Several years ago, the SMU Mustangs were the scrappy underdogs, foregoing nine years of ACC media rights revenue just for a chance to compete in the conference. Now, the Mustangs are an established power in the league.
In its ACC debut in 2024, SMU seamlessly handled the competition. It finished 8-0 in league play, qualified for the ACC Championship Game, and clinched a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. The Mustangs were 43 seconds away from a second-straight ACC ******* le appearance in 2025, surrendering a late touchdown at California to shatter their CFP dreams. Still, the Mustangs channeled that heartbreak into a positive, securing their first bowl victory since 2012 with a Holiday Bowl triumph over Arizona.
Now, the chapter flips to 2026. SMU is 14-2 in regular season ACC games, with both losses coming on go-ahead scores in the final 50 seconds. Under fifth-year head coach Rhett Lashlee, the expectation has been made clear, and that's to compete for conference championships and playoff appearances on an annual basis.
That expectation is especially warranted this year, given that it's the final season of quarterback Kevin Jennings — the engineer behind SMU's 2023 American championship, 2024 ACC Championship Game appearance, 2024 CFP berth, and 2025 Holiday Bowl victory. The Mustangs look to add to this list of accomplishments before Jennings graduates, as the quest to bring an ACC crown to Texas continues.
Rhett Lashlee enters his fifth year as head coach of the Mustangs, owning a 38-16 overall record and a spectacular 27-5 mark in conference play. While Lashlee remains in Dallas, his two coordinators who arrived with him in 2022 both departed this winter.
#year #game
In its ACC debut in 2024, SMU seamlessly handled the competition. It finished 8-0 in league play, qualified for the ACC Championship Game, and clinched a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. The Mustangs were 43 seconds away from a second-straight ACC ******* le appearance in 2025, surrendering a late touchdown at California to shatter their CFP dreams. Still, the Mustangs channeled that heartbreak into a positive, securing their first bowl victory since 2012 with a Holiday Bowl triumph over Arizona.
Now, the chapter flips to 2026. SMU is 14-2 in regular season ACC games, with both losses coming on go-ahead scores in the final 50 seconds. Under fifth-year head coach Rhett Lashlee, the expectation has been made clear, and that's to compete for conference championships and playoff appearances on an annual basis.
That expectation is especially warranted this year, given that it's the final season of quarterback Kevin Jennings — the engineer behind SMU's 2023 American championship, 2024 ACC Championship Game appearance, 2024 CFP berth, and 2025 Holiday Bowl victory. The Mustangs look to add to this list of accomplishments before Jennings graduates, as the quest to bring an ACC crown to Texas continues.
Rhett Lashlee enters his fifth year as head coach of the Mustangs, owning a 38-16 overall record and a spectacular 27-5 mark in conference play. While Lashlee remains in Dallas, his two coordinators who arrived with him in 2022 both departed this winter.
#year #game
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