Kevin Jennings, No. 19 SMU purpose to maintain rolling towards Syracuse

Kevin Jennings is probably the most prolific passer in class historical past, and his robust season is placing SMU in good place to seem within the ACC championship recreation for the second time in three years.

After one other productive exhibiting final week, Jennings hopes to steer Nineteenth-ranked SMU to a fifth straight victory when the Mustangs go to Syracuse on Saturday afternoon.

“I am undoubtedly excited,” Jennings stated. “I’ve heard rather a lot about Syracuse, the dome, how good it’s. I am very excited to rise up there and play in a fantastic ambiance.”

Jennings was already the college record-holder for passing yards and completions earlier than he ended a 59-20 drubbing of California final week with three touchdowns to achieve a school-record 74 for his profession. The Mustangs (6-1, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Convention) trailed 20-17 at halftime earlier than scoring touchdowns on their first six second-half drives whereas pitching a second-half shutout.

SMU is tied with Wake Forest for second within the ACC, one recreation behind Miami, and holds a one-game lead on Virginia Tech and Louisville.

Since a 41-31 loss at Louisville on Sept. 19, Jennings has accomplished 71.9% of his passes (92 of 128) and thrown for 1,073 yards and 10 TDs. He’s second within the ACC behind Miami’s Darian Mensah in completion proportion (72.6%), landing passes (19) and passing yards per recreation (294.6).

“He is a Heisman-candidate sort of man, for my part,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown stated of Jennings.

Syracuse (3-4, 1-4) misplaced its first 4 convention video games with three of these losses coming by one rating. The Orange lastly ended their convention skid with a 31-30 additional time win at North Carolina final Saturday.

“Should you have a look at the final three weeks, they’re taking part in their greatest ball,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee stated. “They obtained a whole lot of confidence from (after they) actually had Virginia on the ropes on the street and allow them to off the hook, then had Louisville on the ropes at house after which put all of it collectively final week and beat a superb North Carolina group. So we will get their greatest and we have to go discover a option to win on the street.”

Steve Angeli, who missed the earlier three video games to get therapy on his Achilles, threw a game-winning TD and two-point conversion to Calvin Russell III in additional time and was 20-for-34 for 256 yards and two TDs, together with a 76-yard TD to Umari Hatcher.

“I used to be simply pleased together with his management and his toughness,” Brown stated. ” … He is nonetheless a child, however he is mature. We’re all emotional once we cannot play a recreation that we love. I believe when he needed to sit out the final couple weeks, it was blended emotions for him. … For him, with the ability to go on the market and show to himself, I do know who I’m and I do know I can do that and get this completed, meant rather a lot.”

Angeli is hoping to take care of his chemistry with Russell and Hatcher. Russell had eight receptions for a season-high 86 yards towards North Carolina, whereas Hatcher had his fourth straight 100-yard recreation with 4 catches for 103 yards.

–Discipline Stage Media