point, the market is signaling this one could go either way.

## Recent results

- Team | Last games
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Wk10 W 77-0 vs Merrimack Warriors, Wk9 W 51-7 vs Virginia Cavaliers, Wk7 W 41-7 vs California Golden Bears
- SMU Mustangs | Wk10 W 51-28 vs Virginia Tech Hokies, Wk9 L 27-30 vs Syracuse Orange, Wk8 W 59-20 vs California Golden Bears

[**Game page**](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/game/3703)

*Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our [editorial standards](https://profootballnewshub.com/editorial-standards).*

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