2024 SMU Mustangs football team explained
The 2024 SMU Mustangs football team represents Southern Methodist University (SMU) in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs are led by Rhett Lashlee in his third year as the program's head coach. The Mustangs play their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas.
The 2024 season is SMU's first in the ACC since moving from the American Athletic Conference. On November 23, the Mustangs clinched a berth in the ACC Championship Game with a 33–7 win over Virginia, becoming the first team transitioning to a power conference to reach a conference championship game in the National Championship Game era.[1]
Offseason
Transfers
Incoming
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Hometown | Prev. school |
|---|
| Tarian Lee Jr. | LB | 6'2 | 240 | | Georgia Southern |
| Brock O'Quinn | LS | 6'1 | 210 | | Alabama |
| OT | 6'6 | 304 | | Arkansas |
| Paris Patterson Jr. | IOL | 6'6 | 352 | | Arkansas |
| Billy Walton III | EDGE | 6'3 | 229 | | Texas |
| Jaden Milliner-Jones | S | 5'11 | 198 | | Colorado |
| Jared Harrison-Hunte | DL | 6'4 | 285 | | Miami (FL) |
| Qae'Shon Sapp | IOL | 6'4 | 318 | | East Carolina |
| Matthew Hibner | TE | 6'5 | 254 | | Michigan |
| Blake Burris | DL | 6'5 | 300 | | Texas Tech |
| WR | 5'10 | 194 | | Miami (FL) |
| Anthony Booker Jr. | DL | 6'4 | 351 | | Arkansas |
| Deuce Harmon | CB | 5'10 | 191 | | Texas A&M |
| Ashton Cozart | WR | 6'3 | 195 | | Oregon |
| Justin Medlock | LB | 6'0 | 220 | | Utah |
| Omari Abor | EDGE | 6'3 | 258 | | Ohio State |
| Savion Byrd | OT | 6'5 | 296 | Duncanville, TX | Oklahoma |
| Nate Anderson | IOL | 6'4 | 309 | | Oklahoma |
| Mike Lockhart | DL | 6'3 | 308 | | West Virginia |
| Jahfari Harvey | EDGE | 6'4 | 252 | | Miami (FL) |
| Jonathan Jefferson | DL | 6'3 | 295 | | Georgia | |
Recruiting
|}[2] [3] [4]
Preseason
ACC media poll
The Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll was released on July 31. The Mustangs were predicted to finish seventh in the conference.[5]
| Media poll |
| 1 | Florida State | 2,708 (81) |
| 2 | Clemson | 2,657 (55) |
| 3 | Miami | 2,344 (17) |
| 4 | NC State | 2,318 (8) |
| 5 | Louisville | 1,984 |
| 6 | Virginia Tech | 1,968 (5) |
| 7 | SMU | 1,798 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 1,712 |
| 9 | Georgia Tech | 1,539 (1) |
| 10 | California | 1,095 (2) |
| 11 | Duke | 1,056 |
| 12 | Syracuse | 1,035 |
| 13 | Pittsburgh | 1,016 |
| 14 | Boston College | 890 (1) |
| 15 | Wake Forest | 784 |
| 16 | Virginia | 629 |
| 17 | Stanford | 477 | |
Schedule
[6]
Game summaries
At Nevada
See also: 2024 Nevada Wolf Pack football team.
| Statistics | SMU | NEV |
|---|
| First downs | 21 | 16 |
| Total yards | 408 | 298 |
| Rushing yards | 100 | 148 |
| Passing yards | 308 | 150 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 23:43 | 36:17 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| SMU | Passing | | 17/30, 254 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | | 11 rushes, 67 yards, TD |
| Receiving | | 8 receptions, 162 yards, TD |
| Nevada | Passing | | 14/26, 132 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Brendon Lewis | 18 rushes, 77 yards |
| Receiving | Cortez Braham Jr. | 4 receptions, 66 yards, TD | |
Houston Christian
See also: 2024 Houston Christian Huskies football team.
