Penn State-SMU football history: All-time series record between ...

14 hours ago

York Daily Record/Sunday News

Share on XTweet

Penn StateSMU football history Alltime series record between

Here's what to know about the series history between Penn State and SMU, including all-time meetings and record, ahead of Saturday's CFP game:

Show Caption

Hide Caption

What should SMU expect from Penn State QB Drew Allar

SMU heads to Penn State for the first round of the College Football Playoff, and the Before The Snap crew discusswhat to expect from Drew Allar.

The drought is over for Penn State football: The Nittany Lions are competing in the College Football Playoff.

On Saturday, the No. 6 seed Nittany Lions (11-2) will host their first-ever postseason game at Beaver Stadium, as No. 11 seed SMU (11-2) comes to Happy Valley for a first-round CFP matchup. Penn State and SMU are scheduled for a noon ET kickoff, the first of three CFP games on Saturday's slate.

The winner of Saturday's CFP first-round game between Penn State and SMU will advance to the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve against No. 3 Boise State at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona

REQUIRED READING: Predicting Penn State football vs. SMU in College Football Playoff White Out

A pair of two 11-2 overall teams, both the Nittany Lions and Mustangs are coming off losses in their respective conference championship games. Led by Drew Allar, Tyler Warren and Adbul Carter, James Franklin's squad brings a top-25-ranked offense and defense into Saturday's contest. SMU's offense ranks sixth in the country as well.

Like Penn State, SMU is making its first CFP appearance in program history as well. But both programs have a brief history of playing against each other, with Saturday's game being the first time they will play in more than 40 years.

Here's a look at the series history between Penn State and SMU heading into Saturday's CFP first-round game at Beaver Stadium:

REQUIRED READING: 'Beau Pribula did not want to leave our program.' So why did Penn State football QB go?

Penn State-SMU series history

According to Penn State's game notes for this week, Saturday's CFP first-round matchup will be the third all-time meeting between Penn State and SMU.

It is the second trip for the Mustangs to Beaver Stadium and the first since the 1978 college football season, when SMU and Penn State played a rare one-off non-conference game against each other. Saturday is also the second time both programs will meet in the postseason, with the last postseason meeting coming in 1948.

Penn State record vs SMU

Series record: Penn State leads 1-0-1
Penn State's last win: 1978 (26-21)
SMU's last win: N/A

Penn State is 1-0-1 in its previous two matchups against SMU, with the Nittany Lions win coming in their last contest against the Mustangs in 1978.

The first meeting between both programs came in the 1948 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, a game that Penn State and SMU tied 13-13 in. But that isn't the only thing remembered from that game, as Penn State became the first team in Cotton Bowl history to play with Black players on its roster.

Penn State and SMU wouldn't meet again for another three decades, with their last meeting coming in 1978. The Nittany Lions sent the Mustangs back to Dallas with a 26-21 loss thanks to four first-half field goals from Penn State kicker Matt Bahr and two second-half touchdowns.

REQUIRED READING: Penn State football's Drew Allar: Why he will be the Nittany Lions' quarterback in 2025