SMU defeated Nevada 29-24 on Sunday night, narrowly avoiding what would have been an excruciating loss to begin the 2024 season.

Preston Stone, who rotated a bit early in the game with Kevin Jennings, threw the game-winning touchdown to RJ Maryland in the final seconds of the game.

Here are 3 takeaways from SMU’s victory:

What to make of SMU’s quarterback situation?

Stone started this game but briefly rotated with Kevin Jennings after he threw an early interception. Stone started the game 3-of-10 with a pick, but ended up rebounding to have a nice night overall: 17-of-30 for 254 yards and a TD.

The quarterback rotation stopped even though Jennings was having a nice game and ended up completing 4-of-5 passes for 54 yards. Stone ended up out-snapping Jennings 60-15 in this contest.

Still, this situation should be treated with some uncertainty moving forward. Nevada is not a good team (SMU was favored by 27.5 points), so any lack of faith in Stone could prove to be a big issue for the Mustangs once the competition level improves.

RJ Maryland looks like a matchup problem for ACC defenses

As mentioned above, Maryland scored the game-winning touchdown in the game’s final seconds after he created some separation from a Nevada defender. That happened quite a bit in this game, as Maryland got loose for 162 receiving yards on 8 catches.

The tight end was the only SMU pass-catcher to have more than 3 receptions or 30 yards on the night. At 6-foot-4, 237 pounds, Maryland looks like a potential matchup problem even for ACC defenses. He’s a former 4-star recruit with NFL bloodlines (his father, Russell Maryland, played a decade in the NFL) so he has the pedigree to be a real difference-maker even as SMU takes a step up in class.

Here’s video of Maryland’s game-winning TD:

SMU’s defense had a solid night

There were moments early in the game against Nevada where SMU’s defense wasn’t playing well. But it ended up being a decent night for the Mustangs on that side of the ball.

Nevada finished with -0.19 EPA per play and a success rate of just 37%. The Wolfpack averaged just 4.25 yards per play and had an explosive play rate of only 6%. These are numbers for SMU’s defense, even when taking the major talent advantage into account.

The biggest question mark for SMU entering the ACC was whether or not its defense could make the step up to a power-4 league and still be credible. This performance doesn’t prove that the answer is ‘yes’, but it’s certainly a good sign.

SMU will face Houston Christian in Week 1.