| Statistics | HCU | SMU |
|---|
| First downs | 10 | 28 |
| Total yards | 157 | 595 |
| Rushing yards | 34 | 369 |
| Passing yards | 123 | 226 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 24:56 | 35:04 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| Houston Christian | Passing | Cutter Stewart | 10/25, 118 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Champ Dozier | 7 rushes, 22 yards |
| Receiving | Ismael Fuller | 2 receptions, 38 yards |
| SMU | Passing | | 10/14, 148 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 9 rushes, 108 yards, 2 TD |
| Receiving | Jake Bailey | 4 receptions, 59 yards, TD | |
SMU handily defeated HCU, a team in the
Football Championship Subdivision, 59–7 in the team's home opener. This was the first game played in
Gerald J. Ford Stadium following the completion of the Garry Weber Endzone Complex.
[7] BYU
See also: 2024 BYU Cougars football team.
| Statistics | BYU | SMU |
|---|
| First downs | 16 | 18 |
| Total yards | 336 | 261 |
| Rushing yards | 134 | 117 |
| Passing yards | 202 | 144 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 30:53 | 29:07 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| BYU | Passing | | 15/28, 202 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Miles Davis | 3 rushes, 37 yards |
| Receiving | Darius Lassiter | 2 receptions, 62 yards |
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 15/32, 140 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 14 rushes, 75 yards |
| Receiving | Key'Shawn Smith | 4 receptions, 46 yards | |
SMU lost to BYU 18–15 in a defense-heavy game.
Preston Stone started as
quarterback for SMU, but was replaced by backup Kevin Jennings three drives into the game. Neither quarterback led the team to a touchdown, with
placekicker Collin Rogers instead kicking 5
field goals to score all 15 of the team's points, setting a school record for most field goals in a single game in the process.
[8] TCU
See also: 2024 TCU Horned Frogs football team.
| Statistics | TCU | SMU |
|---|
| First downs | 24 | 23 |
| Total yards | 480 | 375 |
| Rushing yards | 65 | 238 |
| Passing yards | 415 | 137 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 32:20 | 27:40 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| TCU | Passing | | 28/43, 396 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Cam Cook | 14 rushes, 24 yards, TD |
| Receiving | | 8 receptions, 166 yards, 2 TD |
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 14/19, 137 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 18 rushes, 127 yards, 3 TD |
| Receiving | Romello Brinson | 1 reception, 51 yards | |
SMU defeated TCU 66–42 to win back the
Iron Skillet. Prior to the game, Kevin Jennings took over the role as starting
quarterback from
Preston Stone.
[9] The team capitalized on a strong defense, which forced five turnovers, two of which were immediately returned for
touchdowns. The team additionally scored a touchdown on a
punt return.
[10] At the beginning of the second half, TCU
head coach Sonny Dykes, who was SMU's head coach from
2018–
2021, was ejected from the stadium after receiving two consecutive
penalties for
unsportsmanlike conduct. Dykes had been arguing with officials over a holding penalty that resulted in a
kickoff return touchdown being called back. Dykes was the first head coach of a team in a
power conference to be disqualified from a game for this reason since the rule was established in 2016.
[11] Florida State
See also: 2024 Florida State Seminoles football team.
| Statistics | FSU | SMU |
|---|
| First downs | 13 | 23 |
| Total yards | 295 | 480 |
| Rushing yards | 73 | 226 |
| Passing yards | 222 | 254 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 24:19 | 35:41 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| Florida State | Passing | | 12/30, 222 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Lawrence Toafili | 15 rushes, 67 yards |
| Receiving | Jakhi Douglas | 2 receptions, 61 yards |
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 16/23, 254 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 17 rushes, 129 yards, TD |
| Receiving | Jake Bailey | 2 receptions, 65 yards | |
At No. 22 Louisville
See also: 2024 Louisville Cardinals football team.
| Statistics | SMU | LOU |
|---|
| First downs | 26 | 21 |
| Total yards | 481 | 461 |
| Rushing yards | 190 | 132 |
| Passing yards | 291 | 329 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 25:37 | 34:23 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 21/27, 281 yards |
| Rushing | Kevin Jennings | 10 rushes, 113 yards, TD |
| Receiving | R. J. Maryland | 6 receptions, 83 yards |
| Louisville | Passing | | 22/35, 329 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | | 10 rushes, 117 yards |
| Receiving | | 3 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD | |
SMU defeated Louisville 34–27, their first win against a
ranked opponent for the season.
