ACC football probably isn’t among the first things that comes to mind when you think SMU.
The Mustangs aren’t geographically situated near the Atlantic coast, and until a decade ago they were mired down
in a Group of Six conference.
With the help of a former Arizona offensive coordinator (Sonny Dykes) and a seemingly bottomless checking account, SMU slowly built up its stature in the college football landscape. In 2021 current head coach Rhett Lashlee inherited a program on the come up and by year two had led the Mustangs to their first 11-win season since the Pony Express days of the early ‘80s.
Not long after, SMU was trading in its American Athletic Conference membership for a seat at the big boys’ table. SMU paid its way into the ACC by forfeiting nine years of television revenue.
SMU, one of the richest universities in America, is well-positioned for the NIL era. The school’s boosters are driven to compete with the other major football programs in Texas. That competition has fueled SMU’s rise to one of the winningest programs in the sport over the last several years. Since 2020, only 11 schools have more wins than the Mustangs.
SMU’s appearance in the Holiday Bowl versus Arizona may be a disappointment for a team that was a play or two away from competing for the ACC title game and a spot in the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row. The Mustangs faithful will nevertheless take solace in a trip to San Diego with a chance to win nine or more games for the third time in four years.
With that backdrop set, here are some things to know about the Mustangs.
Top passing offense
SMU is going to air it out. The Mustangs are 12th in the nation in passing yards per game (283), with Kevin Jennings ranking among the most prolific quarterbacks. The Dallas native has strung together a solid junior campaign: 3,363 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Jennings attempts upwards of 40 throws per game. He’s good at distributing the football, as five players have more than 300 receiving yards. Jennings’ favorite target is senior receiver Jordan Hudson, who has 56 catches for 749 yards and six touchdowns. Tight end Matthew Hibner likes to get involved. The senior has 182 receiving yards and two touchdowns in SMU’s last three games.
Jennings’ accuracy can be an issue. He completes passes at a 65% mark but has thrown interceptions in nine different games. Jennings has been sacked just 19 times this year.
Suspect secondary
SMU’s passing defense leaves plenty to be desired. The Mustangs allow 285 yards through the air per game, which ranks second to last in the ACC. SMU has given up 23 passing touchdowns this season.
A majority of the secondary’s production is concentrated in two upperclassmen: seniors Ahmaad Moses and Isaiah Nwokobia. Moses has five interceptions, tied for fourth-most in the nation. He has a team-high 91 tackles. Nwokobia has 80 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
Overall, the Mustangs’ secondary lacks a lot of depth. SMU got exposed by Cal freshman quarterback Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele, who threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns last Saturday.
Two Big 12 quarterbacks lit up SMU this season. Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson threw for 440 yards and TCU’s Josh Hoover threw for 379 yards. SMU lost both games.
Resilient program
SMU doesn’t lose many games under Lashlee. Losing streaks? Almost unheard of.
Other than a 3-game skid in the first weeks of Lashlee’s tenure in 2022, SMU has only lost back-to-back games one time. That was last season, when SMU lost to Clemson in the ACC title game and then fell to Penn State in the College Football Playoff first round.
Arizona does have this going for itself: SMU’s season has ended with a loss each of the last 10 years. That includes bowl losses in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Ironically, the last time SMU ended the year with a win was 2014, when the Mustangs beat UConn for their only victory of the season.
