SMU Beats Virginia Tech 51-28 as Jennings Throws for 350 Yards and Four Touchdowns

Kevin Jennings threw for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns as SMU beat Virginia Tech 51-28 on Friday night, November 6, 2026, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The game was part of Week 10 of ACC play. SMU took control in the third quarter and pulled away for a 23-point home win.

The two teams met in Dallas for the first time since 1974. Both teams entered the game at 6-2. SMU came in off a loss, a 30-27 defeat at Syracuse that snapped a four-game winning streak for the Mustangs.

Jennings leads the SMU offense

Jennings threw for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns, and his passing night drove the SMU scoring. SMU reached 51 points, the highest total on the board in this game, as the Mustangs turned a close contest into a clear home win in the second half.

The turning point came after halftime. SMU scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter and turned a two-possession game into a rout. Virginia Tech did not answer during that stretch, and the Hokies spent the rest of the night chasing a margin that kept growing.

The third quarter breaks the game open

The 21 unanswered points in the third quarter settled the shape of the game. A two-possession contest at the start of the period became a one-sided score by the end of it. SMU carried that control into the fourth quarter and finished the job at home.

Virginia Tech scored late in the game. Jeffery Overton Jr. scored on a short run, with a two-point conversion from Ethan Grunkemeyer. Grunkemeyer then threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Que'Sean Brown. SMU answered those scores to make it 51-28, and the Mustangs sealed the game with a late interception of Grunkemeyer.

Key numbers

• Final score: SMU 51, Virginia Tech 28
• Kevin Jennings: 350 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes
• Third quarter: SMU scored 21 unanswered points
• Jeffery Overton Jr.: short touchdown run for Virginia Tech
• Ethan Grunkemeyer: two-point conversion and a 3-yard touchdown pass to Que'Sean Brown
• Final play of note: SMU intercepted Grunkemeyer late to seal the win
• Records after the game: SMU 7-2, Virginia Tech 6-3
• Venue: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, Texas
• First meeting between SMU and Virginia Tech since 1974

What the result means

SMU improved to 7-2 with the win. Virginia Tech fell to 6-3. Both teams had entered at 6-2, so the result moved SMU ahead of the Hokies in the standings picture on the night, and it gave the Mustangs a strong response one game after the Syracuse loss ended their four-game winning streak.

For Dallas, the night belonged to the home team at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Jennings and his 350 yards and 4 touchdowns set the headline, the third quarter run of 21 unanswered points decided the game, and the late interception closed it out. Virginia Tech scored twice late through Overton and the Grunkemeyer pass to Brown, but SMU answered and kept the final margin at 23 points.