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SMU won’t get any credit for style points. But the 14th-ranked Mustangs did score enough points to hold off Boston College for a 38-28 victory on Saturday to remain alone atop the ACC standings.
It was a struggle.
After taking an early 10-point lead, Rhett Lashlee’s team had trouble shaking the upset-minded Eagles. It took a 3-touchdown performance from quarterback Kevin Jennings, 3 Collin Rogers field goals, a late stop and a window-dressing touchdown in the final seconds for SMU to hold on for its seventh straight victory.
Here are 3 takeaways from the closer-than-expected win that keeps the Mustangs front-and-center in the national picture:
It’s not how many you get, it’s when you get them
SMU’s defense recorded only one sack during the first 58 minutes of the game and barely put any heat on BC quarterback Grayson James. But that changed in the final 2 minutes with the game on the line.
With the Mustangs clinging to a 3-point lead and the Eagles with a first down at their own 31, defensive coordinator Scott Symons dialed up pressure instead of laying back in prevent mode. The decision paid off.
On first down, Cameron Roberts got to James after he was flushed out of the pocket for a 1-yard gain. On second down, Ahmad Walker put James under duress again, forcing him to throw the ball away. Kobe Wilson then picked up his team’s second sack of the night to force fourth down and long before Jahfari Harvey finished things off with an exclamation point sack to put the game away.
New quarterback energizes BC offense
Bill O’Brien’s decision to bench Thomas Castellanos in favor of Grayson James was not without risk. The benching prompted Castellanos to leave the program this week.
Castellanos ran for over 1,100 yards under former coach Jeff Hafley last season in leading the Eagles to 7 wins. But he hasn’t been nearly as effective in O’Brien’s pro-style offense. James proved to be a better fit on Saturday.
One week after coming off the bench to lead a winning comeback against Syracuse, the Florida International transfer heated up after a slow start to put some heat on the ACC’s first-place team. James completed 18-of-32 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a 20-yard touchdown that gave BC a 21-20 lead coming out of halftime.
Mustangs’ revenge
Beating BC didn’t just keep the Mustangs at the top of the ACC standings and in the hunt for a potential at-large Playoff bid. It also gained Rhett Lashlee and his team a measure of revenge. Saturday’s game was a rematch of last year’s Fenway Bowl, won 23-14 by the Eagles in the cold and rain of Boston in late December.
The Mustangs, then a member of the American Athletic Conference, led that game into the fourth quarter before being outscored 14-0 in the final period. Castellanos was the star of the game, with 158 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.
But Jennings was also effective. Making his second start in place of injured starter Preston Stone, he went 24-of-48 passing for 191 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 62 yards and a score. Jennings was even more effective through the air on Saturday, completing 24-of-35 for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
