SMU entered the season as a popular dark-horse pick in the ACC title picture, riding the momentum from an 11-win season in 2023 with an offense that has thrived under the direction of coach Rhett Lashlee. Then, just a couple of weeks into the season, there was seemingly a fire sale on SMU stock as the offense cratered in a 18-15 home loss to BYU. But after a quarterback change and three impressive wins in a row, we're right back to where we started, eyeing SMU's chances to make some history with a run at the ACC title in the Mustangs' first season as a league member.
Now 5-1 overall and 2-0 in ACC play after a 34-27 win at No. 22 Louisville, SMU is making a statement. When SMU won the coin toss, Lashlee did not defer to the second half, but instead wanted to get his offense on the field as soon as possible. The Mustangs clearly believed in their game plan and wanted to throw the first punch in this battle between ACC title hopefuls.
What followed was haymaker after haymaker. SMU scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions and built out a double-digit halftime lead. Quarterback Kevin Jennings, who was named the team's new starter after the BYU loss, completed 21 of 27 passes for 281 yards while adding 113 yards rushing, 59 of those coming on a long touchdown run late in the second quarter.
The use of tempo and the versatility of Jennings allowed the Mustangs to keep Louisville's dangerous pass rush from being a factor in the game (zero sacks). And now that the new-look offense has been been this successful against three straight power-conference opponents, it's impossible to look at SMU as the same team that got off to a slow start against Nevada and struggled to get in the end zone against BYU.
This is a team that's put up 142 points combined against TCU, Florida State and Louisville. The first two opponents might not be the best measuring stick for conference title contention, but being able to strike first and hold on for a win on the road against the Cardinals speaks to the strength of this team heading into the second half of the season.
When SMU returns to action on Oct. 19 at Stanford, the Mustangs will begin a run of six straight games in which they are likely to be favored. That's not to say that the matchups are not difficult -- teams like Duke and Pitt are also off to strong starts this season -- but SMU is staring down a second-half schedule with the expectation of winning every game. If they do, or come close, then SMU is going to be right there with Miami and Clemson competing for one of the two spots in the ACC Championship Game. Saturday's win against Louisville was also not just a statement to the rest of the league, but big for tiebreaker purposes as well; the Cards could also be right there in the mix at the top of the standings at the end of the year.
Handling those kind of expectations will test the foundation of any locker room, so Saturday was also a reflection of what kind of culture Lashlee has established in Dallas. Jennings replaced Preston Stone, a 3,000-yard passer in 2023 who missed the end of the season due to injuries but was projected to be among the top quarterbacks in the ACC. So when he, and the offense, struggled early in the season, it was a surprise and an obvious disappointment for the returning starter.
But since getting replaced as QB1, Stone has not let that disappointment prevent him from continuing to help Jennings and the team be successful. It's become evident now why the team voted both Jennings and Stone to be among the team captains in 2024: when Jennings had to leave the field briefly after getting shaken up, Stone delivered a dime of a touchdown strike on his first pass.
"Who has someone like Preston Stone step in during that situation? We do," Lashlee, visibly emotional, told reporters after the game. Seeing a veteran come in cold, identify the defensive coverage and check into a fade route for the 10-yard touchdown toss was "pretty cool," the coach added. After seeing Jennings leave the game and then an offensive penalty for a false start, Stone's touchdown fired up the sideline and clearly had an impact on his coach.
This was an SMU team that many were ready to write all the way out of the ACC title conversation in mid-September, and yet the Mustangs have emerged through arguably their toughest stretch of the schedule very much in the mix for a conference title. Given the resiliency we've seen from this team in the first half of the season, it's easy to imagine how this group that Lashlee has assembled for a historic season is prepared to make it memorable with a run at the title in their new conference.