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11/22 14:26 CST Kevin Jennings accounts for 4 TDs in SMU's victory over
Louisville to keep ACC title hopes alive
Kevin Jennings accounts for 4 TDs in SMU's victory over Louisville to keep ACC
title hopes alive
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
DALLAS (AP) --- Kevin Jennings threw for 303 yards with three touchdowns and
ran for another score as SMU stayed in contention to reach another ACC title
game with a 38-6 win over Louisville on Saturday.
The Mustangs (8-3, 6-1 ACC) would make the Atlantic Coast Conference
championship game for the second year in a row since joining the league if they
win their regular-season finale at California and get a little help.
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 with his
right arm to TJ Harden.
Louisville (7-4, 4-4), without starting quarterback Miller Moss and leading
rusher Isaac 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.
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.
On Saturday, Jennings put SMU ahead to stay with his 2-yard TD 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.
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. To get in the ACC title game, they need one more win and for either Georgia Tech or Virginia to lose their ACC finale. For any chance to make the CFP again, SMU would then have to win that title 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. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football |
