Tag: SMU

SMU avoids collapse, holds off No. 17 Arizona at Holiday Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

T.J. Harden ran for two touchdowns, Kevin Jennings amassed 278 yards through the air and SMU defeated No. 17 Arizona 24-19 to win the Holiday Bowl on Friday night in San Diego.

SMU (9-4) was ahead 24-0 at halftime but had to overcome Jennings’ three second-half interceptions to pick up its first bowl win since 2012. Yamir Knight led all receivers with seven catches for 104 yards in the win.

“It’s all just preparation in practice,” said Knight, who had four receptions of 20 yards or longer and was selected the game’s offensive MVP. “We go hard all week, every week in practice, and we just came out here and paid attention to the details, and we got things done.”

Jennings said in the postgame TV interview, “We fought our butts off each and every week, but we came out here and still grinded every single day, so I’m just proud of this group right here. I had a terrible second half … but this team got my back no matter what. I love these guys.”

Noah Fifita led Arizona’s comeback efforts, going 28 of 43 for 265 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He was also the game’s leading rusher with 73 yards on 13 attempts, but the Wildcats (9-4) saw their five-game winning streak come to an end.

Each of the Mustangs’ first two possessions after halftime resulted in third-down interceptions. The first, by Michael Dansby at his own 4-yard line, set up Arizona for a 15-play, 96-yard drive. Fifita hit Javin Whatley for a 28-yard touchdown with 2:37 left in the third, but the two-point conversion failed.

Arizona got another interception but turned it over on downs. However, the Wildcats forced a three-and-out and later scored on fourth-and-2 from the 10 when Fifita hit Tre Spivey in the end zone. Fifita’s two-point pass was knocked down, leaving it 24-12.

SMU was driving to bleed the fourth-quarter clock, but Arizona linebacker Riley Wilson dropped into zone coverage and Jennings threw straight to him with less than five minutes to play.

Four plays later, however, Fifita’s pass was batted at the line and Alexander Kilgore intercepted it for SMU.

Still, Arizona forced a punt for one more chance, and Fifita connected with Cameron Barmore on third-and-10 from the 15 for a touchdown with 33 seconds left. But the Wildcats could not recover the onside kick necessary to continue their rally.

On the game’s second play from scrimmage, Jennings lofted a pass to a wide-open Matthew Hibner down the right sideline and the tight end raced toward the goal line before being marked down at the 1 for an 80-yard pitch and catch. Harden followed with his first touchdown of the game.

The Mustangs doubled their lead before the quarter ended. Arizona committed pass interference on a third-and-9 incompletion to give SMU new life. Harden ran it in from the 3 on the next play.

The next SMU possession turned into a 16-play, 94-yard march. Tight end Stone Eby had an 18-yard catch on the drive before he lined up as a fullback and pushed in a 1-yard touchdown.

Sam Keltner’s 24-yard field goal in the final minute of the half made it 24-0 at intermission.

–Field Level Media

No. 17 Arizona, SMU expect to be near full strength for Holiday Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Count No. 17 Arizona and SMU among the teams viewing bowl season as a gift, with relatively few known opt-outs on either side.

These teams playing at full tilt could create a very interesting strength-on-strength matchup when the Wildcats and Mustangs meet in the Holiday Bowl on Friday in San Diego.

SMU (8-4) owns the No. 11 passing offense in FBS at 283.5 yards per game, propelled by Kevin Jennings’ 3,363 yards and 26 touchdowns. Arizona (9-3) can counter with the nation’s fourth-ranked pass defense, which allowed a mere 155.9 yards per game and nine total passing TDs.

A multi-year starter, Jennings recently announced he was returning to SMU in 2026 for his fifth and final year of eligibility. He was the Mustangs’ quarterback when they reached the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game and earned an at-large College Football Playoff berth last year.

Jennings exemplifies the state of affairs at SMU with the transfer portal about to open.

“We’ve not had an issue with opt-outs yet,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “… If players decide to transfer now, even though the portal is not open, they probably won’t be with us for the game. But in terms of opt-outs, I don’t expect that.”

Arizona coach Brent Brennan played it coy, saying Lashlee and SMU would find out Friday night which Wildcats wouldn’t play in the game.

As it stands, the only known opt-outs are Arizona offensive lineman Michael Wooten and SMU edge rusher DJ Warner, who plan to enter the portal.

Arizona comes in as the hotter team, having finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak, including road triumphs over ranked opponents Cincinnati and Arizona State. One more victory would give the Wildcats their fifth 10-win season in program history — and their second in three years.

