2023 SMU Mustangs football team

The 2023 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, a separate city within the city limits of Dallas, and competed in the American Athletic Conference (The American). They were led by second-year head coach Rhett Lashlee.

For the first time since 2019, the Mustanges won six conference games. The Mustangs finished the regular season going 8–0 in conference play to qualify for the AAC Championship Game, for the Mustangs' first appearance in a conference championship game since the 2010 CUSA Championship Game. SMU defeated Tulane 26–14 in the title game for the program's first conference title since 1984 when the Mustangs won a share of the Southwest Conference title. After defeating Tulane, SMU accepted a bid to compete in the 2023 Fenway Bowl against Boston College. In the final CFP rankings, SMU fell one spot behind undefeated C-USA champion Liberty University, narrowly missing the opportunity to play in the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon on New Year's Day.

This was SMU's final season in the American before they moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024.

Media poll
The American Athletic Conference preseason poll was released on July 25. The Mustangs were predicted to finish third in the conference.

Schedule
SMU and the American Athletic Conference (AAC) announced the 2023 football schedule on February 21, 2023. The Mustangs' regular season schedule consists of six home games and six away games.

SMU will play three of the six new conference members, hosting Charlotte and North Texas and will travel to Rice. Additionally, SMU will host AAC foes Tulsa and Navy and travel to East Carolina, Temple, and Memphis.

For non-conference play, SMU will host Louisiana Tech from Conference USA and FCS Prairie View A&M from the Southwestern Athletic Conference and travel to Oklahoma and TCU, both from the Big 12 Conference.

Louisiana Tech
SMU opened the season by defeating Louisiana Tech 38–14. The previous day, SMU had announced that it would join the Atlantic Coast Conference starting in the 2024 season.

At No. 18 Oklahoma
During the 2022 season, SMU signed a contract with the University of Oklahoma to play a two game series non-conference series, which would consist of one home game for each team in the 2023 and 2027 series. The Sooners defeated SMU 28–11 in Norman.

At TCU
Prior to the start of the 2023 season, TCU announced it was indefinitely suspending the Battle for the Iron Skillet after the 2025 season. TCU defeated SMU 34–17.

Charlotte
SMU defeated Charlotte 34–16. Former President George W. Bush attended the game and participated in the coin toss.

Tulsa
SMU defeated Tulsa 69–10, attaining bowl eligibility. They scored over 50 points in the first half, doing so for the first time since their 77–63 victory over Houston the previous season.

At Rice
SMU defeated Rice 36–31, winning the Mayor's Cup. SMU quarterback Preston Stone and Rice quarterback JT Daniels both suffered from concussions during the game. Stone's concussion put his start against UNT the next week into question, while Daniels did not play again for the rest of the season, announcing his retirement after its conclusion.

North Texas
Quarterback Stone cleared concussion protocol prior to the game against UNT, allowing him to lead the team to a 45–21 victory in the Safeway Bowl.

At Memphis
Both SMU and Memphis were undefeated in conference play prior to the game, meaning the loser would likely be eliminated from contention to play in the conference championship. SMU defeated Memphis 38–34.

Navy
SMU defeated Navy 59–14 to win the Gansz Trophy and guarantee a spot in the conference championship game. SMU scored over 50 points in the first half, and quarterback Preston Stone threw for the most yards in the first quarter of an FBS game since 2019, but he suffered a broken leg late in the first half, leaving him unable to play for the rest of the season.

At No. 22 Tulane (AAC Championship Game)
Backup quarterback Kevin Jennings made his first career start against Tulane in the championship game. On the first play of the game, Jennings fumbled the ball, allowing Tulane to return it to the 1-yard line and score immediately afterwards. Despite this and two interceptions, SMU led Tulane 14–7 at the end of the first half thanks to its strong defense, which forced Tulane to punt the ball nine times over the course of the game. In the second half, Jennings continued to lead SMU down the field, allowing kicker Collin Rogers to score four field goals. Near the end of the fourth quarter, safety Isaiah Nwokobia intercepted the ball to seal SMU's 26–14 victory over Tulane, winning SMU its first conference championship since 1984. After the game, Nwokobia was awarded the Most Outstanding Player award, becoming the first defensive player to win such an award in an AAC title game.