No. 21 SMU carried a three-point lead into halftime and nearly pitched a second-half shutout in a 25-16 win over visiting Boston College in Atlantic Coast Conference action on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Dallas.
Kevin Jennings threw touchdowns to Randy Pittman Jr. and Derrick McFall after intermission, finishing 20-for-30 passing for 160 yards.
The Mustangs (4-1, 2-1 ACC) were outgained 322-218 in total, managing only 160 yards through the air after averaging 393 through their first four games.
SMU sacked Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie five times and held the Eagles (2-3, 0-2) scoreless over seven straight possessions from the first quarter until a touchdown with 2:07 left in regulation. That streak included a fumble and two turnovers on downs.
McKenzie also threw for two scores and 208 yards on a 20-of-31 day.
SMU forced a key takeaway after Boston College drove into opposing territory over the first 6:51 after halftime. Aakil Washington’s fumble recovery and 34-yard return following a McKenzie sack set up the Mustangs in the red zone.
Three plays later, Jennings hit a wide-open Pittman for a 14-yard touchdown. A second botched extra point followed.
Boston College’s stout defense and three SMU penalties forced a 4th-and-50 on the ensuing series, but the Eagles could not take advantage after tight end Cameron Kossmann dropped a would-be touchdown on fourth-and-1 and the 7-yard line.
Another infraction helped the Mustangs put the game away on McFall’s 20-yard touchdown reception from Jennings with 4:37 left in regulation. McFall was stuffed on a 2-point conversion.
The Eagles broke the string of seven straight scoreless possessions on McKenzie’s 6-yard touchdown toss to Danny Edgehille with 2:07 left.
SMU put together an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive to start the game, with Kendrick Raphael diving into the end zone for a 2-yard score. A bad snap on the point-after attempt kept the score at 6-0.
The ensuing series saw Boston College recover two fumbles in a span of four plays to score its first points when Luca Lombardo drilled a career-long field goal of 52 yards with 5:43 left in the opening quarter.
After Lombardo’s boot, the Eagles’ defense forced a quick 3-and-out and turned around to take a 10-6 lead with 1:41 to go in the quarter. The seven-play drive saw McKenzie connect with Jaedn Skeete and Javarius Green for chunk plays before a perfect ball to Evan Dickens, who came out of the backfield to catch the ball through two defenders and score a 43-yard touchdown.
The Mustangs carried the lead into halftime after finishing a 15-play, 83-yard drive — aided by a pair of penalties, including one on fourth-and-8 — with 10:05 left in the second quarter. Following the flag, Jennings faked the handoff and rushed to the right for a 4-yard score.