SMU vs. Nevada: How to Watch the Week 0 College Football Showdown for FREE

The SMU Mustangs face the Nevada Wolf Pack as the college football season gets underway with this Week 1 showdown taking place in Reno today. This game kicks off at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MST) on Saturday, August 24 with a live broadcast on CBS Sports Network, and streaming live on demand.

The SMU Mustangs are set to kick off the 2024 college football season in style as they face the Nevada Wolf Pack this Saturday at Mackay Stadium. This game is more than just a season opener, it's a historic moment as the Mustangs take the field for the first time as members of the ACC.

The Mustangs are coming off an impressive 11-3 season, capped by an AAC Championship, though their Fenway Bowl appearance ended in a loss to Boston College. All eyes will be on Preston Stone, who returns under center after a strong season where he threw for 3,197 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Stone is back from a season-ending ankle injury, and he’s ready to lead SMU’s high-octane offense once again.

The Wolf Pack will have new leadership in coach Jeff Choate, who comes from FCS powerhouse Montana State. Running backs Sean Dollars and Boston College transfer Pat Garwo add some punch to the offense. However, Nevada’s defense, which struggled mightily in 2023, will need to step up big-time against SMU’s explosive attack.

Will SMU start their ACC era with a bang, or can Nevada pull off an early-season upset? Tune in on Saturday to find out!

SMU Mustangs (-27.5) vs. Nevada Wolf Pack

O/U: 55.5

KILTY CLEARY

One of the most intriguing teams in college football kicks off their 2024 season on Saturday night out west, as the SMU Mustangs get set to face the Nevada Wolf Pack.

Even though they are coming off winning the American Athletic Conference championship, the program’s first conference title in nearly four decades, the Mustangs might be an even better team heading into this year. After an impressive 12-3 season where they went bowling for the fifth consecutive season, Rhett Lashlee’s team is looking to be an immediate challenger in their first year in the ACC. With Preston Stone looking like a solid quarterback, and with a veteran backfield, SMU has the potential to be one of the top offenses in the conference.

On the other side, Nevada is still stuck in a rebuilding phase. After back-to-back 2-10 seasons, the Wolf Pack hope former Texas defensive coordinator Jeff Choate can help turn the program around. They have a decent offense line, and brought in some capable players via the transfer portal to be competitive in the Mountain West Conference. On Saturday? Maybe not so much.

This will be the seventh all-time meeting between the Wolf Pack and Mustangs. The programs have three wins over on another, with SMU winning the last two matchups in 2004 and 2009.

MY PICK: SMU wins, 45-17

Believe it or not, the college football season begins today – Saturday, Aug. 24. There are a handful of games that make up “Week 0,” including a meeting between the SMU Mustangs and the Nevada Wolf Pack. Kickoff at Mackay Stadium is slated for 8 p.m., with CBS Sports Network televising the matchup.

No cable? No problem. A number of streaming services will broadcast the game live, and you can stream the game for free on Fubo and DirecTV Stream, which both offer free trials for new customers.

SMU is entering its first season as an ACC program. The Mustangs were previously in Conference USA. Led by coach Rhett Lashlee, SMU is coming off an 11-win campaign.

Coach Jeff Choate is entering his first season at the helm for Nevada. After previously serving as a co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Texas, Choate inherits a program coming off a 2-10 season.

Here’s more details on how you can watch:

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee knows the Mustangs didn’t get any preseason first-place votes for their debut in the Atlantic Coast Conference, nor does he think they should have.

The school is coming off its first league championship since the Pony Express days, in 1984, a boost that should help the Mustangs in their return to a power conference.

Well aware of what’s in store with a week-to-week rhythm that will be more much challenging than the American Athletic Conference, Lashlee is confident just the same.

“We have a new challenge in front of us, and we haven’t done anything,” Lashlee said. “In a good way, yeah, it feels different, but not like everybody is kind of tight. We’re going to find out where we stand. We don’t know. I like our guys, and I’m excited to watch them get to compete with this schedule.”

After the breakup of the Southwest Conference following the 1995 season, SMU bounced across three leagues over the next 28 years, the last 11 in the AAC, capped by a victory in the conference championship game.

Quarterback Preston Stone grew up in Dallas, and his dad went to SMU. He is well aware of the painful past that included the shutdown of the program in 1987 over recruiting violations, the only time the NCAA used the so-called death penalty.

Now Stone is under center for the opening of the era that will put those painful memories to rest for good.