“Since we got bowl-eligible we’ve been talking about this extra life that this team gets by getting to go to a bowl game,” Brennan said. “And that means this extra time this special group of people gets to be together. We always talk about at the beginning of the year, like in January, that every football team has a lifespan. It’s either 11 months or 10 months or nine months, but the longer the better, right? And so I think they’ve done a great job of enjoying those moments.”

The Wildcats have an experienced quarterback of their own, with Noah Fifita amassing 2,963 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also has run for three touchdowns.

Fifita was an All-Big 12 first-team selection, along with defensive backs Dalton Johnson and Treydan Stukes (four interceptions apiece), who backstop Arizona’s stingy pass defense.

SMU safety Ahmaad Moses led his team with five interceptions (one returned for a TD) and 91 tackles. He and offensive lineman Logan Parr were All-ACC first-team honorees.

The Mustangs have not won a bowl game since the 2012 Hawaii Bowl, losing in their last five appearances. It’s the program’s second appearance in the Holiday Bowl, with the other a loss to BYU in 1980.

Arizona is making its third trip to the Holiday Bowl, having won in 1998 against Nebraska before losing to the Cornhuskers in 2009.

–Field Level Media

Cal’s late TD denies No. 21 SMU spot in ACC title game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kendrick Raphael scored on a 2-yard run with 43 seconds remaining as Cal, in interim coach Nick Rolovich’s debut, stunned No. 21 SMU 38-35 on Saturday night in Berkeley, Calif., denying the Mustangs a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

A 1-yard plunge by T.J. Harden with 2:22 remaining capped SMU’s run of touchdowns on four consecutive second-half possessions for a 35-31 lead, putting the Mustangs (8-4, 6-2 ACC) in the driver’s seat for a shot at Virginia for the ACC title next Saturday.

But freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who threw four touchdowns, completed five consecutive passes to quickly move the Golden Bears in scoring position. Raphael then capped a 111-yard rushing night with his scamper that barely broke the plane of the goal line, sending Duke into the ACC title game.

SMU had a chance to force overtime, but Sam Keltner missed wide right from 52 yards on a potential game-tying field goal with three seconds left.

One game after being held to 10 points in a blowout loss to rival Stanford that resulted in coach Justin Wilcox’s firing, Cal (7-5, 4-4) ran up 452 yards against the Mustangs.

Sagapolutele accounted for 330 of those yards, completing 31 of 40 passes. He threw four TD passes to four different receivers – Jaiven Plummer and Jacob De Jesus in the second quarter, Cole Boscia in the third quarter and QuaRon Adams on the first play of the fourth quarter, the latter giving the hosts a 31-14 lead.

However, SMU rallied behind Kevin Jennings, who ran 3 yards for a score and had a 20-yard TD connection with Jordan Hudson to get the Mustangs within 31-28 with 7:59 to go.

Jennings finished 24-for-36 passing for 250 yards with two TDs and one interception. Chris Johnson Jr. rushed for a game-high 128 yards and a first-quarter score for SMU, while Matthew Hibner caught five passes for 87 yards and a third-quarter TD.

Raphael’s 111 rushing yards came on 33 carries for the Golden Bears, who are bowl-eligible thanks to their seven-win regular season. De Jesus led all receivers in the game with 12 catches for 97 yards and his one score.

–Field Level Media

No. 21 SMU thinking playoffs while Cal is in tumult

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Two teams at opposite ends of the college football emotional spectrum go head-to-head Saturday night in Berkeley, Calif., when 21st-ranked SMU hopes to take another step toward an Atlantic Coast Conference championship at the expense of a Cal team more concerned about its next coach.

The Mustangs (8-3, 6-1 ACC) and Golden Bears (6-5, 3-4) have both clinched bowl invitations, but streaking SMU is seeking the best of the bunch — one they’ll still have to earn — while staggering Cal is no sure thing to accept.

Among six teams still alive for two spots in the ACC Championship Game, SMU and Virginia are sitting prettiest. Each can advance simply by winning its regular-season finale Saturday.

Virginia wraps up at home against Virginia Tech in a game that is scheduled to kick off an hour before SMU’s game on the West Coast.

While others in the logjam will have to win and get help, the Mustangs can be single-minded in Berkeley.

“I mean, we just have to do our job,” senior wide receiver Jordan Hudson assured reporters. “It’ll play itself out.”

Part of playing itself out includes the ramifications of a win next Saturday in the ACC title game, which does not assure a spot in the 12-team, season-ending playoffs, and hoping for a bid from the selection committee the next day.

SMU has put itself in the conversation with an impressive three-game winning streak against Miami (Fla.), Boston College and Louisville. The first and third wins of the run were at home.

