SMU Football improved to 3-0 and 11-0 all-time in ACC regular season play with a win over the reigning ACC champions, the Clemson Tigers, on Saturday, Oct. 18.
Less than one year removed from a heartbreaking 34-31 loss in the ACC Championship, the Mustangs claimed a 35-24 victory over the Tigers. Quarterback Kevin Jennings, who fought through an ankle injury all game, completed 23 of 43 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.
“I can’t say it enough— our quarterback is a stud,” Head Coach Rhett Lashlee said. “I think America kind of knows it, but for some reason, they’ve not wanted to act like it. He’s a stud, he’s as good as anybody out there.”
Jennings’ primary target was senior Jordan Hudson, who caught seven of 11 targets for 131 yards and a touchdown. Clemson backup quarterback Christopher Vizzina, filling in for the injured Cade Klubnik, threw for three touchdowns and 317 yards.
SMU’s greatest advantage was its running game, rushing for 139 yards compared to Clemson’s 35. Redshirt sophomore Chris Johnson Jr. rushed six times for 59 yards and a touchdown, and redshirt freshman Derrick McFall ran four times for 47 yards and a score of his own. Hudson said the running back room has continued to improve as the season progressed.
“With that running back room, there’s like five or six guys that can go,” Hudson said. “Ups to Chris and McFall for staying with us and staying through the trials and tribulations. What more can we ask from those guys, they’re doing what they’re supposed to do.”
Both teams started slowly, exchanging punts on their first drive of the game. Linebacker Brandon Miyazono forced an early fumble in the first quarter, batting the ball out of Vizzina’s hand. However, SMU failed to convert the turnover into points. Then, with 3:52 left in the first quarter, Jennings launched a 70-yard touchdown pass to Hudson, giving SMU a 7-0 lead.
Despite not scoring a touchdown the entire second quarter, the Mustangs extended their lead thanks to redshirt freshman Sam Keltner, who assumed the role of starting kicker after senior Collin Rogers missed three field goals in SMU’s loss against Baylor. Despite entering the game four of seven on field goal attempts, Keltner connected from 51 yards once and 48 yards twice in the second quarter alone, allowing SMU to take a 16-7 lead at half.
“That was big,” Miyazono said. “Just getting points on the board anytime you can is big. We all got confidence in Sam. I love Sam Keltner, he’s a dawg.”
Clemson claimed the first touchdown of the second half, scoring on a 62-yard touchdown pass to TJ Moore. SMU responded with a four-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, with Johnson Jr. and McFall both contributing runs of 30-plus yards. After a 17-play series, Clemson could only muster a short field goal to decrease its deficit to 23-17 at the end of the third quarter.
“I looked at Kev and said, ‘Hey, we’re good,’” Miyazono said. “He gave me the thumbs up, and I didn’t see his face, but I could tell there was a smile. Just knowing Kev, he’s so calm and collected, I’ll ride with that dude through anything.”
Jennings completed his second passing touchdown to tight end Matthew Hibner to start the fourth quarter, but threw an interception on a tipped pass the following drive. Clemson created a scoring drive out of the turnover, converting a fourth-and-20 try to make it a one-score possession.
SMU refused to buckle, taking possession with 6:44 left and mounting a 13-play drive that lasted nearly six minutes. Jennings completed a key 26-yard pass to Hudson on a third down before Johnson Jr. rushed up the middle to give SMU the 35-24 lead, ultimately sealing the win.
“That’s something we’ve been stressing this whole year, obviously, is finishing,” Jennings said. “Being able to finish a game, take over and finish the fourth quarter. We had that in the back of our minds going into that drive right there, and we were able to execute at a high level.”
Clemson entered the year as the favorite to win the ACC and as a strong contender for the National Championship. Even after starting the season 3-3, Clemson was still the betting favorite against SMU at -3.5. Despite going on the road as underdogs, Lashlee emphasized his team’s confidence in themselves entering the game.
“All we talked about all week was belief,” Lashlee said. “Just believe. Believe in yourself, believe in each other, the guys around you. Believe you’re the better team… I think the way our guys played they believed it.”
Now 2-3 in the ACC, the preseason No. 4 Clemson Tigers are all but eliminated from championship contention.
With the victory, SMU improved to 5-2 on the season and 3-0 in ACC play, extending the longest regular-season conference winning streak in the nation. With the University of Miami’s loss to Louisville on Friday, Oct. 17, SMU became just one of three unbeaten teams in ACC play.
SMU will return to the East Coast to face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday, Oct. 25.
