The SMU Mustangs sit at 1-1 after two home games to start the 2025 campaign and will hit the road and head to Springfield, Missouri to face the 1-1 Missouri State Bears in Week 3.

Saturday’s matchup between the Bears and Mustangs will be the first in program history for both teams. So why are the Mustangs – now a member of the ACC – traveling to Springfield? This is the first season the Bears are an FBS team as members of Conference USA. Back when this deal was struck in June 2024, SMU was still part of the AAC and Missouri State was still part of the FCS Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Oh, how things have changed in a little over a year…

Both teams agreed to this home-and-home series when they knew they were about to transition and simply needed a schedule. So the teams will play each other again on Sept. 26, 2026, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas to complete the Mustangs’ part of the home-and-home.

SMU is one of four Power Four programs that will hit the road in Week 3 to play non-Power Four competition. The others are Oklahoma at Temple, Utah at Wyoming and Duke at Tulane.

The Bears’ offense shouldn’t be a huge test for the Mustangs’ defense as it averages just 349 yards per game – 273.5 yards through the air and 75.5 yards on the ground. But so far this season, SMU has had trouble keeping yards gained under control. Through two games, the Mustangs are allowing 476 yards per game, 129th in FBS.

Missouri ranked 105th in the FBS with a minus-2 turnover margin, while the Mustangs rank 45th at plus-1. Both teams have discipline problems and are heavily penalized. Missouri State ranks 121st in the FBS, averaging 76.5 penalty yards per game, while SMU ranks 112th with a 69.5-yard average.

Missouri State is led by Jacob Clark with 506 yards passing, four touchdowns, three interceptions and a 67.3 completion percentage. Shomari Lawrence has 99 yards rushing on 29 carries with no touchdowns and Ramone Green Jr. has caught six balls for 151 yards and one touchdown.

For the Mustangs, Kevin Jennings has 555 yards passing with five touchdowns and two interceptions with a 73.1 completion percentage, while Tomarion Harden has 27 carries for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Romello Brinson leads his team with 11 catches for 247 yards and three touchdowns.

The Mustangs and Bears will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at Robert W.. Plaster Stadium in Springfield, Missouri.

BETTING ODDS

SPREAD: SMU -27.5

TOTAL: 60.5

MONEYLINE: SMU -7500 | MISSOURI STATE +2000