Kevin Jennings made strong statements about himself and SMU, and his performance proved them true as he led the Mustangs to a big win against No. 22 Louisville.
Jennings set career highs in passing and rushing, while Isaiah Nwokobia intercepted a pass in the end zone with 2:23 remaining to secure the victory. SMU overcame a double-digit lead loss to win 34-27 on Saturday.
The Mustangs (5-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) never fell behind and achieved another important win as a new member of the ACC, although their 24-13 halftime lead turned into a 27-all tie entering the fourth quarter.
“We showed today this is what we can do in the ACC,” said Jennings, who threw for 281 yards and rushed for 113. “Hopefully, we can continue and get a championship.”
Regarding his own skills, the sophomore quarterback said, “I go into every game thinking I’m the best runner out there, and they can’t stop me.”
The Cardinals (3-2, 1-1) fought back with a touchdown from Ja’Corey Brooks on an 86-yard catch-and-run and a 1-yard touchdown run by Donald Chaney in the third quarter.
After missing a field goal in the third quarter and punting on their first drive in the fourth, SMU took over at their own 11-yard line.
They drove down the field for the winning score with help from several Louisville penalties and a video review that overturned a fumble by Brashard Smith, which Louisville had recovered at the 5-yard line. This gave SMU the ball back at the 13, and penalties for pass interference and offsides moved the ball to the 1-yard line.
LJ Johnson scored the touchdown with 6:39 left in the game.
The Cardinals managed to get into SMU territory, but Tyler Shough was sacked for a 9-yard loss. He then threw a fourth-down pass into traffic that Nwokobia intercepted, sealing SMU’s third straight win. This victory put SMU in the running for the ACC lead alongside Virginia and No. 15 Clemson.
“It’s really hard to win on the road in conference against a ranked, really good football team,” said SMU coach Rhett Lashlee. “We wanted a fast start and I’m proud of these guys for what they did.”
Jennings completed his first 13 passes and ended the game with 21 completions on 27 attempts. He ran the ball 10 times, including a 59-yard touchdown run.
