SMU Mustang Report Card: Grading each Major Position Group in Mustangs win 27-24 over Florida State

DALLAS, Texas — Winning on the road in college football is hard, winning in week one is hard. Winning on the road in a hostile environment with a kickoff delay and a lopsided turnover margin in week one is hard. The No. 17 SMU Mustangs (1-0, 1-0 ACC) showed Monday night that they can win in tough situations. SMU defeated the Florida State Seminoles (1-1, 0-1 ACC) 27-24 on the road at Doak S. Campbell Stadium in the Mustangs' season opener and first ACC game of the season.

With the clocks at triple zeros, the scoreboards off, and the stadium lights off on purpose this time, the Mustangs' first win of 2026 and eighth straight season-opening win is now in the record books as SMU finds itself heading into a short week to face its next opponent. The Mustangs' first win of 2026 and eighth straight season-opening win is now in the record books as SMU finds itself heading into a short week to face its next opponent.

That said, here is the report card for every major Mustang position group in SMU’s win over Florida State last night.

Quarterback: A-

Sep 7, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) looks to pass against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When SMU Head Football Coach Rhett Lashlee was asked after the Mustangs' win how refreshing it was to see a healthy Kevin Jennings back on the football field, his initial reaction didn’t come in words when running through the countless different plays the senior quarterback made on the football field in Tallahassee Monday night. Lashlee’s first reaction was a gasp of admiration when recalling Jennings' performance vs. the Seminoles.

In his first start of his senior season, Jennings went 26/36 with a 72% completion percentage, throwing for 430 yards and three touchdowns to two interceptions. It was a career night for the South Oak Cliff native with a Mustang on his helmet.

Jennings also rushed for thirty yards on the ground, eclipsing more than half the number of rushing yards he had all of last season. He spent most of last season with a lingering ankle injury that limited his rushing ability for most of the campaign. Lashlee spoke on how Jennings is happy to be healthy again and how his throwing and rushing to extended downs played a huge role in SMU’s win and will play a leading role for the Mustangs throughout the year.

“Y’all saw what he can do. We were sloppy, it would have been 430 with five touchdowns,” said Lashlee after the game. “I think he is happy to be healthy. I think he knows what his legs can bring. We didn’t design run him much, he pulled a few, but there are going to be plenty of times we need to. I think the last drive he took a pretty good hit on that one, but it was big it got us to second and one.”

“His legs not just extending plays to throw it, which he is great at, but running the football is going to be too big for us in big games.”

In the offseason, Jennings came runner-up for 2026 ACC Preseason Play of the Year to Miami’s Darian Mensah. While SMU launched a Heisman campaign for its homegrown quarterback and named a recovery center in his name on campus.

Despite two interceptions, one of which Lashlee expressed was not entirely his fault. Jennings looked all the parts of a Heisman-level player on the road in the Mustangs' first win of the season.

Running Backs: B+

SMU ran the football 31 times, tallying over 150 yards on the ground while averaging nearly five yards a carry. Senior running back Kendrick Raphael led SMU with 75 yards on the ground and 6.3 yards per carry.

While sophomore running back Dramekco Green led SMU in attempts with 13, racking up 33 yards on the ground, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. The Mustangs' rushing attack did phase in and out due simply to the nature of the flow of the game, along with Raphael picking up a shoulder injury on the second play of the game, Lashlee confirmed after the game.

Nonetheless, when it counted Raphael was able to return, and his final three rushing attempts helped put SMU in a position to knock through a go-ahead chip shot from 20 yards out to take the lead.

In that same drive, Green grabbed a massive 29-yard catch to put the Mustang well inside FSU territory. Lashlee expressed that they "probably" could have run the football more, but nevertheless a unit that went through a decent amount of transition in the offseason played a pivotal role in the Mustangs' win.

Wide Receivers & Tight Ends: A+

Heading into SMU’s first game, only three of the eight Mustangs receivers who caught a pass from Jennings against the Seminoles had been with the program before this season. While really only two had actually developed chemistry and caught passes from Jennings previously, according to Lashlee.

With that said, the SMU passing attack was explosive against the Florida State defense. Jennings’ play was impressive, but the receiving play from the various pass catchers was equally impressive, playing a critical role in the team's win.

Five different Mustangs pass catchers finished with north of 70 receiving yards Monday night. Junior wide receiver Yannick Smith led the group with 107 yards on five catches, averaging nearly 21.4 yards per reception. Smith caught the Mustangs’ longest touchdown of the night with a 79-yard score at the start of the fourth quarter.

Smith was not the only new Mustang to open up their touchdown account Monday night. Former Florida State senior tight end Randy Pittman Jr., who transferred to SMU in the spring, also had a big night in his SMU debut. Against his former teammates, Pittman was tied for the most receptions among the team with five and second in yards with 75 on the night. Lashlee commented on Pittman's performance after the win.

“He just played lights out,” said Lashlee. “He catches the seam ball on the sideline, he catches the first and second play of the game. That one time when they took his pants off, we got back up on 1st and 20 and carried and jumped over guys. He was just a football player and he didn't get too high. I was proud of him.”

