Kevin Jennings accounts for 4 TDs in SMU’s victory over Louisville to keep ACC title hopes alive

DALLAS (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for 303 yards with three touchdowns and ran for another score as SMU stayed in contention to reach another ACC title game with a 38-6 win over Louisville on Saturday.

The Mustangs (8-3, 6-1 ACC) would make the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game for the second year in a row since joining the league if they win their regular-season finale at California and get a little help.

“There’s, I don’t know, five or six different ways if this thing goes the way we want it to go, and they all started with SMU beats Louisville,” coach Rhett Lashlee said. “We’ve still got to win next week.”

Jennings completed 29 of 37 passes in his third consecutive 300-yard game. His nifty 5-yard TD pass put SMU up 21-3 late in the first half. Jennings initially went right, then reversed to avoid defenders and had what seemed a clear lane to the end zone when, still on the run, he flung the ball forward with his right arm to TJ Harden.

“Exactly how we drew that play up,” Lashlee deadpanned.

“Out there having fun, showing love to my guys,” Jennings said. “It’s senior day for them, had to show love and give him a touchdown instead of running one in.”

Louisville (7-4, 4-4), without starting quarterback Miller Moss and top rushers Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown, lost its third game in a row. Moss, a transfer from USC, had started the first 10 games and was in uniform but didn’t play because of a foot injury. Brown has missed all three of those losses since injuring a leg against Virginia Tech.

Adams, a redshirt freshman from Austin, Texas, was 12-of-17 passing for 94 yards in his first career start for the Cardinals, who had only 228 total yards and were held without a touchdown for the first time since a 16-6 loss to Florida State in the 2023 ACC title game.

SMU last year made its ACC debut by going 8-0 in league play, and still made the 12-team College Football Playoff after losing to Clemson in the conference championship game.

On Saturday, Jennings put SMU ahead to stay with his 2-yard TD on the game’s opening drive, and Jordan Hudson made a spectacular leaping 7-yard TD catch while defended and being able to get his foot down in bounds. Yamir Knight had a similar 6-yard scoring catch in the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Winning in November

SMU is 14-1 in November games during Lashlee’s four seasons.

In their final season before going to the AAC, the Mustangs won the American Athletic Conference championship game in 2023.

The takeaway

Louisville: The other three losses by Louisville this season were by a combined seven points, with two of those in overtime. Their biggest deficit before Saturday was 17-0 in the first quarter at Pittsburgh on Sept. 27, before they rallied to win 34-27. … The Cardinals lost four conference games combined in 2023 and 2024, coach Jeff Brohm’s first two seasons.

SMU: The Mustangs could return to the AP Top 25 for the first time since dropping out of the poll after an overtime loss to Baylor in their second game Sept. 6. To get in the ACC title game, they need one more win and for either Georgia Tech or Virginia to lose their ACC finale. For any chance to make the CFP again, SMU would then have to win that title game.

Up next

Louisville finishes its regular season at home Saturday against instate rival Kentucky.

SMU is at California, which lost 38-6 to the Mustangs in last season’s regular-season finale.

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