The No. 20 Mustangs dominated against the No. 18 Panthers in front of a sold out crowd, the second straight sellout in Ford Stadium after FSU. SMU was favored against Pitt by 7.5 points but far surpassed those expectations, beating the Pitt Panthers 48-25, ending their 7-0 record.
Last week’s nail-biter win against Duke sparked worry after quarterback Kevin Jenning took a hit to the knee. Jennings, however, did not let anything stop him as he held 197.2 QBR in just the second quarter. Even former Alabama head coach, Nick Saban, commented on Jennings’ impressive track record ahead of kickoff.
“I think they are [Pitt] going to get challenged today because SMU’s quarterback, Kevin Jennings, may be the most underrated player in the country,” Saban said. “This guy leads the ACC in passing efficiency.”
After the coin toss by SMU alum and 2-time U.S. Open golf champion, Bryson DeChambeau, the Mustangs got off to an early start. Running back LJ Johnson Jr. scored a touchdown at the 12 minute mark in the first quarter.
Late in the first half, cornerback AJ Davis was escorted off the field in an ambulance after an injury to the neck. Medical teams transported Davis to Baylor Hospital. By the end of the game, Lashlee knew of Davis’ medical status.
“Our medical staff did a good job keeping him calm,” Lashlee said. “In the fourth quarter, they told me all the scans and everything they did at the hospital all came back negative in a good way.”
At halftime, the Mustangs led 31-3. They kept their lead in the second half with long pass plays including Jennings’ 80-yard touchdown pass to tight end Matthew Hibner in the fourth quarter. These long passes have been a staple in Jennings’ playbook as he’s thrown touchdown passes of at least 80 yards in three straight games.
The team’s performance improves every game, placing them in a better position in the conference to make the playoffs. The Mustangs are now 5-0 in ACC play, proving SMU is a worthy conference opponent.
“We belong at this level,” Lashlee said.
After being on the road for the past three games, playing at Ford Stadium was a welcomed confidence boost. Players recognized they needed to focus on their primary goals in this game to keep their winning momentum.
“We just had to get to the main things, just not worrying about the outside factors,” linebacker Ahmad Walker said.
After a bye week, Boston College arrives in Dallas to face off against SMU on Nov. 16.