Quarterback Kevin Jennings became the first SMU player to pass for over 200 yards and rush for over 100 yards in a game since 2014, including a 59-yard
touchdown run. Jennings sustained a minor injury during a drive in the first quarter, forcing backup quarterback
Preston Stone to finish the drive, but Jennings returned to the field shortly after. The team took an 11-point lead entering halftime, but Louisville came back to tie the game during the third quarter. SMU's defense prevented Louisville from scoring during the fourth quarter, enabling SMU to take the victory with one final touchdown and an interception by safety Isaiah Nwokobia.
[12] Many observers saw SMU's victory as placing them in contention for a spot in the ACC Championship.
[13] At Stanford
See also: 2024 Stanford Cardinal football team.
| Statistics | SMU | STAN |
|---|
| First downs | 22 | 15 |
| Total yards | 501 | 206 |
| Rushing yards | 179 | 33 |
| Passing yards | 322 | 173 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 27:15 | 32:45 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 17/27, 322 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 8 rushes, 67 yards |
| Receiving | Moochie Dixon | 1 reception, 87 yards, TD |
| Stanford | Passing | Elijah Brown | 16/32, 153 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Micah Ford | 13 rushes, 31 yards |
| Receiving | Sam Roush | 6 receptions, 75 yards | |
SMU defeated Stanford 40–10, but star
tight end R. J. Maryland was injured after being tackled at the knees during the game. The injury removes Maryland from play for the remainder of the season.
[14] At Duke
See also: 2024 Duke Blue Devils football team.
| Statistics | SMU | DUKE |
|---|
| First downs | 23 | 24 |
| Total yards | 469 | 393 |
| Rushing yards | 211 | 98 |
| Passing yards | 258 | 295 |
| Turnovers | 6 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 27:28 | 32:32 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 13/24, 258 yards, TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 26 rushes, 117 yards, 2 TD |
| Receiving | Roderick Daniels Jr. | 2 receptions, 153 yards, TD |
| Duke | Passing | | 27/48, 295 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Star Thomas | 17 rushes, 65 yards, TD |
| Receiving | Eli Pancol | 11 receptions, 138 yards, TD | |
SMU narrowly defeated Duke in
overtime after Duke failed a
two-point conversion attempt.
Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw three
interceptions and turned the ball over on two
fumbles. Overall, the Mustangs turned the ball over six times, while Duke did not turn the ball over a single time. Despite this, Duke never scored off of any turnover. SMU became one of only two teams in the twenty first century to win despite committing at least six more turnovers than their opponent.
[15] Duke
kicker Todd Pelino missed an
extra point in the third quarter, although the team made up the points with a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Pelino missed one
field goal during the fourth quarter that would have given Duke the lead, while SMU
defensive end Jahfari Harvey blocked another field goal as time expired, sending the game to overtime.
[16] No. 18 Pittsburgh
See also: 2024 Pittsburgh Panthers football team.
| Statistics | PITT | SMU |
|---|
| First downs | 30 | 19 |
| Total yards | 453 | 467 |
| Rushing yards | 103 | 161 |
| Passing yards | 350 | 306 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 31:44 | 28:16 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| Pittsburgh | Passing | | 29/47, 248 yards, INT |
| Rushing | | 13 rushes, 49 yards, TD |
| Receiving | | 8 receptions, 81 yards, TD |
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 17/25, 306 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 23 rushes, 161 yards, 2 TD |
| Receiving | Matthew Hibner | 3 receptions, 108 yards, TD | |
SMU handily defeated Pitt 48–25, giving the team their first loss of the season.
[17] Following their victory, SMU was ranked number 13 in the country by the
Associated Press, the highest such rating the team had received since
1985.
