SMU Pulls Away from Virginia on Three Kicks and a Long Pass
Brendan Baird kicked three field goals for SMU (23, 45 and 26 yards), and the Mustangs needed all of them to hold off Virginia, 23-13.
Virginia had the first lead. Beau Pribula ran in from a yard out with 11:27 left in the second quarter for 7-3. Kevin Jennings answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Randy Pittman Jr. Will Bettridge's 47-yard field goal with 0:25 left tied it at 10, and Baird's 45-yarder as the half expired put SMU back in front 13-10.
Baird added another in the third quarter for 16-10, Bettridge cut it to 16-13 with a 43-yarder with 0:24 left in the quarter, and that was the end of Virginia's scoring. Early in the fourth, Jennings threw 37 yards to Jalen Hale, a touchdown that made it 23-13 with 12:22 to play. Neither team scored again.
SMU outgained Virginia 406 yards to 258, and Jennings threw for 246 yards while Virginia's passing game managed 137. Virginia lost a fumble, and neither team threw an interception. SMU is 5-1 and Virginia is 4-3.
Take away Hale's touchdown and the Mustangs win 16-13, a one-score game decided by a field goal. That is how close this stayed for three quarters (the lead was never more than six until that catch).
On the fantasy side, Jennings's 24.4 points were below his 32.0 per-game average for the year. Hale, who had averaged 2.3 over his last three, had the best game of his season off one touchdown. Each defense finished with one sack, so the quarterbacks had time to throw.