DALLAS, Texas — The SMU Mustangs (7-2, 5-2 ACC) beat the Virginia Tech Hokies (6-3, 3-3 ACC) 51-28 Friday night at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park. The Mustangs racked up over 560 yards of total offense on the night. Senior quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for 350 yards, going 24/32 with three touchdowns and one interception, as the Mustangs bounce back after a stunning loss on a short week scoring on 8/11 drives.

SMU Head Football Coach Rhett Lashlee spoke on his team's response after the win. SMU came into this game fresh off a stunning loss to Syracuse on the road in Central New York. Lashlee went on to praise his team's performance and response in a big home win. 

“Obviously awesome to get back home and get a win. I’m proud of our guys,” said Lashlee after his team's third 50+ point win of the season. “Just really proud of the way our guys responded, that's what we talked about last week in the locker room, that's what we talked about all week. Your mistakes, failures, and setbacks in life that's not what defines you, its how you respond is what defines you. I think they had a pretty good response.”

SMU was just 20 yards short of eclipsing 300 total yards in the opening half. The Mustangs put up the first points on the board on their opening possession. SMU drove downfield in eight plays spanning 75 yards, and the Mustangs punched in a rushing score thanks to sophomore running back Dramecko Green, who had missed the last four games with a hand injury. Even after the early score, SMU would continue to put up points in the opening half. 

The Mustangs would force a punt on the Hokies' first offensive possession, which led to the first of three first-half field goals for senior kicker Brendan Baird. Baird knocked through a 47-yard try to put SMU up by two scores by the end of the first quarter. 

Virginia Tech would eventually respond with a long 11-play, 75-yard drive that saw the Hokies get into the end zone for the first time when junior quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer would plow his way into the end zone on a quarterback sneak in the opening minutes of the second quarter. Lashlee’s team would continue to find ways to respond on offense to maintain the early lead. 

After Baird converted a 26-yard try to tack on another trio of points the Mustangs' way. Senior defensive end Marques White forced the football out of Grunkmeyer’s hand on the next defensive possession, and SMU immediately cashed in the turnover into points. Jennings connected with senior wide receiver Yamir “Miz” Knight on a one-play 46-yard catch and run that ended in the end zone, putting the Mustangs up 20-7 with six minutes left until the end of the half. 

Virginia Tech wouldn’t let the lead continue to build as the Hokies scored on the next possession on another long offensive drive, this time with sophomore running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. ripping off a 22-yard run for a score to cut the lead back to a score with just minutes to play in the quarter. 

SMU would eventually run out the clock with Baird completing his first-half hat trick, knocking down a 50-yard try to give Lashlee’s team a nine-point lead, 23-14, heading into the locker room. The SMU offensive barrage didn't let up coming out of the locker room. 

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The Mustangs scored on their first possession of the third quarter when senior running back Kendrick Raphael capped off a long 63-yard drive with a three-yard score, his ninth score on the ground this season. 

The party in the end zone wasn’t over quite yet, as Knight would go on to grab not just his first or second but third catch for a score on back-to-back drives as the SMU lead kept growing. Knight connected with Jennings to cap off a four-play, 75-yard drive, and again in the Mustangs' longest drive of the night. Knight finished his night with six catches for 103 receiving yards. He reflected on his big day after the game. 

“It’s honestly truly a blessing, really just preparation. Seeing looks we practiced all week, it really just happened in the game,” said Knight after the game. “It’s honestly a blessing for the coaches to keep trusting me to just keep coming back to me.”

The Hokies continued to hang around late, and fourth, as Overton Jr. rushed into the end zone for his second score from two yards out. Overton Jr. wrapped up his night with 13 carries for 123 yards. Virginia Tech would cash in its own defensive takeaway after intercepting Jennings on a tipped ball, giving the Hokies an extra possession with a chance to score. 

Grunkemeyer went on to connect with senior wide receiver Que’Sean Brown on an acrobatic effort from three yards out and completed the eight-point swing with a rushing score on the two-point conversion. Virginia Tech’s mini point swing helped cut the SMU lead down to 16, but the Mustangs had other plans in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. 

The Mustangs slammed the door shut after sophomore wide receiver Jalen Cooper rushed into the end zone off a jet sweep on a 50-yard catch-and-run to push the lead back up to 23. Before senior safety Jimmy Wyrick picked off Grunkemeyer to seal the win for SMU under the Friday night lights. 

SMU gears up for what will be its toughest stretch of the season, hosting No.16 Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 11:00 a.m. at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, before hitting the road and traveling to South Bend to face Notre Dame in what has been the most anticipated matchup for SMU all season. With three games left, it's all to play for the Mustangs.

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