Lashlee continued about the build-up for Pittman during the week against his former team.

“He scored a touchdown, and earlier in the week he told Coach Dodge (Tight Ends / Passing Game Coordinator) to tell me if he scored a touchdown he's going to get a celebration penalty,” said Lashlee. “I told Riley, I said Riley you go to him and tell him he's not getting a celebration penalty and I said I will figure something out. He had a good little dance from what I saw.”

Junior transfer wide receiver Jalen Hale, who joined the Mustangs from Alabama during the offseason, also had a nice night after fumbling on SMU’s first drive, alongside Pittman and Smith. Hale finished his night with two catches for 70 yards.

Senior wide receiver Yamir Knight, who broke out toward the tail end of last season, also had a nice night. He led all SMU receivers with six receptions for 49 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Jalen Cooper also had a big night catching the Mustangs' first touchdown of the season with a 50-yard strike to go along with four catches for 71 yards.

Kevin Jennings spoke after the game, expressing his continued confidence in his new receivers and how his pass catchers will continue to make plays when called upon down the stretch for SMU.

Offensive Line: A+

The SMU offensive line saw its starters play 69 snaps, allowing zero sacks and four quarterback hurries on 36 passing attempts, while not being penalized on the road for any false starts in a hostile environment. The line only saw one true penalty when senior left tackle PJ Williams was called for a holding penalty in the third quarter. Nevertheless, with two new starters in senior Andrew Chamblee and redshirt junior Alex Woods, the unit held firm against multiple Florida State blitzes and pressure across all four quarters. The front five's play helped the Mustangs maintain their offensive momentum.

Defense: A

Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Duce Robinson (0) isn’t able to complete the pass as he is pulled down by a defender. The SMU Mustangs defeated the Florida State Seminoles 27-24 at Doak Campbell Stadium after a game that kicked off on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In the debut of Co-Defensive Coordinators Maruice Crum Jr. and Rickey Hunley Jr., the Mustang defense was dominant in multiple areas Monday night in Tallahassee. The defensive line, which tallied three sacks and four quarterback hits on Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels, set the tone for the night. SMU also racked up eight tackles for loss in the FSU backfield on a night where the Mustangs had 75 total tackles. Senior defensive end Aakil Washington led the night with a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss with a quarterback hit. SMU forced Florida State to punt multiple times, along with a stop on fourth down in the second quarter. The Mustangs also held the Seminoles to only two conversions on third down, both coming in the fourth quarter.

SMU defense also shined in the passing game, holding Florida State to 125 passing yards. Last season, SMU ranked 135th in yards per game allowed in the passing game. The Mustangs' cornerbacks held up well, with the only penalty in the secondary being an offsetting pass interference penalty that was nullified for a tripping penalty by FSU. Still, the SMU corners held up well along the boundary and in the slot, limiting big plays and creating a tough environment for Florida State to sustain drives for most of the night.

Play Caller Rickey Hunley Jr called a balanced game while also sending pressure from the secondary, with both starting safeties Jimmy Wyrick Jr and Tyren Polley Jr wrapping up well. Wyrick was the only defensive back to have a sack and a tackle for loss vs. FSU. Polley led the team with 10 total tackles, four of which were solo.

In what was one of the biggest question marks surrounding the Mustangs all offseason, the program's season opener was a key moment. The defense did well to keep SMU in it.

Special Teams: C

Despite the win, the Mustangs had a number of miscues and mistakes in the game. SMU lost the turnover battle 4-0, with one coming from a muffed punt. Later on the same drive, SMU jumped off-sides on a fourth-down field goal, giving the Seminoles a new set of downs not long after that allowed Florida State to tie up the game in the third quarter.

The only other Mustangs miscue on special teams came from a missed field goal early in the second half by senior kicker Nick Reed in his SMU debut. Reed missed from 38 yards out in the second quarter before knocking two field goals, one of which was the game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter. Reed was perfect in all three of his extra points, sending each through the uprights.

Overall Grade: A

Rhett Lashlee’s side had an impressive debut on the road in a hostile environment to kick off their 2026 season.

SMU’s offense looked explosive with Jennings at the helm while providing nice work in the trenches and on the ground. Its defense was able to make plays in the air and wrap up well in its first action of the season while creating pressure on the quarterback and forcing negative yardage situations. The biggest area of concern for the Mustangs was, of course, the turnovers and the amount. The lopsided turnover margin, along with the few mistakes that kept some drives alive for the Seminoles, very well could have had a much bigger impact.

After the game, Lashlee spoke on certain aspects to clean up but stressed that the areas that did need cleaning up were areas that could easily be corrected.

Great SMU Mustang content found here

• A Deep Dive Break Down SMU Footballs First Four Opponents

•SMU ranked at No. 19 in AP Preseason Top 25 for back to back season

•Reasons why SMU Football wins the ACC and goes to the CFP in 2026

• No. 19 SMU rallies through a technical delay and turnovers to beat Florida State 27-24 on the road

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