BYU beats SMU 18-15 to end high-scoring ACC newcomer Mustangs’ 9-game win streak at home

DALLAS — Will Ferrin kicked a 26-yard field goal with 1:58 left after BYU had two big fourth-down runs as the Cougars beat SMU 18-15 on Friday night, ending the Mustangs’ nine-game home winning streak.

The game-winning kick came on the same drive when Miles Davis took a quick pitch on a fourth-and-1 near midfield and ran 37 yards to the Mustangs’ 15.

Enoch Nawahine ran for a 9-yard touchdown on fourth down before a 2-point conversion late in the third quarter for a 15-12 lead, though the Big 12 Cougars (2-0) failed to capitalize on two SMU turnovers in the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs (2-1) had last lost at home to Cincinnati on Oct. 22, 2022. They averaged 53.9 points in their longest home winning streak since 1948, twice scoring 69 points and putting up 77 in another one. Their lowest-scoring game in that streak was 34.

Collin Rogers set a single-game SMU record with five field goals, including a 45-yarder with 6:17 left that tied the game. He also had kicks of 53, 52, 38 and 28 yards as he pushed his career total to 44, tying for the most in Mustangs history.

Jake Retzlaff threw for 202 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for BYU.

SMU starting quarterback Preston Stone played only three drives, all three-and-outs before halftime that lost a combined 24 yards with him sacked once on each of those possessions. Kevin Jennings was 15-of-32 passing for 140 yards and ran nine times for 38 yards.

Early in the fourth quarter, Jennings was first picked off at the BYU 17 by Marque Collins, though the Mustangs got it back three plays later when Retzlaff made a sidearm throw right into the chest of 294-pound defensive tackle Jared Harrison-Hunte, who returned the interception to the 3.

The Mustangs had a penalty before Brashard Smith took a direct snap and lost the ball while being tackled at the end of a 5-yard run. BYU recovered at its own 8 with 11 1/2 minutes left before exiting with its sixth three-and-out of the night. SMU drove for its fifth and final field goal.

The Cougars went up 7-0 midway through the first quarter on tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase’s 16-yard TD catch.

BYU trailed 9-7 at halftime after Ferrin was wide left on a 55-yard kick as time expired.

BYU: The Cougars are now 7-7 since joining the Big 12 after playing 13 seasons as an independent. They have a 5-0 series record against SMU.

SMU: The more mobile Jennings certainly provided some sparks with his ability to avoid defenders and make some short completions, but wasn’t able to finish drives in the end zone. The Mustangs went 72 yards in 11 plays on their third series after he came in for the first time, but had an incompletion in the end zone on fourth-and-1 from the 6. … Stone had 3,197 yards and 27 TDs passing last season. Through three games this year, he has 336 yards and three TDs.

BYU: Plays at Wyoming on Sept. 14.

SMU: Has an open date before its Sept. 21 game at home against TCU, the Big 12 rival located only 40 miles away on the other side of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.