DALLAS — SMU’s struggles against Wake Forest turned into a long afternoon at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Saturday, as the Demon Deacons handed the Mustangs a 49-7 loss in front of a sellout crowd of 33,571.
The defeat snapped SMU’s 18-game home conference winning streak under coach Rhett Lashlee and dropped the Mustangs to 7-3 overall and 5-3 in ACC play. Wake Forest improved to 9-1 and 6-1 in conference competition.
For a Mustangs team that entered the afternoon ranked No. 25 in the AP Top 25, the result was a difficult setback with the regular season approaching its final stretch.
SMU entered the game averaging 321.6 passing yards per contest, but the offense had difficulty finding its rhythm against Wake Forest. The Mustangs finished with 209 passing yards on 22-of-35 attempts and managed just one touchdown.
Quarterback Kevin Jennings completed 22 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown. He connected with nine different receivers, continuing a trend of spreading the ball around. SMU has had at least seven players record a reception in 50 of its last 54 games.
Randy Pittman Jr. led the Mustangs with five catches for 76 yards, while Yamir Knight added five receptions for 44 yards. Yannick Smith accounted for SMU’s lone touchdown, hauling in a 19-yard scoring pass from Jennings. It was Smith’s third receiving touchdown of the season and 11th of his career.
On the ground, Kendrick Raphael finished with 54 yards on 15 carries.
Despite producing five explosive plays of at least 20 yards, SMU struggled to turn those opportunities into points. The Mustangs converted just one of two red-zone possessions into a score, bringing their season total to 42 conversions on 47 trips.
Jennings continued to add to his place in the SMU record book despite the lopsided outcome.
The senior extended his program records for career passing touchdowns (81), completions (856), passing yards (10,682) and total offense (11,368). He also increased his career total to 93 touchdowns responsible for, including 81 passing and 12 rushing.
Jennings has now accounted for 204 yards of total offense in the loss and holds a 26-10 record as a starter.
The defeat also brought an end to a remarkable stretch at home for Lashlee’s program. SMU had won 18 consecutive conference games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium and entered Saturday with a 12-1 record at home in ACC play.
The Mustangs are now 45-19 under Lashlee, including a 34-8 record over their last 42 regular-season games.
There is little time for SMU to dwell on Saturday’s performance. The Mustangs face another major test next weekend when they travel to South Bend, Indiana, to take on No. 3 Notre Dame.
The matchup is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m. CT at Notre Dame Stadium. The game will air nationally on NBC and Peacock.
For SMU, the challenge is clear: regroup, address the issues exposed against Wake Forest and find a way to finish the regular season on a stronger note.
