WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — It appears as if it takes a long field goal on the last play of a game for an Atlantic Coast Conference team to beat SMU.
In a season-plus in the conference, that’s been the script
for both defeats to ACC opponents.
Connor Calvert’s 50-yarder on the final play Saturday gave Wake Forest a 13-12 victory, marking the only loss for the Mustangs in 12 ACC regular-season games. It was a flashback to a similar setback for SMU.
Last December, Clemson beat SMU 34-31 on Noal Hauser’s 56-yard field goal as time expired in the ACC championship game.
“To come out and not get a win hurts,” safety Isaiah Nowkobia said. “Winning is hard. It doesn’t matter who you play. We know every week is going to be hard.”
For SMU coach Rhett Lashlee, he said he won’t get caught up in the streaks. A 20-win string in regular-season conference games – nine in the American Athletic Conference and 11 in the ACC – was the longest mark in the country.
“Twenty was incredible,” Lashlee said. “I’m not worried about that right now. I’m worried about the fact our locker room is hurt.”
The biggest snags for the Mustangs (5-3, 3-1 ACC) on Saturday came on offense. They managed 246 total yards punted nine times and committed three turnovers.
“Things happened and we got in a slump and we just couldn’t get out of it,” said quarterback Kevin Jennings, who entered the day with an ACC-leading 17 touchdown passes this season.
The Mustangs were coming off a 35-24 win at Clemson a week earlier.
“I just wasn’t able to find the right buttons to push,” Lashlee said. “They did a really good job of suffocating us all day.”
Lashlee said close games are expected.
“A lot of these games are going to come down to the end,” he said.
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