This is the first conference meeting between the ACC newcomers. The Mustangs are off to a strong start and are trying to maintain their perfect conference record. The Cardinal have lost three straight games by a combined total of 92 points and seek their first home win in the ACC.

While SMU is familiar with East Coast travel, as the American Athletic Conference was heavily concentrated out east, the West Coast travel is still new — and requires SMU to do a little extra strategizing beforehand.

Stanford has faced SMU just once before Saturday, but the two new ACC schools will meet every season for the foreseeable future.

When Stanford and SMU were part of the ACC’s westward expansion last year, they were set up as annual rivals in football in a plan to cut down on coast-to-coast trips.

Former Pac-12 program Stanford will host the Mustangs in just their second meeting all time and first in over 80 years.