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5 thoughts from SMU-Houston Christian: Mustangs show poise in dominant win

After narrowly beating Nevada in Week 0, Preston Stone and the SMU offense looked a lot more crisp against Houston Christian.

UNIVERSITY PARK — SMU needed a statement win against a weak opponent before the toughest stretch of its season begins.

After narrowly beating Nevada in Week 0, the Mustangs (2-0) put on a dominant performance in their home opener against Houston Christian (1-0) in a 59-7 rout.

Here are five thoughts from SMU’s second win of the year:

Poised from the start

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SMU struggled to find a rhythm offensively until the fourth quarter of its first game of the year, but it put together a touchdown drive on its second series Saturday.

Preston Stone led that drive, which ended in a touchdown pass to Jordan Hudson, before SMU rattled off another 21 points in the first quarter to take a 28-0 lead after 15 minutes of play.

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The Mustangs scored on four consecutive offensive drives in the first half and added a defensive touchdown in between to build a 35-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Both Stone and Kevin Jennings looked calm leading the offense, while the SMU defense had three takeaways that turned into 21 points.

While Houston Christian is the easiest opponent the Mustangs will face all year, SMU showed its ability to capitalize on that advantage, unlike in its season-opening performance.

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SMU running back Brashard Smith (1) races down the sidelines on a 47-yard run during the...
SMU running back Brashard Smith (1) races down the sidelines on a 47-yard run during the first half of an NCAA football game against Houston Christian at Ford Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Dallas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

Brashard Smith continues to be a force

Brashard Smith was advertised as a special teams threat when he transferred from Miami this offseason, and he earned All-ACC preseason honors as a return specialist. But, after switching his offensive position from wide receiver to running back, his expectations in the offense weren’t as high.

However, Smith managed to distance himself in a competitive running back race to earn the starting job this week. It proved to be for good reason, as he recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of his career.

The senior finished with nine carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 12 yards per attempt. That included a 47-yard run in the first quarter, which set up SMU’s first touchdown of the game.

He didn’t play in the second half.

Smith split first-half carries primarily with LJ Johnson Jr., who had a solid eight carries for 50 yards and a long of 35, but Smith is quickly becoming SMU’s go-to in the run game.

True freshman Derrick McFall made his debut and scored a touchdown on his second career carry. He ended with a game-high 16 carries for SMU, finishing with 69 yards.

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Defense gets to shine

SMU’s defense was reliable in its Week 0 contest against Nevada but didn’t have many highlight-reel moments outside of Anthony Booker’s fourth-quarter safety.

Against HCU, Booker and the entire defense showed how powerful it can be.

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SMU held HCU to 157 total yards. The defensive line, which added a lot of talent through the transfer portal this offseason, had a standout game, allowing just 34 yards on the ground. In the season opener, it allowed Nevada’s dual-threat quarterback Brendon Lewis some space in the run game, but clogged that up this week.

Booker had the play of the day for the defense again when Jahfari Harvey notched a strip sack, which Booker recovered and returned for a touchdown. Ahmaad Moses and Kori Roberson Jr. also had interceptions that led to touchdowns.

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) spins away from Houston Christian safety Xavier Toliver...
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) spins away from Houston Christian safety Xavier Toliver (1) during the first half of an NCAA football game at Ford Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Dallas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

More action for Kevin Jennings

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee said he planned to play backup quarterback Kevin Jennings more this week after using him on just two drives in the season opener.

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Jennings doubled his playing time in the first half alone, seeing the field for four drives, while Stone played for four as well.

Both quarterbacks had bright moments in Saturday’s outing, but Jennings was a force in the run game.

The sophomore went 10-for-14 passing for 148 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 54 yards and a score on five attempts. He has now led SMU to touchdowns on five of his seven drives this season.

Stone went 6-for-9 passing for 78 yards and two touchdowns. After going three-and-out on the opening drive, he looked poised for the remainder of his appearances and led three touchdown drives.

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Both quarterbacks played just one drive in the second half.

Third-string quarterback Keldric Luster even saw the field, unsuccessfully attempting a two-point conversion on the first drive before returning in the fourth quarter. He did not attempt a pass but rushed six times for 37 yards and ultimately helped set up a 23-yard field goal.

Competition ramps up from here

While SMU still has two games remaining before ACC play begins, in some regards, it feels like the preseason ended Saturday night.

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The remaining 10 games on SMU’s schedule are all against power conference teams, starting with BYU on Friday night at the end of a short week.

The Mustangs will look to carry some momentum from this week’s dominant win into its next three home games, against BYU, TCU and Florida State.

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