Stanford Cardinal quarterback Elijah Brown (2) looks to pass against the SMU Mustangs in the first half at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Oct 19, 2024 (AP News photo)
By Michael Roberson
STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanfords Cardinal (2-5, 1-3 ACC) had no resistance for the Southern Methodist University Mustangs (6-1, 3-0 ACC), as they ran free all over the Bay Area stadium and campus, 40-10, in front of a crowd of just under 20,000 fans.
SMU wasted no time with their onslaught of the Cardinal, with an immediate TD pass for 87 yards and a quick 7-0 lead. Redshirt sophomore QB Kevin Jennings hit senior receiver Moochie Dixon for the first play of the contest scoring effort. The Mustangs were not finished scoring in the initial quarter.
Nearly 10 minutes later, SMU mounted another scoring drive via the air. Jennings tossed his second TD pass to senior WR Key ‘Shawn Smith for a 45-yard TD. Less than three minutes later, Jennings throws his third touchdown (38) pass of the quarter, this time with elusive grace and maneuverability.
After escaping the rush, he connected with junior tight end R.J. Maryland. With less than two minutes left in stanza one, SMU led 21-0. The quarter ended with the same score; however both teams committed crucial penalties to end the first 15-minute black of the ACC battle.
The second quarter started ominously for the Cardinal. Freshman QB Elijah Brown threw an interception. Fortunately for them , the Mustangs did not capitalize o the miscue. A few minutes later, Stanford forced a fumble on their punt, they recovered the ball on SMU’s 46 yard line. Nothing resulted from that opportunity, but they had another chance less than two minutes later.
The hot-armed Kevin Jennings threw an egregious interception on his own 14-yard line. Stanford parlayed that into an eventual touchdown, and got off of the proverbial goose egg and brought the score to a respectable 21-7. Brown threw an 18-yard pass to redshirt sophomore WR Elic Ayomanor to put them on the scoreboard.
The problem was, the Mustangs were not finished scoring before recess. They actually added 10 more points to their tally before the midway point of the game. Redshirt junior running back L.J. Johnson Jr. scampered five yards to paydirt, increasing their lead to 28-7. At the halftime whistle junior kicker Collin Rogers booted a 51-yard FG. At the half, SMU led 31-7.
Mustangs’ QB Kevin Jennings had an impressive 30 minutes of play: 244 passing yards, 3 TDs & an INT. Elijah Brown threw for 45 yards, with a TD and INT.
In the second half, Stanford’s first drive stalled and they had to punt. Fortunately for them, SMU fumbled again on a punt return. Stanford was able to take advantage of the error and get points out of the turnover. Senior kicker Emmet Kenney converted a 42-yarder to bring the team within three touchdowns, 31-10. The score stayed the same after 45 minutes of regulation, but Stafford sacked Jennings right at the end of quarter number three.
The Dallas Area Equines had an interesting start to the fourth quarter. They missed a field goal attempt and intercepted a pass within the first minute of the final quarter. Less than three minutes later, they had Stanford penned down on their own goalline, and the inevitable happened. Elijah Brown was sacked in the endzone for a safety. Two more points on the docket for the Mustangs, and they led 33-10 with nearly 12 minutes left in the game.
For good measure and to have a nice round number on the scoreboard, the visitors from Texas added another touchdown to their already impressive total. 40-10, with 5:03 left in the game, on a 2-yard plunge by L.J. Johnson, for his second rushing TD.
The only suspense left after that last score was how long will it take for the scoreboard to reach triple-zeros? After 60 minutes, SMU 40, Stanford 10.Elic Ayomanor caught 4 passes for 55 yards and a TD.
SMU’s Kevin Jennings was 17-27, 3 TD’s & INT, while LJ Johnson Jr. rushed for 45 yards and scored 2 TDs.
Stanford is next in action Saturday, October 26. They will host Wake Forest at 12:30pm PDT on the ACC Network. SMU heads to North Carolina to take on Duke, also on Saturday, October 26, at 5:00pm EST on the ACC Network
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