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Kickoff time, TV coverage for SMU-Clemson revealed

On3 imageby: Billy Embody10/06/25BillyEmbody
kickoff-time-tv-coverage-for-smu-clemson-revealed
SMU DT Keveionta Spears. (Matt Visinsky)

This year’s edition of SMU vs. Clemson will take place on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ACC Network. Last year, the Tigers beat the Mustangs in the ACC Championship as both teams advanced to the College Football Playoff.

When SMU takes on Clemson, Lashlee will want to see the type of discipline he saw on Saturday against Syracuse in a 31-18 win. The Mustangs have been heavily penalized over the last few seasons, but had just two penalties for 15 yards on Saturday.

“We just challenged the guys, let’s be done with the childish stuff. For us to win this year, the last year, the next year, rule No. 1 is make yourself hard to beat,” Lashlee said Saturday. “If you don’t beat yourself with penalties and turnovers, then you make yourself harder to beat. We had one turnover and two penalties. They had what three or four turnovers and six penalties. That right there is a big deal. I think our guys were focused and then just played fundamentally more sound and had more poise, but we coached the same way in practice we always have, we just executed better.”

SMU’s defense held Syracuse to three points on Saturday en route to a 31-3 lead in the 4th quarter before the Orange fought back to make it a 31-18 final.

“That’s SMU defense. When you swarm the football, it fixes a lot of issues. I did think we tackled a lot better, but we swarmed. We played with great energy,” Lashlee said. “They didn’t let the drive or the situation dictate how hard they were playing. We rolled a lot of guys. That’s it. We just challenged them. That’s it. Let’s swarm and play SMU football. Let’s get 11 white helmets with a Mustang on the side and around that football every time. I think, for the most part, we did that and it covered up some issues when we weren’t perfect and then when we were, we made a lot of plays and that’s got to be who we are.”

Preseason, both SMU and Clemson were in the Top 25. Now, both are unranked and fighting for their ACC Championship hopes. SMU is 1-0 in league play while the Tigers already have two losses.

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