“Obviously, I didn’t live through the glory days,” Stone said. “But I’ve known about the Eric Dickerson, Craig James, Lance McIlhenney days since I was a little kid. It’s really cool how we’re making our way back to that.”

The 2024 college football season kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 24 with Week 0 featuring four games. The marquee matchup pits Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in Ireland but we will see another ACC team in action when the SMU Mustangs face Nevada. SMU is a large 24.5-point favorite in the betting odds with the total set at 56.5.

SMU -24.5

Total: 56.5

Moneyline: SMU -2100, Nevada +1100

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbooks

There aren't many games to choose from in Week 0 but it’s never too early to bet an over featuring a Mountain West Conference team. We saw early money come in on this total from pro bettors that pushed it up to 56.5. I agree with the move.

Led by quarterback Preston Stone, the Mustangs return eight starters from an offense that averaged 38.7 points per game in 2023. SMU should feast on a porous Nevada defense that allowed more than 30 points eight times last season.

We will see both Stone and Kevin Jennings at quarterback in this game. Jennings replaced an injured Stone late last season and led the Mustangs to an AAC Championship.

Even though both quarterbacks will play, Stone is the unquestioned starter entering the year after throwing for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2024. He is one of the top returning quarterbacks in the ACC.

Nevada is hoping to improve on last season's 2-10 campaign. While it looks like another long year for the Wolf Pack, I do expect the offense to be better. The Wolf Pack added former Nebraska quarterback Chubba Purdy to backup starter Brendon Lewis.

This is the best depth Nevada has had at the quarterback position in a few years. Look for the Wolf Pack to average over 20 PPG for the first time since 2021.

Nevada's defense is another story. The Wolf Pack allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete over 65 percent of their passes a year ago. Stone and Jennings should torch an undermanned Nevada secondary.

Even if SMU builds a big lead and Stone departs early, the Mustangs won't take their foot off the gas with Jennings, who head coach Rhett Lashlee views as a second starting quarterback and not a true backup.

SMU will do most of the work but if Nevada can score 17-20 points, this over should hit pretty easily. I would bet it up to 57.5.

SMU-Nevada over 56.5 points

SMU makes its debut as an ACC school on Aug. 24 at Nevada as part of the college football “Week 0” schedule. Here’s how you can watch for free if you don’t have cable.

RENO, Nevada — Believe it or not, the college football season begins today – Saturday, Aug. 24. There are a handful of games that make up “Week 0,” including a meeting between the SMU Mustangs and the Nevada Wolf Pack. Kickoff at Mackay Stadium is slated for 8 p.m., with CBS Sports Network televising the matchup.

No cable? No problem. A number of streaming services will broadcast the game live, and you can stream the game for free on Fubo and DirecTV Stream, which both offer free trials for new customers.

SMU is entering its first season as an ACC program. The Mustangs were previously in Conference USA. Led by coach Rhett Lashlee, SMU is coming off an 11-win campaign.

Here’s more details on how you can watch:

SMU sets its sights even higher after an impressive 11-3 season, kicking off the 2024 season Saturday night at Nevada looking to make a run at a spot in the College Football Playoff. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET with TV coverage on CBS Sports Network and streaming on-demand.

SMU (0-0) at Nevada (0-0)

NCAA football matchup at a glance

When: Saturday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)

Where: Mackay Stadium, Reno, Nev.

TV channel: CBS Sports Network

Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Paramount Plus (free trial)

SMU makes the move from a Group of 5 program in the American Athletic Conference into the Atlantic Coast Conference to try and take another big step forward as a program. The Mustangs aced the AAC behind a group that ranked among the top 40 nationally in most major statistical categories, including scoring offense (38.7 ppg, 8th) and scoring defense (17.8 ppg, 11th). They closed the regular season with nine straight victories before falling to Boston College, 23-14, in the Fenway Bowl.

How to watch SMU vs. Nevada: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Paramount Plus (free trial)

Nevada goes into Year 3 under coach Ken Wilson and comes off back-to-back 2-10 seasons. The Wolfpack opened the 2023 season with six straight losses, won back-to-back games over San Diego State (6-0) and New Mexico (34-24), and lost four straight to close out the year. Nevada ranked No. 124 nationally in scoring offense (17.3 ppg) and No. 114 in scoring defense (33.4 ppg), which could be a bad mix against a versatile SMU team to open the 2024 season. SMU is a 26-point favorite.

The Mustangs and Wolfpack are set for an 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) start on CBS Sports Network. Live streams are available from FuboTV (free trial) and DirecTV Stream (free trial). The contest is also set to stream on Paramount Plus (free trial).