2023 NFL Draft: Interview With SMU QB Tanner Mordecai
Tanner Mordecai impressed when he came through the clutch with a Hail Mary touchdown pass to Reggie Roberson Jr. in the final seconds of the 39-37 win over LA Tech last season, marking what he says might have been the most memorable moment of his career.
On Saturday, he more than rivaled that, catching the attention of the nation with a record-breaking performance as he completed 28-of-37 passes for 379 yards with 9 touchdowns and a score on the ground in the 77-63 win over Houston.
Through two quarters alone when SMU headed into the locker room with the 56-35 lead, Mordecai had already thrown for 297 yards with eight total touchdowns, making him the only player in FBS history to have seven passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown at the half as he passed his way to break a school and conference record.
“It’s kind of a quarterback’s dream to be able to throw it around like that,” Mordecai said. “Pass-heavy offense with somewhat of an Air Raid background, something like that can definitely happen when two guys are just ripping it around. It was a lot of fun.”
Mordecai says he can’t recall a point in his career where he’s flirted with insane numbers quite like those, but that what mattered was the ultimate outcome of the game as the Mustangs improved to 5-4.
“I would have been just as excited if we scored all of those touchdowns in rushing,” Mordecai said.
Coming off of a thriller that looked more like a basketball score than anything else, the signal-caller and his team are heading into the next game on the schedule – a road game against USF – with the same mindset they headed into the Houston matchup and all of the ones before it with.
“Just taking it one week at a time,” Mordecai said. “Last week isn’t going to do anything for us against South Florida. We’ll watch the film just like we do with everything and move on to the next game.”
That’s something that is important as Mordecai continues to project as a future NFL Draft prospect within the team’s up-tempo offense that he says allows him to “play fast and not think too much.”
“It’s fast tempo. I think when you look around football in general, that’s kind of how the game is transforming is the tempo,” Mordecai said. “There are obviously still teams with pro-style, but pro-style isn’t as prominent as it used to be. We play up-tempo, we play wide-open and that’s why it’s so fun to be in.”
And as any quarterback who finds as much success in this style of offense should, Mordecai prides himself on what he’s accomplished as a pure passer, which couldn’t have been on brighter display Saturday.
“I think I kind of let it loose,” Mordecai said. “I think I throw the ball well, don’t really hold back and just let it rip. Give my guys chances and let them do what they do. That’s pretty much my personality when I’m playing.”
Despite the success he’s had, Mordecai’s primary focus of emphasis remains on consistency and continued improvement in pushing the ball downfield, something that has certainly shown itself as of late.
“I’m always trying to get better, trying to be more consistent. I think we throw the deep ball pretty well here and there’s a stat where us and Tennessee were tied for the most deep ball completions or something like that. So obviously it shows that we throw the ball down the field pretty well. I think that’s something I’ve been a bit better at this season but I can always be more consistent.”
