SMU defeated No. 17 Arizona 24-19 in the Trust and Will Holiday Bowl on Friday, Jan. 2, marking its first bowl game win since the Mustangs defeated Fresno State in the 2012 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
The Mustangs stampeded to a quick 24-0 lead in the first half, storming down the field for multiple long drives. SMU looked utterly dominant, outgaining Arizona by over 200 yards in the first two quarters.
“We couldn’t have played much better in the first half,” Head Coach Rhett Lashlee said. “Nobody’s done that to [Arizona’s] defense all year.”
Despite not scoring in the second half, and quarterback Kevin Jennings’ first multi-interception game since Sept. 20, the Mustangs prevented a potential Arizona comeback. The defense, which lacked star safety Isaiah Nwokobia due to injury, was led by Ahmaad Moses, who tallied 13 tackles.
On just the second play of the game, SMU ran a reverse flea-flicker trick play that resulted in a 80-yard gain by tight end Matthew Hibner. On the next snap, Jennings handed the ball off to TJ Harden for a touchdown. Jennings said the offense had practiced the trick play “over 100 times” over the course of the season.
“Since I’ve been here, we’ve repped it so many times,” Jennings said. “We don’t run it much, but when it’s time to run that play we execute it at a high level.”
Later in the first quarter Harden scored his second rushing touchdown, and ninth of the season. The SMU offense put together three drives of 80+ yards, whereas the Wildcats only gained 76 total yards.
Stone Eby, the senior tight end, added to the Mustang lead in the second quarter with a rushing touchdown of his own. After a 15-play, 93-yard drive, Jennings gave the ball to Eby, who pushed his way to the endzone for a one-yard touchdown and a 21-0 SMU lead.
Arizona had a chance to score before the second half, driving all the way to the SMU 35-yard line. However, freshman Tyren Polley Jr. broke up a fourth-and-two pass by Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita to force a turnover on downs.
Before the half, the Mustangs drove down the field once again, allowing Sam Keltner to kick a 24-yard field goal and enter the third quarter up 24-0.
Arizona and SMU flipped momentum coming out of halftime, as SMU gained a mere nine yards and Jennings threw back-to-back interceptions in the third quarter. For Arizona, Fifita found wide receiver Javin Whatley in the end zone to cap a 96-yard drive, but the Wildcats failed to convert the two-point conversion.
The SMU defense forced another turnover on downs to end the third quarter, but the offense went three-and-out and punted. The ensuing drive led to another Arizona touchdown, this time on a fourth-and-two pass to sophomore Tre Spivey. Once again, Arizona couldn’t score on the two-point conversion, which gave SMU a 24-12 lead with 8:40 remaining.
“Our defense kept playing really well, forcing some turnovers and getting more fourth down stops,” Lashlee said. “We’ve had a couple of [games] this year that we let get away, these guys found a way to not let it get away.”
Jennings completed a 21-yard pass to Yamir Knight, who won Offensive MVP for the game, for SMU’s first first down of the half on the following drive. Despite the momentum, he eventually threw his third interception of the game to Arizona linebacker Riley Wilson.
Jennings praised his teammates for staying supportive and keeping SMU in the game despite his struggles.
“In the second half, the team had my back no matter what,” Jennings said. “They finished the game off for me. I’m super proud of these guys.”
SMU’s defense responded, forcing an interception of its own. Junior linebacker Alexander Kilgore, one of SMU’s leading tacklers in 2025 despite early-season injuries, snagged his second pick of the season and his first since the season opener on Aug. 30.
“Anytime the offense is sluggish, the defense picks up. Anytime the defense is sluggish, the offense picks us up,” Moses said.
Though Arizona would eventually drive down the field for a third and final touchdown, the Wildcats ran out of time to complete the comeback. Fifita, despite losing, outdueled Jennings, throwing three touchdowns and one interception with 263 passing yards. In comparison, Jennings went 21-32 with 278 passing yards and three interceptions.
For the first time in 13 years, SMU won a postseason bowl game. Lashlee, who received an honorary eggnog bath following the win, said it was a relief to end the drought.
“That’s the one thing this group hasn’t done,” Lashlee said. “We hadn’t won a bowl game, we hadn’t finished the season with a win. To get to do it here in San Diego at a bowl as prestigious as the Holiday Bowl… it’s a great way to end the season.”
The win was bittersweet for SMU, who will say goodbye to 30 seniors and multiple players entering the transfer portal. Coach Lashlee remained optimistic, excited for SMU’s returners and its incoming freshman class.
“Yes, we’re losing some great players, and we’re going to have to have some guys step up, but we’ve got a lot of talented guys returning too,” Lashlee said. “It’s never been a better time to come to SMU.”
