It was déjà vu for SMU.
Week 2, at home, pitted against a Big 12 opponent. In similar fashion to SMU’s Week 2 outing against BYU a year ago, the Mustangs looked poised for a hard-fought non-conference victory in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.
However, missed field goals and a jaw-dropping performance from Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson impeded the Mustangs’ attempt at a 12th-straight regular season victory. A 60-minute and change fireworks factory was ultimately settled by a 27-yard
Connor Hawkins field goal, fresh off the heels of SMU’s wide right 38-yard attempt in double overtime. Hawkins’ field goal secured Baylor’s 14th-consecutive win over the Mustangs, a streak which initiated in 1989 — the year SMU football revived from the infamous “death penalty.”
Hawkins’ field goal cemented the game at 48-45 after the Texas-based teams combined for 1,060 yards of offense and four explosive touchdowns spanning at least 40 yards. Baylor was placed in an adverse situation down 38-24 when SMU running back T.J. Harden registered a hat trick with his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon, with 8:38 remaining. But Saturday was the Sawyer Robertson show on the hilltop. Fresh off a 419-yard, 3-touchdown outing vs. Auburn, Baylor’s senior quarterback lit up the Mustang defense for two touchdown strikes in the final six minutes.
Robertson amassed 440 passing yards in the victory for his third-straight 400-yard outing dating back to the 2024 Texas Bowl. His offense converted three critical third downs and a do-or-die fourth down on the Bears’ two late touchdowns drives, keeping Baylor away from an 0-2 start to the season. Perhaps his most impactful throw of the day was a 48-yard deep ball to Josh Cameron, who fought All-ACC strong safety Isaiah Nwokobia to secure a touchdown. Then with 34 seconds left, Robertson hit Kobe Prentice on a 21-yard slant to knot things at 38 apiece.
SMU received an opportunity to win in regulation — and a critical targeting review certainly played an impact in the distance of the walk-off field goal. After a lengthy review, Baylor strong safety Devyn Bobby was not assessed a foul for his hit on SMU’s sliding quarterback Kevin Jennings, position Collin Rogers at 57 yards from glory. Rogers missed the kick far right and wound up finishing 1-of-4 on field goals — missing a 51-yarder in the third quarter after a bizarre sequence where a referee incidentally sacked Jennings, and then missing the 38-yarder in the second overtime.
The Mustang offense still saw an electrifying performance as Kevin Jennings fired for 298 yards and three touchdowns on a 17-of-23 outing. Jennings completed two 1-play, 75-yard scoring drives, connecting on deep balls to Romello Brinson — off a deflection on the first snap of the game — and true freshman Jalen Cooper, who stepped up in place of the injured Jordan Hudson. UCLA transfer T.J. Harden also collected 115 rushing yards and a trio of scores in his second game as a Mustang, but the offensive masterclass wasn’t enough thanks to a lack of defensive stops.
SMU stopped Baylor three times on fourth downs — twice in the first quarter. But the Bears collected a pair of critical second half stops which allowed the comeback to materialize. When the game was tied at 24-24, SMU received opportune field position deep in Bear territory after a punt collided with Baylor’s return man. However, Jennings was intercepted in the end zone by Jacob Redding on a jump ball, denying the Mustangs of an additional touchdown. Also, when the score was 38-31, Baylor’s defense sacked Jennings on a monumental third down when a conversion could have all but sealed the game for the Mustangs.
Baylor improves to 1-1 after falling 14 points short of Auburn in its home opener. After two high-scoring, challenging contests to kick off 2025, Robertson and the Bears take a bit of a breather in Week 3 as FCS Samford strolls into Waco.
Meanwhile, SMU is not in completely unfamiliar territory at 1-1. The Mustangs dropped their Week 2 matchup to BYU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the same exact date of Sept. 6 last season, but ran the regular season table to clinch the ACC Championship Game and earn a berth in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. SMU won’t suit up in front of its home fans for a while though, as a trip to Missouri State looms before an emotional Sept. 20 rivalry game at TCU.