Kevin Jennings was the star of last week’s 38-6 blitzing of Louisville, throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns.

Jennings had similar success — 225 yards and two scores — in, coincidentally, a 38-6 home win over Cal last November that propelled the Mustangs into the ACC title game against Clemson.

Jennings caught a break that day when Cal star Fernando Mendoza, the hero of the previous week’s rivalry win over Stanford, came up ill and missed the quarterback showdown. Mendoza has since transferred to Indiana, where he is considered a Heisman Trophy candidate.

This time around, Cal freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is coming off a shaky effort in a loss to Stanford and now finds himself engulfed in questions about his future at the university.

The Golden Bears brought that upon themselves when they fired coach Justin Wilcox one day after their 31-10 debacle at Stanford.

Instead of possible freshman records for Sagapolutele and seizing a seventh win that could provide greater incentive to accept a bowl bid, Cal has seen the attention of fans, students and even football general manager Ron Rivera this week focused on possible coaching candidates and the process for selecting one.

Rivera took time to address why an in-season decision was made on Wilcox, and why the Golden Bears would go into the regular-season finale — and potentially a bowl game — with an interim coach, Nick Rolovich.

“This is hard what we’re doing,” the former Washington Commanders head coach admitted at a press conference Tuesday. “It’s hard on Justin, it’s hard on the players, it’s hard on the staff, coaches, everybody, because there is a big question mark for all of us.”

Cal has lost three of its last four games, including 31-21 to Virginia in its only home date since Oct. 17.

–Field Level Media

SMU in must-win mode vs. sinking Louisville

Posted on | by Field Level Media

SMU will look to keep its hopes alive for an Atlantic Coast Conference championship on Saturday afternoon when the Mustangs welcome Louisville to Dallas.

The Mustangs (7-3, 5-1 ACC) are one of four teams with one loss in conference play. In addition to beating the Cardinals (7-3, 4-3) this weekend and defeating Cal on the road next weekend, coach Rhett Lashlee’s team needs Pitt to beat Georgia Tech this weekend and Virginia Tech to handle Virginia on Nov. 29 to make it back to Charlotte on Dec. 6.

Lashlee said Tuesday his team can only control what’s in front of them, and that means taking care of business against a team that has lost its three games by a combined seven points.

“We got a chance,” he said. “So that’s all you can ask for as a competitor.”

SMU had its second off week of the season last weekend. In their last game, a 45-13 thumping of Boston College on Nov. 8, the Mustangs amassed a season-high 574 yards of offense. Quarterback Kevin Jennings completed just half (16 of 32) of his passes, but the junior threw for 325 yards. All three of his touchdown passes went for more than 25 yards.

Louisville is one of the top defenses in the conference, allowing the second-fewest yards per game at 297.9. The Cardinals gave up just 308 to Clemson in last Friday’s 20-19 loss at home.

Coach Jeff Brohm’s team had two chances to win the game in the final minutes but missed field goals that would have kept them in the race for the conference title game. They also had a missed extra point, 10 penalties and a costly sack before one of the field-goal tries.

Turnovers have also been an issue. Louisville has given the ball away 15 times, which is tied for 94th among FBS teams. While the Cardinals are tied for 39th nationally in scoring defense (21.5 ppg), 70 of the points they’ve allowed have come off turnovers. That included a Clemson touchdown off a fumble lost last week deep in their own territory.

“You’ve got to try to keep it as clean as you can,” Brohm said Monday. “For whatever reason, different things pop up every now and then, and you got to address it and hope to play better the next time.”

–Field Level Media

After upsetting Miami, SMU fixates on skidding BC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

When Atlantic Coast Conference foes SMU and Boston College renew acquaintances Saturday afternoon in Chestnut Hill, Mass., the Mustangs will look to keep momentum following a major upset while the Eagles hope to find some.

SMU (6-3, 4-1) hits the East Coast after a thrilling 26-20 overtime win last week against then-No. 10 Miami. It marked the highest-ranked victory since 1983 for the Mustangs, who are 12-1 all-time in ACC games since joining the league last year.

TJ Harden carried the ball on five straight plays to close the game, including the deciding 1-yard touchdown. The UCLA transfer’s effort came after Kevin Jennings threw for a season-high 365 yards and one score.

“We were focused, we were intentional, we were urgent. (But) we want to be better this week than we were last week,” said SMU coach Rhett Lashlee.

In other words, the Mustangs’ attention has turned to finding the road win that eluded them two weeks ago in a 13-12 setback at Wake Forest.

“Get to go on the road,” Lashlee said. “Sixth straight (week with a) game. Get to go up to Boston. That’s a big challenge for us. Bill (O’Brien) is a championship-level coach at every level, and they’ve been really, really close a lot, so we’ve got our hands full there.”

