SMU Mustangs 51, Virginia Tech Hokies 28
SMU beat Virginia Tech 51-28 on Friday night in Dallas, and the difference was how far the Mustangs moved the ball every time they snapped it. SMU won both the passing and rushing battles on a per-play basis, and the Hokies never found a way to make the Mustangs work for their yards.
Virginia Tech was not bad on offense. The Hokies completed 28 of 38 passes and converted 7 of 12 third downs. SMU was simply better at every turn, piling up nearly 570 total yards and running for more than 6 yards a carry.
How It Happened
SMU struck first when Dramekco Green ran in from 12 yards out at 12:22 of the first quarter. Brendan Baird added a 47-yard field goal with 3:00 left in the opening period.
Virginia Tech answered early in the second when Ethan Grunkemeyer scored on a 1-yard run. SMU responded with a 26-yard Baird field goal and then a 46-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Jennings to Yamir Knight at 6:09.
The Hokies stayed within reach when Jeffrey Overton Jr. broke a 22-yard touchdown run with 2:22 left in the half. Baird closed the half with a 50-yard field goal with 3 seconds on the clock, sending SMU to the locker room in front.
The third quarter belonged to SMU. Kendrick Raphael scored on a 3-yard run at 9:10, and Jennings hit Knight for a 13-yard touchdown at 4:26. Virginia Tech did not score in the period.
Jennings and Knight connected again from 5 yards out at 9:15 of the fourth. Virginia Tech pushed back with a 2-yard Overton run and a Grunkemeyer two-point run at 6:29, then a 3-yard Grunkemeyer pass to Que'Sean Brown at 3:30, though the two-point try failed. Jennings ended any thought of a comeback with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Cooper with 3:13 left.
Key Performers
Kevin Jennings, SMU: TD passes – 46 YDS, 13 YDS, 5 YDS (Yamir Knight), 50 YDS (Jalen Cooper)
Yamir Knight, SMU: TD receptions – 46 YDS, 13 YDS, 5 YDS
Brendan Baird, SMU: Field goals – 47 YDS, 26 YDS, 50 YDS
Jeffrey Overton Jr., VT: TD runs – 22 YDS, 2 YDS
Jennings and Knight were the story. All three of Knight's scores came from Jennings, and they stretched from a long strike in the second quarter to a short finish in the fourth.
Baird kept the scoreboard moving when drives stalled, including a 50-yarder at the end of the half that pushed the lead back out after Virginia Tech had closed in.
The Numbers That Decided It
Total yards: SMU 569 – VT 417
Passing: SMU 24/32, 350 YDS, 10.9 per pass – VT 28/38, 291 YDS, 7.7 per pass
Rushing: SMU 36 ATT, 219 YDS, 6.1 avg – VT 28 ATT, 126 YDS, 4.5 avg
Third down: SMU 8-12 – VT 7-12
Turnovers: SMU 1 – VT 2
Third downs were close to even, so this was not a game of one team sustaining drives and the other stalling. It was a game of chunk yardage. SMU threw fewer passes than Virginia Tech and still finished well ahead through the air.
The ground game told the same story. SMU outran the Hokies on more carries and at a better rate, and Virginia Tech also lost the turnover battle with a fumble and an interception.
What It Means
SMU moves to 7-2 and stays perfect at Gerald J. Ford Stadium at 6-0. Away from Dallas the Mustangs are 1-2, which makes this a team that looks very different depending on where it plays.
That home form is the takeaway. Any opponent coming to Dallas has to plan for an offense that can score from anywhere on the field, and Virginia Tech found that out in all four quarters.
Virginia Tech falls to 6-3, and 3-2 on the road. The Hokies moved the ball well enough to score 28 points, but a defense that gave up big plays through the air and on the ground left them chasing all night.