UNIVERSITY PARK — SMU came into Saturday’s rivalry game against TCU looking for some energy from its offensive line.
That’s why head coach Rhett Lashlee decided during last week’s bye week to start Kevin Jennings at quarterback rather than Preston Stone, who started the first three games of the year.
But the offense had to do the same against by far the best defense they’ve faced this year.
SMU’s defense has rescued the offense on multiple occasions over the past two seasons, but perhaps its biggest contribution was how it started the game on Saturday: In the 66-42 win, both the defense and special teams gave SMU a comfortable 17-0 lead, taking some of the early pressure off the offense and allowing Jennings and his team to settle in early in their highest scoring game of the year.
“We scored three non-offensive touchdowns, we got the ball to the one point and we scored 28 points as a team,” Lashley said after the game. “That’s how you score 66 points against a good football team.”
Saturday’s game marked the first time since 2012 that SMU scored three non-offensive touchdowns in a game, including SMU’s first two touchdowns of the night.
On TCU’s opening drive, linebacker Ahmad Walker induced a fumble on a fourth-and-inch try by quarterback Josh Huber, and cornerback Brandon Crossley returned it 49 yards for a touchdown.
After three consecutive attempts were blocked, Roderick Daniels Jr. received an SMU punt and returned it 69 yards for his second touchdown of the game.
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At that point, less than 10 minutes into the game, SMU led 17-0.
“The guys were just ready to play, and you could tell right away,” Lashley said. “It took a lot of pressure off.”
The Mustangs offense got off to their best start of the season, moving the ball 41 yards on their opening drive before setting up a 51-yard field goal by Collin Rogers, marking the first time this season that SMU had gained a first down and scored on their opening drive.
This set the stage for SMU’s success on the day, as they racked up 375 yards of offense, including 238 on the ground, but even after settling for a field goal on their opening drive, SMU’s other two phases ensured the offense never trailed throughout the game.
The Mustangs eventually added a second defensive touchdown late in the first half when Ahmad Moses intercepted a pass from TCU quarterback Josh Huber and returned it 60 yards for a score. Moses had his second interception later in the game, Huber’s first of the season.
The defense nearly added a third point in the third quarter when Elijah Roberts forced a Hoover fumble, which Jafari Harvey recovered and returned to TCU’s 1-yard line.
Huber was involved in all five of TCU’s turnovers, throwing two interceptions, two fumbles and a lateral pass fumbled by Cam Cook in the second half. The turnover battle was won by SMU, 5-1.
Special teams also nearly produced a second touchdown, as running back Brashard Smith returned a kickoff 99 yards but was ruled out of bounds at the 40-yard line.
The defense allowed a season-high 42 points and 480 yards of offense, but the big plays were enough to derail TCU’s momentum. The defense has allowed 23 points off 11 turnovers this season.
SMU only needed one game against a skilled opponent for its offense to show its personality, as Jennings led four touchdown drives, two of which ended with passing touchdowns to Smith and Jordan Hudson. This came after nearly six quarters of no offensive touchdowns.
Jennings attempted just 19 passes in the game, but it was enough as the Mustangs played to their strengths in both the run game and defense to earn a confidence-boosting win before conference play begins.
“That’s what motivates us,” Smith said. “I think that’s what it’s all about. We’re a team where everyone relies on each other.”
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