[18] A concurrent loss by
Clemson left SMU and
Miami as the only remaining undefeated teams in ACC conference play, clearing SMU's potential path to the
ACC Championship Game and the
College Football Playoff. SMU's 5–0 start in conference play made them the best performing former
Group of Five team in their first year in a
Power conference.
[19] Boston College
See also: 2024 Boston College Eagles football team.
| Statistics | BC | SMU |
|---|
| First downs | 23 | 25 |
| Total yards | 417 | 438 |
| Rushing yards | 180 | 140 |
| Passing yards | 237 | 298 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 35:09 | 24:51 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| Boston College | Passing | | 18/32, 237 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Kye Robichaux | 21 rushes, 90 yards, 2 TD |
| Receiving | Reed Harris | 4 receptions, 78 yards |
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 24/35, 298 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 18 rushes, 120 yards, TD |
| Receiving | Jordan Hudson | 7 receptions, 99 yards, TD | |
SMU defeated Boston College 38–28 in a rematch of the
2023 Fenway Bowl. Though SMU led for most of the game, their defense faltered after the first quarter, allowing Boston College to briefly take the lead at the start of the second half. Though SMU took back the lead on the next drive, Boston College played the game close enough to have a chance to make a comeback late in the fourth quarter. However, SMU's defense had regained its footing by this point,
sacking quarterback Grayson James on back to back plays to force a
turnover on downs, setting SMU up for a game-sealing
touchdown.
[20] [21] [22] At Virginia
See also: 2024 Virginia Cavaliers football team.
| Statistics | SMU | UVA |
|---|
| First downs | 20 | 14 |
| Total yards | 434 | 173 |
| Rushing yards | 111 | 65 |
| Passing yards | 323 | 108 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 28:25 | 31:35 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 25/33, 323 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 19 rushes, 63 yards, TD |
| Receiving | Moochie Dixon | 4 receptions, 89 yards |
| Virginia | Passing | | 18/27, 108 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Noah Vaughn | 10 rushes, 44 yards |
| Receiving | | 4 receptions, 42 yards, TD | |
SMU defeated Virginia by a wide margin, 33–7, clinching a spot in the
ACC Championship Game. SMU's defense nearly forced a
shutout,
sacking Virginia
quarterback Anthony Colandrea nine times, but Colandrea threw one
touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
[23] This game would have been a rematch of the 2021 Fenway Bowl, but the latter game had been canceled due to issues related to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
[24] Due to the large number of
upset defeats of other highly-ranked teams this week, SMU moved up to number nine in the
College Football Playoff poll, raising the possibility of the team making the playoffs as an at-large team even if they lose the conference championship.
[25] California
See also: 2024 California Golden Bears football team.
| Statistics | CAL | SMU |
|---|
| First downs | 16 | 20 |
| Total yards | 254 | 415 |
| Rushing yards | 95 | 115 |
| Passing yards | 159 | 300 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 31:17 | 28:43 |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| California | Passing | | 8/15, 84 yards |
| Rushing | | 13 rushes, 37 yards |
| Receiving | Nyziah Hunter | 5 receptions, 85 yards |
| SMU | Passing | Kevin Jennings | 20/30, 225 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Brashard Smith | 16 rushes, 68 yards, TD |
| Receiving | Brashard Smith | 3 receptions, 66 yards, TD | |
Vs. No. 17 Clemson (ACC Championship Game)
See also: 2024 Clemson Tigers football team and 2024 ACC Championship Game.
| Statistics | CLEM | SMU |
|---|
| First downs | | |
| Total yards | | |
| Rushing yards | | |
| Passing yards | | |
| Turnovers | | |
| Time of possession | | |
|
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|
| Clemson | Passing | | |
| Rushing | | |
| Receiving | | |
| SMU | Passing | | |
| Rushing | | |
| Receiving | | | |
Notes and References
- Web site: . Jeyarajah . Shehan . 2024 ACC Championship Game: SMU clinches historic berth in first season as power conference program . November 23, 2024 . November 23, 2024.
- Web site: . SMU 2024 Football Commits . August 24, 2024.
- Web site: . 2024 SMU Mustangs Football Commitment List . August 24, 2024.
