For SMU star quarterback Kevin Jennings, last December’s College Football Playoff loss to Penn State wasn’t merely a low point. It was a lesson.
The preseason Heisman contender reflected on his underwhelming performance on the First Round stage at Beaver Stadium with a sense of perspective.
“I took a lot from that game,” Jennings told me Tuesday. “I tell myself all the time, honestly, I needed that game. I needed a bad game like that to bounce back and come back in and remind myself that I can play at this level, I can do all the things I’m capable of doing.”
SMU quarterback – Kevin Jennings
Jennings put together an exhilarating 2024 campaign for the Mustangs, showcasing his dual-threat ability Saturday after Saturday. SMU’s offense was among the nation’s most efficient. Many pundits had their doubts about how the team would transition to a Power 4 conference, but they were sharply turned back. Jennings, a current junior from Oak Cliff, Texas, went from relative unknown to household name overnight.
Penn State ran away from the Mustangs, turning two of Jennings’ three interceptions into touchdowns in a 38-10 romp. Several times, SMU’s offensive line struggled to communicate with the surrounding noise, creating chaos throughout the game. But that chaos isn’t something that Jennings is running from.
“Going into the Clemson game, it’s going to be kind of the same environment [as Penn State was],” he said. “[I’m] just looking forward to heading to Clemson.”
SMU travels to Clemson on October 18, eager to flip the script. The matchup between the two profiles as SMU’s biggest test in 2025. They have never met outside of the 2024 ACC Championship Game, where the Tigers stunned the favored Mustangs 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal as time expired. Clemson raced out to a 24-7 halftime lead that seemed insurmountable. However, Rhett Lashlee’s team responded to tie the game at 31 with 16 seconds to play. True freshman kicker Nolan Hauser was the hero, and CU claimed its 22nd ACC title, a league-best.
