SMU rolls past Houston Christian 59-7 in 1st home game since joining ACC

DALLAS (AP) — Brashard Smith ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns, 348-pound nose tackle Anthony Booker Jr. returned a fumble for a score and SMU routed FCS member Houston Christian 59-7 on Saturday night.

Preston Stone threw for two TDs and Kevin Jennings had one passing and one rushing as the quarterbacks split time in the first home game for SMU (2-0) since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference.

After starting with a three-and-out, the Mustangs scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions of their own — and one of Houston Christian's.

Jahfari Harvey crunched CJ Rogers in the chest late in the first quarter, the ball squirted loose as the QB was being slammed to the turf and Booker scooped it up and rumbled 16 yards for a 28-0 SMU lead.

The lead was 42-7 with five minutes left in the first half a week after the Mustangs were three-touchdown favorites but didn't lead until the final two minutes of a 29-24 victory at Nevada.

“It was a great start. The defense had a lot to do with that,” coach Rhett Lashlee said after SMU's ninth consecutive home victory. “The second quarter we had a little bit of a lull. We told them at halftime we've got to be a finishing team. They did a nice job of finishing and not letting their guard down.”

The Huskies (0-1) got a 10-yard touchdown catch from Deuce McMillan but averaged just 3 yards per play with 10 first downs and had three turnovers in coach Jason Bachtel's debut.

“I think the biggest thing that our kids said is that it was just a faster speed of the ballgame,” Bachtel said. “The same kids who went to Western Kentucky last year and played came out to this field and said, ‘Coach, this is the fastest thing we’ve seen.’ And it should be. They’re going to a quality ACC football team.”

Jordan Hudson, Jake Bailey and Key'Shawn Smith had a touchdown catch apiece, starting with Hudson's 28-yarder a play after Brashard Smith's 47-yard run. Key'Shawn Smith's 35-yard score was his only catch.

The takeaway

Houston Christian: Rogers, a transfer who started his career at Baylor and played two seasons at Texas State, didn't return after going down hard on his lost fumble. Rogers won a Texas high school championship at Argyle in 2020 with Bachtel as his offensive coordinator. Cutter Stewart started before Rogers played two series and was 10 of 25 for 118 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

SMU: The Mustangs didn't really need anything from TE RJ Maryland. So he had a quiet night (one catch for 11 yards) after setting career highs with eight catches for 162 yards and the go-ahead 34-yard TD with 1:18 remaining against Nevada. SMU had at least seven receivers catch a pass in a 19th consecutive game.

Running away

The Mustangs finished with 595 yards total offense, including 369 rushing. It was their most on the ground since 2019. Freshman Derrick McFall was one of four with at least 50 yards rushing, getting 69 and a touchdown on 16 carries in the first game of his career.

Up next

Houston Christian: Home opener against Tarleton State next Saturday.

SMU: A visit from BYU on Friday is the second of four consecutive home games.

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Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press