DALLAS – Marques White knocked the ball out of Ethan Grunkemeyer’s hands and recovered it. Seven seconds later, SMU had another touchdown.
Kevin Jennings found Yamir Knight for a 46-yard score on the next snap, putting the Mustangs ahead 20-7 with 6:09 left before halftime.
White finished with two of SMU’s four sacks in the 51-28 win. He earned ACC weekly recognition alongside Jennings and Knight and enters Wake Forest week with 7.5 sacks.
His workload extends beyond chasing the quarterback. White has played 349 defensive snaps in PFF’s 2026 participation figures: 191 rushing the passer, 140 against the run and 18 in coverage. Aakil Washington has 164 pass-rush snaps and Christian Davis 154. Those are rush opportunities, rather than the number of pressures each player produced.
Wake averages 175.8 rushing yards per game and has converted 51.4 percent of its third downs. Gio Lopez, whom coach Jake Dickert expects to return after missing Merrimack, has thrown 18 touchdowns against one interception. Carlos Hernandez has 945 receiving yards.
White enters the Wake Forest game with 7.5 sacks. Against Virginia Tech, one of them ended the Hokies’ possession and left Jennings 46 yards from the touchdown he threw on the next snap.
Photo: SMU Athletics. SMU vs. Virginia Tech, Nov. 6, 2026.
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