DALLAS — SMU Mustangs moved up two spots to No. 17 in the AP Top 25 released Tuesday, a day after a 27-24 win at Florida State Seminoles.
The Associated Press had SMU at No. 19 in its preseason poll. This week the AP put the Mustangs on its heating-up list. The US LBM Coaches Poll, released the same day, also has SMU at No. 17 after a preseason ranking of No. 20.
Monday night in Tallahassee, Kevin Jennings completed 26-of-36 passes for a career-high 430 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Nick Reed kicked a 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds to play. SMU finished with 585 yards of offense.
Kevin Jennings Sets A Career High In The SMU Opener
SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said Jennings stayed in control and ran the ball when the game asked him to.
“I thought Kevin played awesome,” Lashlee said.
Randy Pittman Jr. caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jennings. The tight end transferred to SMU from Florida State in January. Through 13 starts in 2025, Jennings threw for 3,641 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He is in his fifth year at SMU and has 19 wins as a starter.
The lights inside Doak Campbell Stadium went out about six minutes before the scheduled 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff. The delay ran nearly two hours. Both teams played without a working scoreboard, replay review, a public-address announcer, or helmet communication.
SMU ruled out running backs Link Rhodes, Christian Rhodes, and EJ Kelly on the ACC availability report released the Thursday before the game. Link Rhodes tore an ACL and is out for the season. Offensive lineman Abel Hoopii is also out for the year after breaking a foot.
Jennings talked about the conference opener four days before kickoff.
“We really never see a throwaway game,” Jennings said. “It’s always an opportunity to go out there and play a game.”
SMU Passes Washington And BYU In The AP Top 25
Washington fell from No. 17 to No. 19 and is now behind SMU. BYU slid from a tie at No. 14 to No. 15. Penn State moved up two spots to No. 16, one place in front of the Mustangs.
SMU carried a top-20 preseason ranking in both major polls for the second straight year. The last back-to-back run came in 1984 and 1985. The Mustangs have gone 14-2 in ACC play since joining the conference in 2024 and are 1-0 in the league this season.
Saturday’s home opener against UC Davis kicks off at 3 p.m. CT on ACCNX at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. SMU then plays at Louisville on Sept. 19 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN or ESPN2.
Jennings grew up in Oak Cliff and won a Class 5A Division II state title at South Oak Cliff in 2021.