- Web site: . SMU Mustangs 2024 Football Player Commits . August 24, 2024.
- Web site: Florida State Favored to Repeat in 2024 ACC Football Preseason Poll . July 31, 2024 . August 3, 2024.
- Web site: 2024 SMU Football Schedule . FBSchedules.com . 6 January 2024.
- Web site: Baden . Abigail . Yaffe . Kaitlyn . Rosado . Anthony . September 1, 2024 . SMU bests HCU in a blowout victory at home, 59-7 . 2024-10-08 . The Daily Campus.
- Web site: Hawkins . Stephen . 2024-09-07 . BYU beats SMU 18-15 to end high-scoring ACC newcomer Mustangs' 9-game win streak at home . 2024-10-08 . AP News . en.
- Web site: Assimakopoulos . Lia . 2024-09-17 . SMU confident in ‘fearless’ Kevin Jennings ahead of first start vs. TCU . 2024-09-22 . Dallas News . en.
- Web site: Johnston . Steven . September 21, 2024 . Debacle in Dallas: How the Horned Frogs were blown out by SMU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet . September 22, 2024 . Fort Worth Star Telegram.
- Web site: Olson . Max . 2024-09-22 . TCU's Dykes ejected in Frogs' 66-42 loss to SMU . 2024-09-22 . ESPN.com . en.
- Web site: Assimakopoulos . Lia . 2024-10-05 . 5 thoughts from SMU-Louisville: Kevin Jennings leads Mustangs in upset. AP top 25 next? . 2024-10-08 . Dallas News . en.
- Web site: Patterson . Chip . October 5, 2024 . Resilient SMU outlasts Louisville to emerge as ACC championship dark horse Mustangs expected to be all along . October 8, 2024 . CBS Sports.
- Web site: Adelson . Andrea . 2024-10-22 . SMU TE Maryland (knee) out remainder of season . 2024-10-24 . ESPN.com . en.
- Web site: Northam . Mitchell . 2024-10-27 . No. 22 SMU beats Duke 28-27 in overtime after Blue Devils fail to convert winning 2-point conversion . 2024-10-27 . AP News . en.
- Web site: Assimakopoulos . Lia . 2024-10-27 . 5 thoughts from SMU-Duke: Mustangs escape with unlikely OT win, set up pivotal ACC matchup . 2024-10-27 . Dallas News . en.
- Web site: Hawkins . Stephen . 2024-11-03 . Smith, No. 20 SMU overwhelm previously undefeated No. 18 Pitt 48-25 . 2024-11-15 . NBC Sports . en-US.
- Web site: 2024-11-03 . AP college football poll (Nov. 3): SMU receives highest ranking since 1985; Texas in top 5 . 2024-11-15 . Dallas News . en.
- Web site: Fischer . Bryan . 2024-11-03 . SMU Back in National Spotlight and Has Control of College Football Playoff Destiny . 2024-11-15 . SI . en-US.
- Web site: Hawkins . Stephen . 2024-11-17 . No. 14 SMU moves closer to ACC title game by beating Boston College 38-28 for 7th win in a row . 2024-11-22 . AP News . en.
- Web site: Cowlishaw . Tim . 2024-11-17 . SMU is one win away from ACC title berth. How did it happen so quickly for the Mustangs? . 2024-11-22 . Dallas News . en.
- Web site: Assimakopoulos . Lia . 2024-11-17 . As pressure builds, task ahead for Rhett Lashlee, SMU Mustangs is simple: Win and get in . 2024-11-22 . Dallas News . en.
- Web site: Whyno . Stephen . 2024-11-23 . Jennings has 3 TDs as No. 13 SMU routs Virginia 33-7 to clinch a spot in the ACC title game . 2024-11-30 . AP News . en.
- Web site: Adelson . Andrea . December 26, 2021 . Military, Fenway Bowls Canceled Because of COVID-19 Issues . December 26, 2021 . ESPN.
- Web site: Nivison . Austin . 2024-11-27 . Miami, SMU rise in CFP Rankings; UConn stumbles again; Dodgers acquire Blake Snell . 2024-11-30 . CBSSports.com . en.
