No one on the Hilltop thought SMU’s reintroduction to power conference football would be without bumps in the road. But the first part of the journey – a Week 0 road game to Nevada – was supposed to be smooth sailing. That was clearly wrong from the start in a 29-24 come-from-behind victory against a Wolfpack squad that was a 28-point underdog in the desert books. 

SMU (1-0) didn’t hold its first lead until 1:18 left in the game when tight end R.J. Maryland caught a 34-yard pass from Preston Stone in what turned out to be the game winner. Nevada (0-1) led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, 17-10 at the end of the first half, and 24-13 when the fourth quarter started. The Mustangs scored 16 points in the final 8:01 of the contest, starting with a Brashard Smith rushing touchdown. A safety a few plays later cut the Nevada lead to 24-23. 

TWO QB SYSTEM UNDERWHELMED 

It is true that modern college football programs need more than one capable quarterback. Only 2 of the 13 FBS programs in Texas started the same quarterback in each of its 12 regular season games a year ago. SMU wasn’t one of those teams. The Mustangs used both Stone and Kevin Jennings last season en route to an AAC championship. Stone threw for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns to only six interceptions before a season-ending leg injury. Jennings started the conference championship game against Tulane and led the Ponies to their first title since the 1980s. 

Threading the needle with quarterback competitions is tough in the current landscape because of the transfer portal. Coaches are understandably scared to announce starters in fear of losing the backup. Especially when neither quarterback is far-and-away better than the competition. SMU attempted to thread the needle all offseason. Both Stone and Jennings were elected team captains. Both went to Charlotte for ACC media days. Head coach Rhett Lashlee said they both earned the right to represent the team. 

Stone started the game against Nevada and engineered the first two drives. The results were an interception and a punt. Jennings started the next two drive, leading SMU to a turnover on downs and then a touchdown – the only one in the first half. But he never saw the field again after completing four of five passes for 54 yards and one run for four. 

Stone led the offense to a punt and two field goals over the next three drives. The lifelong SMU fan might’ve saved his job in the fourth quarter, however, when he led two touchdown drives in the final eight minutes of the game. He finished 17 of 30 for 254 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He was 3 of 10 in the first half and 14 of 20 in the second. 

MUSTANGS STRUGGLE IN TRENCHES 

The lack of rhythm in the passing game shouldn’t have mattered against a team as overmatched as Nevada. SMU invested heavily in the trenches on both sides of the football through the transfer portal, but the Mustangs did not dominate the lines of scrimmage against the Wolfpack. SMU ran for 100 yards on 24 carries with a sack adjusted 2.9 yards per carry. Nevada outrushed the Ponies by 55 yards and averaged 0.8 yards more per carry. SMU only registered one sack and four tackles for loss in the win. 

A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? 

Setting expectations was nearly impossible for SMU. Even Lashlee stated at media days that his Mustangs were excited to see how they could measure up, implying even the locker room was of unsure how the transition to P4 status would unfold in Year 1. After all, the Big 12 newcomers limped through 2023 with all four finishing the season with a losing record after only one made a bowl game. On one hand, SMU boasted an experienced roster with an influx of P4 talent a year removed from winning 11 games and a conference championship. On the other, they struggled against quality competition with an 0-3 record against P5 squads. 

This is the first Week 0 of Lashlee’s coaching career. It’s possible that the close shave was the wake-up call that the Mustangs needed to snap into gear in a season that Vegas projected to 8.5 wins. Or the near loss illustrated how far SMU still must go. That maybe the program isn’t ready for those types of expectations. The schedule will reveal the truth over the next six weeks with games against BYU, TCU, Florida State, and Louisville on the horizon.