The Eagles (1-8, 0-5) are on an eight-game skid following last week’s 25-10 loss to then-No. 12 Notre Dame in which they trailed just 12-10 in the third quarter. Only two of the eight losses have been decided by seven points or fewer.

With Grayson James starting at quarterback for the fourth straight game, O’Brien knows what it will take to get over the hump. Saturday will mark the Eagles’ second of three straight home games before the Nov. 29 finale at Syracuse.

“If you think back to those games, there were interceptions, there were fumbles. It comes down to that,” O’Brien said. “Last year, we were a lot better at that — taking care of the ball, taking the ball away. This year, it’s been the opposite, and we have to fix that.”

James threw for at least 200 yards and one touchdown in each of his first three starts. He was 25-for-37 against Notre Dame and found Reed Harris for a key second-quarter score, but six sacks and three giveaways did in the Eagles.

–Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Joshisa Trader (1) dives over SMU Mustangs cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr. (8) for a touchdown during the first quarter at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

T.J. Harden’s overtime TD helps SMU shock No. 10 Miami

Posted on | by Field Level Media

T.J. Harden’s 1-yard dash into the end zone in overtime lifted the host SMU Mustangs to a 26-20 comeback win over the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon in Dallas, Tex.

The winning score was set up by the second of two clutch interceptions by Ahmaad Moses, who intercepted Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck near his own end zone on Miami’s overtime possession.

The Mustangs (6-3, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) ran six plays — all runs — on their overtime possession with Harden carrying the ball on the final five of those and amassing the final 20 yards.

SMU beat Miami (6-2, 2-2 ACC) for the second time ever and first time since 1965. It was also the Mustangs’ first home victory over a top 10 opponent since 1974.

The win kept the Mustangs’ hopes of advancing to the ACC Championship Game alive, while the loss seriously harmed any hopes the Hurricanes had of accomplishing that themselves or of making it to the College Football Playoff.

In overtime, the Hurricanes appeared ready to go in for a go-ahead score. But facing third-and-6 from the SMU 7, Beck’s intended pass to Malachi Toney was thrown behind him, allowing Moses to pick it off.

Miami broke a 17-17 tie on a Carter Davis 45-yard field goal with 9:34 left in the fourth quarter. SMU squandered a chance to tie the game when Sam Keltner missed a 42-yard field goal attempt wide right with 6:24 remaining.

But the Mustangs regained possession at their own 10 with 2:09 to go after forcing a Miami punt.

SMU faced a fourth-and-9 on its own 48, but an unnecessary roughness penalty on Marquise Lightfoot for hitting Jennings after referees had whistled the play dead after the snap gave the Mustangs a first down at Miami’s 37.

Six plays later, Keltner redeemed himself by converting a 38-yarder to knot the score at 20 with 25 seconds left and send the game to overtime.

Jennings threw for 365 yards on 29 of 44 attempts with one touchdown. Jordan Hudson caught 11 of those passes for 136 yards.

Beck completed 26 of 38 passes for 274 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Toney caught nine passes for 70 yards and Mark Fletcher Jr. led Miami with 84 yards rushing on 16 carries.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee looks on during the game between the SMU Mustangs and the Baylor Bears at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

SMU takes Rhett Lashlee off market with contract extension

Posted on | by Field Level Media

SMU announced a contract extension for football coach Rhett Lashlee on Saturday, hours before the Mustangs were set to host No. 10 Miami in Dallas.

No contract details were announced, but The Athletic reported the deal is a two-year extension that will make him one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football.

The contract now runs through 2032.

“SMU is a special place to our family. We are so excited for the opportunity to continue the process of building our program on the national stage,” Lashlee said in a statement.

The extension comes at a time when Lashlee, 42, could have been a candidate at some higher-profile programs, including Florida, Penn State and LSU. There is also a coaching vacancy at Arkansas, his alma mater.

Lashlee is in his fourth season at the helm at SMU and has a 34-15 record, including 5-3 (3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) in 2025.

He led the Mustangs to an 11-3 record and their first College Football Playoff last season, where they lost 38-10 to Penn State.

–Field Level Media

Oct 17, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) carries the football against the Louisville Cardinals during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

No. 10 Miami faces ex-OC Brent Lashlee, SMU in key ACC tilt

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Miami and SMU appeared to be trending toward an Atlantic Coast Conference championship game matchup last season before the Hurricanes fell out of the conference title picture.

The teams will finally get their chance to face off Saturday when the Mustangs host the No. 10 Hurricanes. In their only previous meeting in 1965, SMU beat Miami 7-3 in the Orange Bowl in Miami.

