DALLAS — SMU’s home opener against FCS-ranked UC Davis was expected to be a test of an ACC contender against one of the lower division’s better programs. Instead, it was decided before halftime.
Kevin Jennings threw for 337 yards and a career-high five touchdowns while playing only the first half, and No. 17 SMU defeated UC Davis 56-10 on a very hot Saturday in Texas. Jennings, a fifth-year senior, completed 14 of 16 passes and did not commit a turnover.
The Aggies came in with credentials. UC Davis was 2-0 and ranked sixth in the FCS Coaches Poll, while SMU was 1-0 and playing on a short week. Oddsmakers still favored the Mustangs heavily; the spread was 25.5 points.
Heat shapes the afternoon
Weather was a factor from the start. Kickoff was in mid-afternoon with a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit and a heat index of 107. SMU’s sideline used eight air-conditioned benches under shade covers, and in the second half the team also benefited from shade cast by the press box. With SMU leading 42-0 at halftime, the two teams agreed to shorten each second-half quarter to 12 minutes.
A lopsided first half
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings. Photo by George Walker/DFWsportsonline
SMU opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run by Kendrick Raphael, finishing an eight-play, 90-yard drive. UC Davis had a chance to answer, but the Aggies missed a 42-yard field goal on their next possession. SMU took advantage right away: Jennings faked a quarterback draw and found Derrick McFall open over the middle for a 52-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
The Mustangs’ offense kept moving. Jennings opened SMU’s third drive with completions of 33 and 31 yards, then threw a 2-yard touchdown to Theo Melin Ohrstrom to make it 21-0 with 12:33 left in the second quarter. Three more scoring passes followed before halftime: a 2-yarder to Randy Pittman Jr., a 14-yarder to Ohrstrom and a 44-yarder to Yannick Smith with 24 seconds left in the half. On that final score, Smith tried to leap over two defenders at the 10-yard line, landed between them and broke through to the end zone.
SMU scored touchdowns on six of its seven first-half possessions. Jennings threw touchdowns to four different receivers.
Second half
Ty Hawkins took over at quarterback for SMU after halftime. He completed 11 of 13 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. UC Davis got on the board in the fourth quarter. Jackson Kollock, who had replaced starter Treynor Cleeland late in the third quarter, threw a 4-yard touchdown to Coby Herman with 11:18 left, making it 49-7. Hawkins responded with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Aljour Miles II for a 56-7 lead with 9:01 remaining. The Aggies scored the game’s final three points to set the final margin.
The Aggies had trouble passing against SMU’s defense. Cleeland went 11 of 26 for 83 yards with one interception.
By the numbers
SMU outgained UC Davis 547 yards to 233 and averaged 9.8 yards per play to the Aggies’ 3.9. The Mustangs threw for 454 yards. The Aggies held a time-of-possession advantage, 32:31 to 24:20, although the shortened second half limits how much that number means. McFall led SMU’s ground game with 46 yards on six carries, and he finished with 103 total yards and a touchdown. Ohrstrom caught three passes for 25 yards and two scores. Attendance at Gerald J. Ford Stadium was 29,054.
