DURHAM, N.C. — When you lose the turnover battle 6-0, it’s hard to win football games.
Before Saturday night, many may have even considered it impossible.
But SMU conquered that unlikely feat Saturday night, as the No. 22 Mustangs (7-1, 4-0) took down Duke (6-2, 2-2) 28-27 in overtime.
Despite the sloppiest performance SMU has had all season — and quarterback Kevin Jennings turning the ball over five total times — SMU’s defense came up clutch, blocking a game-winning field goal attempt by Duke with three seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, after each team scored a touchdown, the SMU defense made one final stand when Duke went for two to win the game, securing the one-point victory.
With the win, SMU has now won five straight, four straight in conference play and nine straight on the road.
Here are five thoughts from the win.
MUSTANGS SURVIVE IN OT! 😱😱😱
— SportsDayDFW (@SportsDayDFW) October 27, 2024
(Via @SMUFB)pic.twitter.com/c88rSJePVT
Road warriors end October in stunning fashion
The Mustangs’ schedule hasn’t done them any favors this year.
The month of September looked daunting based on its opponents, as SMU had to take on teams like BYU, TCU and Florida State as its first three power-conference opponents in this new era at home.
The month of October was a different challenge, with SMU playing three consecutive road games against Louisville, Stanford and Duke.
Its game against Duke was by far its most challenging and ended with SMU needing overtime to take down the Blue Devils.
But they managed to do so. Brashard Smith scored the first touchdown of overtime. When Duke answered, the defense forced an incomplete pass by quarterback Maalik Murphy on the two-point conversion attempt.
But SMU went coast to coast and tore through every opponent in its path, handing Duke its first home loss this season.
SMU has now extended its road winning streak to nine games before it returns home for three of its final four regular-season contests.
Uncharacteristic performance from Kevin Jennings
SMU has relied on quarterback Kevin Jennings for much of its success this season, but his performance Saturday put the Mustangs in a trying situation.
Despite throwing for 258 yards on 13 of 24 passing and totaling two touchdowns, Jennings turned the ball over five times — three interceptions and two fumbles. He fumbled four total times Saturday, three of which happened in the red zone.
The turnovers began on SMU’s first drive of the game. After driving all the way down to the Duke 4-yard line, Jennings and running back LJ Johnson Jr. muffed the handoff, and Duke recovered the fumble, leaving SMU scoreless on its opening drive for the first time since the BYU loss.
Late in the first half, Jennings threw his first interception. He added a second in the fourth quarter on 4th and long when he slung the ball across the field and gave it to Duke in SMU territory. His third came not long after when SMU had the ball with under four minutes remaining and was seeking to tie it up.
Jennings fumbled a second time with 1:17 remaining, giving Duke the ball on SMU’s side of the field with a chance to score the game-winning field goal. SMU blocked the kick to bail out Jennings again.
It was the quarterback’s first multi-turnover game of the season, showing some steps backward after he improved tremendously on his ball security early in the year.
In fact, he had only turned the ball over twice in his first six games before turning it over six times in the last two games.
SMU’s turnover issues extended beyond Jennings. The Mustangs lost the turnover battle 6-0 and fumbled it five total times (losing three). Tight end Matthew Hibner also fumbled late in the first half.
SMU’s defense bails offense out time and time again
SMU turned the ball over six times on Saturday, but the Mustang defense did not give up a single point off turnovers.
Let that sink in.
SMU’s defense has been lights out all season, and despite being put in countless near-impossible situations Saturday, it helped the Mustangs reach overtime.
The defense’s successes included three stops in the final eight minutes of the game. Duke started three consecutive drives in SMU territory on the SMU 24-, 38- and 13-yard line but did not score a single point.
Jahfari Harvey also blocked Duke’s game-winning 30-yard field goal attempt.
SMU couldn’t have asked for anything more from its defense, which held Duke to just 27 points.
Duke’s kicking woes play key role
Sometimes, in college football, you need a little bit of luck.
Whether SMU deserved it or not, the Mustangs reached overtime with the Blue Devils thanks to some struggles by Duke kicker Todd Pelino.
Pelino missed an extra point in the third quarter, which ultimately didn’t matter because the Blue Devils converted a two-point conversion later on.
He missed a go-ahead field goal with 5:38 remaining from 41 yards out. Then, he had one blocked with three seconds left to send the game to overtime.
Those missteps may have factored in during overtime when Duke elected to try a two-point conversion instead of kicking the extra point to tie it at 28-28.
SMU kicker Collin Rogers, on the other hand, was 4 for 4 on extra points. He did not attempt a field goal.
Massive clash with Pitt on the horizon
Could ESPN’s College GameDay come to Dallas for the first time next week?
That’s the question SMU fans will be anxiously waiting to be answered in the coming hours. Whether the Mustangs are featured or not next week, their upcoming matchup with Pitt will be the most important one they have left on their schedule.
It’ll be the first, and likely only, game SMU plays where both teams are in the AP top-25. Undefeated Pitt (7-0, 3-0) came in three spots ahead of SMU at No. 19 this past week.
With just a month left in the regular season, the contest will keep one team in the driver’s seat to earn a spot in the ACC Championship game and make another team’s chances of reaching Charlotte an uphill climb that would require three other teams to lose.
SMU has all the momentum entering its homecoming after a month away from Ford Stadium.
