Just about everything went right for SMU football as it responded to last week’s loss to No.19 Oklahoma with a 69-0 win over Prairie View A&M on Saturday night at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
After a slow start that included Prairie View A&M getting a chance to cut the deficit to four, SMU took control of the game, outgaining the Panthers 566-156 and holding them to just 10 first downs in the contest.
“The first drive or two, a little sputter, but then I thought they settled in and played well,” SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee told the media postgame. “We had some guys make some explosive plays.”
SMU held Prairie View A&M to just four yards on its first drive and immediately countered with a touchdown drive as quarterback Preston Stone found TCU transfer Jordan Hudson for a touchdown.
Stone was intercepted on a tipped pass during SMU’s next drive, but the defense held its own and blocked a 36-yard field goal attempt, which was picked up by Chris Megginson and returned for a touchdown.
The Mustangs scored four more touchdowns and built a 42-0 lead, taking advantage of the short field as its defense held the Panthers to just 89 yards in the first half.
Stone and Jordan Kerley connected for their second touchdown of the game on a 59-yard pass to start the second half before SMU turned to its backups.
Kevin Jennings took the reins on offense, completing all three of his throws and leading two touchdown drives. Iowa transfer Alex Padilla and McKinney High School alum Keldric Luster also played snaps at quarterback in the fourth quarter.
Stone finished the game 15-of-20 passing for 300 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception, while Kerley was one of six receivers to catch touchdown passes and the only one to score more than once.
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WHAT TO KNOW
— SMU and Prairie View A&M faced each other for the first time in program history, with the Mustangs earning their first shutout victory since 2012.
— SMU held an opponent to 10 or fewer first downs in a game for the first time since 2013 and under 200 yards of offense for the first time since 2012.
— Alabama transfer running back and Garland Lakeview Centennial alum Camar Wheaton made his season debut, running for 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
— Running back Jaylan Knighton did not play due to a last-minute suspension.
— SMU returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown for the first time since 2018.
— SMU has now outgained each of its three opponents this season.
— Former SMU and retired NFL wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was one of three former Mustang athletes inducted into the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame over the weekend.
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BY THE NUMBERS
— SMU is now 20-4 at home since the beginning of the 2019 season and 2-0 in 2023.
— SMU surpassed 500 yards of offense for the 16th time in its last 33 games.
— SMU has only allowed one sack through three games.
— After entering the game a perfect 63/63 on extra-point attempts and converting on his first nine of the game, SMU kicker Collin Rogers had his final attempt blocked for his first miss as a college kicker.
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WHO SAID
— Lashlee on the approach to Saturday’s game: “We were trying to do what we thought fit the opponent, and I think the score would tell you it worked out pretty well. [But] when it’s 49-0, we’re wanting to play a lot of people and also want to be respectful of a really good group over there.”
— Stone on finishing drives with touchdowns: “That was a big point of emphasis for us [and] definitely coming out strong in the second half was a big point of emphasis for us in this game, too. I think our last two games coming out of the half, we’ve gone three and out, so finishing drives was a huge point of emphasis for us.”
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NEXT UP
— SMU (2-1) heads to Fort Worth to face TCU (2-1) in the Battle for the Iron Skillet at 11 a.m. CT next Saturday.