The Hurricanes (6-1, 2-1 ACC) and Mustangs (5-3, 3-1) each need the victory to realistically remain in the race for the conference title. Miami is alive in the battle to earn a College Football Playoff berth as well.

The Hurricanes bounced back from their first loss by routing Stanford 42-7 at home last Saturday, scoring 35 second-half points.

SMU needs its own recovery game after a disappointing 13-12 road loss at Wake Forest last Saturday.

Miami is quite familiar with the Mustangs, who are coached by former Hurricanes offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and reached the CFP last season before losing to Penn State in the first round.

Four former Hurricanes are on the Mustangs’ roster, including receiver Romello Brinson and former Miami starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, a backup to SMU starter Kevin Jennings (ACC-leading 17 passing TDs).

“Really impressive football team,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said during his press conference Monday.

It’s been a more difficult season for SMU this year, which got worse after the Mustangs put together what Lashlee called “their worst offensive performance” since he joined the program in 2022.

SMU’s 12 points were its lowest in a regular-season game since Sept. 9, 2023, against Oklahoma. The Mustangs turned the ball over three times and were held to 246 total yards.

“It’s not even close, hands down,” Lashlee said about SMU’s offense against Wake Forest. “That’s my responsibility from play calls to prep, the adjustments, all those things.”

SMU, which finished last season No. 8 in the nation in scoring at 36.5 points per game, ranks 50th this season as its average has dropped to 31.4.

Lashlee expects his offense to have a major challenge on its hands against Miami’s defense. The Hurricanes rank eighth in the nation in scoring defense, ninth in rushing defense and 24th in passing defense and are holding teams to 14.1 ppg (eighth in nation).

“It’s the most complete team we’ve played since I’ve been here,” Lashlee said. “They’re national championship-good on defense. They’re really, really good.”

Miami’s offense, which struggled two weeks ago in a 24-21 home loss to Louisville in which quarterback Carson Beck threw four interceptions, saw a revival of its ground attack against Stanford.

The Hurricanes scored five rushing touchdowns, including three by Mark Fletcher Jr., who leads the team with nine scores on the ground.

Star freshman receiver Malachi Toney continues to impress. Toney leads the Hurricanes with 43 catches and 562 receiving yards through seven games and ranks third in the ACC in receiving yards per game (80.3) and fourth in receptions.

C.J. Daniels’ six touchdown catches are tied for the most in the ACC.

“It’s so funny because nobody knew what he was going to be, but I remember just telling all my family and friends about what he was going to be able to do for us this year and that we definitely had a secret weapon,” Beck said Tuesday.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert smiles on the sideline during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Wake Forest survives sloppy affair vs. SMU with last-second field goal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Connor Calvert drilled a 50-yard field goal as time expired to give Wake Forest a 13-12 win over SMU in a sloppy Atlantic Coast Conference matchup Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem, N.C.

After the Demon Deacons fumbled twice inside the 10-yard line in the fourth quarter, a 25-yard pass from Deshawn Purdie to Kamrean Johnson with six seconds left to set Calvert up for his game-winning kick.

Wake Forest (5-2, 2-2 in ACC) overcame five turnovers to win its first conference home game since Oct. 21, 2023.

SMU (5-3, 3-1) turned it over three times and managed just 246 yards of offense, taking its first regular-season loss in an ACC game after winning its first 11 in the conference.

Purdie, who played the majority of the game at quarterback, completed 14 of 26 passes for 183 yards and two interceptions.

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings was 21-of-39 passing for 171 yards and one interception. The Mustangs managed just eight first downs.

Saturday’s game did not get off to the quickest start. Wake Forest was held to -1 yard in the opening 15 minutes and still held a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Demon Deacons took advantage of a shanked punt that gave them the ball at the SMU 20 with a 25-yard field goal by Calvert.

The Mustangs got on the board three minutes into the second quarter on a 36-yard Sam Keltner field goal.

But Wake Forest took advantage of another SMU mishap, this time a Jennings fumble, to reclaim the lead less than two minutes later on a 12-yard TD pass from Ashford to Eni Falayi with 10:09 left in the half.

SMU cut into the deficit with a 35-yard field goal with 3:53 left. That 10-6 margin remained the score at halftime despite a wild sequence of events that saw three turnovers within the final minute.

The Mustangs took their first lead with 2:58 left in the third quarter on a 6-yard run from Shaadie Clayton-Johnson that was set up by a failed fourth-down conversion by the Demon Deacons at their own 41. But a blocked extra point wound up being the difference in the result.

–Field Level Media