LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the summer months now on the horizon and rosters across college football now firmly set in stone, Louisville Cardinals On SI will provide way-too-early previews for each opponent on their 2026 schedule.Next up, we continue our way-too-early preview series with their conference opener against SMU:SMU Mustangs2026 Meeting: Saturday, Sept. 19 at L&N Stadium in Louisville, Ky.Last Meeting: SMU won 38-6 on Nov. 22, 2025 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Tex.All-Time Series: SMU leads 4-0SMU was one of three newcomers to join the ACC ahead of the 2024 season, alongside Cal and Stanford. While the latter two schools have since fired their head coaches, the Mustangs have thrived in their new environment. Head coach Rhett Lashlee guided SMU to an 11-3 record in 2024, which included berths in both the ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff. SMU had a slight step back last season with a 9-4 record, but Lashlee's Mustangs were still among the best teams in the ACC - and the same is going to be true heading into 2026.With Lashlee being a former quarterback, it's no surprise that SMU has been carried primarily by their prowess on the offensive side of the ball. Last season, the Mustangs posted the No. 31 total offense and No. 26 scoring offense in the FBS, compiling 416.9 yards and 32.2 points per game.The heart and soul of this SMU offense, QB Kevin Jennings, is running it back for one final season in Dallas. As Louisville fans know, Jennings is a true dual threat option, and is among the best signal callers in the ACC thanks to what he can do with both his arm and legs.That being said, Jennings will look to bounce back following a very good but imperfect 2025 campaign. Thanks to various injuries, he only ran for 55 yards and four touchdowns in 2025 (compared to 354 yards and five touchdowns in 2024). While he did throw for 3,641 yards and 26 touchdowns, both of which were improvements over 2024, that came with a league-high 13 interceptions. This included three picks in the Holiday Bowl against Arizona. While Jennings helped SMU post the No. 12 passing offense last season, he still has room to improve.If Jennings is to get back on the right track, he'll have to do so with a near-brand new set of primary pass catchers. WRs Jordan Hudson and Romello Brinson are now in the NFL, as are their top two tight ends in Matthew Hibner and R.J. Maryland. But the cupboard isn't completely bare here.Yamir Knight caught 54 passes for 637 yards and five touchdowns as WR2 last season, and should slide in nicely as WR1. After logging 19 catches for 321 yards and two scores in 2025, Jalen Cooper is a breakout candidate as well. Yannick Smith, who caught 44 receptions for 583 yards and five scores at East Carolina last season, will likely round out the starting receivers. The tight end room will take a step back, but Texas A&M transfer Theo Melin Öhrström (19/168/1) and FSU transfer Randy Pittman Jr. (23/208/2) are a solid combo.For as good as SMU was throwing the ball, running it left a lot to be desired, as their 133.8 rushing yards per game was 95th in the FBS. Their backfield will look a lot different as well, as starting RB T.J. Harden is now in the NFL, and backup RB Chris Johnson Jr. transferred to Miami. The Mustangs did get an upgrade at the starting RB, with Kendrick Raphael coming off of a 943-yard and 13-touchdown rushing season at Cal, but their depth at running back is still a question mark.Something that could help SMU's rushing offense take a step forward is cohesion on the offensive line. While the Mustangs did allow 1.46 sacks and 5.54 tackles for loss per game (29th and 79th in FBS, respectively), they return four of their six main offensive linemen from last season. This includes Second-Team All-ACC tackle P.J. Williams and center Joshua Bates.For as successful as SMU has been offensively under Lashlee, at times, their defense has left a lot to be desired. Last season, while their 20.5 points allowed per game was 31st in the FBS, their 395.1 yards allowed per game ranked 88th. Not to mention this defense loses 10 of their top 15 tacklers, including First Team All-ACC safety Ahmaad Moses and Second-Team defensive end Isaiah Smith, forcing the Mustangs to go very portal heavy on that side of the ball.The line was SMU's best component of their defense last season, but they'll likely go with an all-transfer front four this season. UMass standout Marques White (50 tackles, 11.0 for loss, 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles) and South Florida's Ira Singleton (17 tackles, 3.0 for loss, 2.5 sacks) will likely start on the edges, while Kansas State's Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder (17 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks) and JUCO transfer David Chukwuemeka (35 tackles, 10.5 for loss, 4.0 sacks) will start on the interior.Edge Jahkai Lang (24 tackles, 1.0 for loss) and former UofL tackle Woo Spencer (11 tackles, 2.0 for loss) return, but will likely be go-to reserves, as well Louisiana Tech transfer tackle Christian Davis (24 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1.0 sack). On paper, this is a good collection of linemen, led by White, but time will tell how they play all together. Regardless, it does appear like the DL won't be as impactful as it was last season.Over at linebacker is where SMU appears the strongest, and it's a unit led by the Mustangs' top three returners from last season. Brandon Booker (69 tackles, 3.0 for loss, 2 PBUs) and Alex Kilgore (60 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 2 interceptions) were third and fourth on the team in tackles in 2025, respectively, and reserve linebacker Brandon Miyazono (45 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 2.0 sacks, team-best 8 PBUs) is running it back as well.The area of most concern on SMU's defense is their secondary, as they gave up 283.2 passing yards per game last season - which was the second worst in all of the FBS. That being said, they also caught the eight-most interceptions with 18, so they were the very definition of boom-or-bust.At cornerback, they bring back Marcellus Barnes Jr. (32 tackles, 6 PBUs, 1 interception), William Nettles (37 tackles, 4 PBUs, 1 interception) and Jaelyn Davis-Robertson (24 tackles, 3 PBU, 2 interceptions), while adding USF's Jarvis Lee (55 tackles, 12 for loss, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles) to the mix. SMU returns Tyren Polley Jr. (20 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 PBUs) and is bringing in UTSA's Jimmy Wyrick (62 tackles, 8 PBUs, 1 interception) at safety, but the Mustangs are in line to take a massive step back at safety.Overall, SMU is shaping up to have another successful season under Rhett Lashlee. While there are questions regarding their defense, offense has never been an issue - especially with Jennings under center. The Mustangs have certainly given Louisville fits since joining the ACC, but considering the discrepancies in the defenses and the fact that this game will be at home, this is the Cardinals' best shot to earn their first win over SMU.Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for the latest news.More Cardinals Stories(Photo of Kevin Jennings: Darren Yamashita - Imagn Images)Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow