Louisville Cardinals at SMU Mustangs

Kevin Jennings accounts for 4 TDs in SMU's victory over Louisville to keep ACC title hopes alive

Now the Mustangs (8-3, 6-1 ACC) just have to win their regular-season finale at California to make the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game for the second year in a row since joining the league.

The scenario to advance wasn't that simple for the Mustangs after they ended their final home game by midafternoon still needing help. But SMU had control of its destiny about 7 1/2 hours later when Pittsburgh (8-3, 6-1) finished off a 42-28 win at No. 15 Georgia Tech (9-2, 6-2).

When SMU coach Rhett Lashlee was asked after his game if he knew how the ACC tiebreakers had to work out for his team, he responded, “I have a good idea of what they are. ... I think.”

Lashlee had also added, “They all start with SMU beats Louisville. ... We've still got to win next week.”

Both of those last two statements are indeed true, and the Mustangs got the first one done.

Jennings completed 29 of 37 passes in his third consecutive 300-yard game. His nifty 5-yard TD pass put SMU up 21-3 late in the first half. Jennings initially went right, then reversed to avoid defenders and had what seemed a clear lane to the end zone when, still on the run, he flung the ball forward to TJ Harden.

“Exactly how we drew that play up,” Lashlee deadpanned.

“Out there having fun, showing love to my guys,” Jennings said. “It's senior day for them, had to show love and give him a touchdown instead of running one in.”

SMU last year made its ACC debut by going 8-0 in league play, and still made the 12-team College Football Playoff after losing to Clemson in the conference championship game.

Louisville (7-4, 4-4), Miller Moss and top rushers Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown, lost its third game in a row. Moss, a transfer from USC, had started the first 10 games and was in uniform but didn’t play because of a foot injury. Brown has missed all three of those losses since injuring a leg against Virginia Tech.

Adams, a redshirt freshman from Austin, Texas, was 12-of-17 passing for 94 yards in his first career start for the Cardinals, who had only 228 total yards and were held without a touchdown for the first time since a 16-6 loss to Florida State in the 2023 ACC title game.

Jennings put SMU ahead to stay with his 2-yard TD run on the game's opening drive, and Jordan Hudson made a spectacular leaping 7-yard TD catch while defended and being able to get his foot down in bounds. Yamir Knight had a similar 6-yard scoring catch in the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Winning in November SMU is 14-1 in November games during Lashlee's four seasons.

In their final season before going to the AAC, the Mustangs won the American Athletic Conference championship game in 2023.

The takeaway Louisville: The other three losses by Louisville this season were by a combined seven points, with two of those in overtime. Their biggest deficit before Saturday was 17-0 in the first quarter at Pittsburgh on Sept. 27, before they rallied to win 34-27. ... The Cardinals lost four conference games combined in 2023 and 2024, coach Jeff Brohm's first two seasons.

SMU: The Mustangs could return to the AP Top 25 for the first time since dropping out of the poll after an overtime loss to Baylor in their second game Sept. 6. The only way they make the CFP again is to get in and win the ACC championship game.

Up next Louisville finishes its regular season at home Saturday against instate rival Kentucky.

SMU is at California, which lost 38-6 to the Mustangs in last season's regular-season finale.