The SMU Mustangs football program appears to be back. On Saturday, the Mustangs secured an important road win in the Atlantic Coast Conference, holding off the Louisville Cardinals. Heading into the game, the Cardinals were ranked No. 22. With the victory, SMU squeezed into the rankings at the No. 25 spot.
SMU is 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the ACC. The Mustangs’ only loss came to the surprising, undefeated BYU Cougars who boast the No. 14 ranking.
Quarterback Preston Stone was the starting signal-caller for SMU at the beginning of this season. However, coach Rhett Lashlee made a switch in the BYU game, giving the nod to dual-threat QB Kevin Jennings. The move is paying dividends, as Jennings has shined. He’s completed 80 of his 120 pass attempts for 1,014 yards and six touchdowns while throwing only one interception. Additionally, he is the team’s second-leading rusher. In the big win over Louisville, Jennings threw for 281 yards and ran for 113, highlighted by a 59-yard touchdown dash.
Stone and Jennings are “great friends,” and Stone has been supportive of Jennings following the switch.
When Jennings took a hard hit in the Louisville game and had to sit out two plays, Stone ably stepped in and threw a touchdown pass.
For the season, SMU has averaged 40.83 points per game, while holding its opponents to 22.33 per game. Deploying a well-balanced offensive attack, the Mustangs have accumulated 1,388 yards on the ground and 1,360 through the air.
The team’s leading rusher is Brashard Smith, with 580 yards and seven touchdowns, and the leading receiver is star tight end RJ Maryland (son of former NFL defensive end Russell Maryland), who has 22 receptions for 304 yards and three TDs. Senior linebacker Kobe Wilson leads the way on the other side of the ball with 41 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble.
After a bye next weekend, the Mustangs travel to Palo Alto, California, to take on the 2-3 Stanford Cardinal. The Cardinal is coming off a 31-7 loss at the hands of the Virginia Tech Hokies.
