Virginia Tech and SMU will open Week 10 with an important ACC showdown Friday night in Dallas.
Both teams enter at 6-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Neither can afford to waste an opportunity to strengthen its position in the ACC race.
SMU will have home-field advantage at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, has an opportunity to earn one of its most important road victories of the season.
The matchup carries additional importance because both programs remain within reach of the conference's top teams.
SMU and Virginia Tech have each built competitive seasons, but the standings leave little room for mistakes.
Miami leads the ACC at 6-0 in conference play. Wake Forest follows at 5-1, while Louisville and SMU sit at 4-2.
Virginia Tech is also 3-2 in conference play according to the latest standings, with a game in hand.
A victory would give either team valuable momentum entering the final stretch.
The Mustangs will look to protect their home field against a Virginia Tech team capable of making the game uncomfortable.
Both programs have enough at stake to make this more than another regular-season matchup.
The winner will leave Friday night with a stronger position in the ACC race.
Kickoff:Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. ET
Location:Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas
TV:ESPN
