The SMU Mustangs woke up Saturday without control of their own destiny in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
But they efficiently handled business and the rest was sorted out. Now with one week remaining in the regular season, SMU is in firm control of its destiny for a second-straight ACC Championship Game appearance after a successful Saturday which involved the Mustangs toppling Louisville 38-6 and Pittsburgh upsetting Georgia Tech 42-28 in Atlanta hours later.
It was the Kevin Jennings show on The
Hilltop in Dallas. The junior starting quarterback produced his finest performance of 2025, completing 29-of-37 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns. It marked Jennings’ third-straight game eclipsing the 300-yard threshold and his third start of the year free of an interception. In addition to his productivity as a passer, Jennings also ran in the opening touchdown of the game, notching his third as a runner this year.
When Jennings is firing on cylinders, nobody benefits more than Jordan Hudson. SMU’s leading receiver continued his scalding hot November, producing 96 yards on eight receptions. His lone touchdown belonged on the highlight reels as he contorted his entire body to make a leaping acrobatic grab in the end zone, putting SMU up 14-3 in the second quarter.
Even the Mustangs’ run game — which had been a struggle at times this year — pierced through a respectable Louisville defense. T.J. Harden gained 90 yards on 18 carries, while Tulane transfer Shaadie Clayton-Johnson added 62 for his most prolific performance since 2023. With all facets of the offense functioning, SMU more than doubled Louisville’s yardage output (485-228) and became the first team to exceed 27 regulation points on the Cardinals all season.
Louisville entered this game with the odds stacked against it. A two-game losing streak was further soured by an injury bug, which severely depleted the Cardinals’ depth prior to kickoff. Starting quarterback Miller Moss missed his first contest of 2025, thrusting Deuce Adams (and briefly Brady Allen) into the role. Two explosive running backs — Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown — were also absent from the offense. And defensively, Louisville lacked playmaking outside linebacker Antonio Watts, traveling to Dallas devoid of several star players.
Louisville only racked up 100 passing yards and 128 rushing yards, failing to score a touchdown on a sturdy Mustang defense. The Cardinals nearly went the entire game without a turnover, however, until SMU safety Tyren Polley jumped a route with under four minutes to go — denying Louisville from one of its best opportunities at a touchdown.
Louisville (7-4, 4-4 ACC) now rides a 3-game losing streak heading into the non-conference season finale vs. Kentucky. The Cardinals’ previously three losses involved two overtime heartbreaks and coming up one point short against Clemson, making SMU the first team to comfortably hammer the Cardinals all year.
SMU (8-3, 6-1 ACC) now controls its own destiny for the ACC title, and perhaps, for another College Football Playoff run. The Mustangs are 14-1 all-time in regular season ACC games and currently ride a 3-game win streak entering the regular season finale at California. If SMU wins, it punches a ticket to the ACC title game in Charlotte for a second time, despite only holding membership in the league for two years.
