DALLAS (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for 350 yards with four touchdowns, three to Yamir Knight, and SMU scored on each of its first eight drives in a 51-28 win over Virginia Tech on Friday night.
The Mustangs (7-2, 5-2 ACC) got a big win in their push to make the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game for the second time in three seasons since joining the league. They are 12-0 in ACC home games.
Jennings, now 26-9 as SMU's starter, finished 24-of-32 passing while Knight had six catches for 103 yards. The Mustangs had a season-high 569 total yards, the most given up by the Hokies in their first season with coach James Franklin.
Jeffrey Overton had 123 yards rushing with two touchdowns for Virginia Tech (6-3, 3-3). Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 28 of 38 passes for 291 yards and a score.
The Mustangs were coming off a 30-27 loss at Syracuse, but picked up where they left off at home. They had scored touchdowns on seven consecutive drives in their last home two weeks ago, a 59-20 win over California after trailing at halftime.
Their eight scoring drives in a row this time included five touchdowns and three field goals by former SMU soccer player Brendan Baird (47, 26 and 50 yards). That scoring streak ended with 5:31 left when Jennings had a deflected pass intercepted by Hokies safety Brennan Johnson.
SMU led for good after Dramekco Green burst through up the middle for a 12-yard TD run to cap the game's opening drive. Kendrick Raphael also had a TD run.
It was 20-7 when Jennings hit wide-open Knight in stride at the 15 for a 46-yard TD with 6:09 left in the first half. That came on the first snap after edge rusher Marques White swatted the ball out of quarterback Grunkemeyer's hands and fell on the fumble.
White had two of the four sacks by the Mustangs, whose 151 since the start of 2023 are the most by any FBS team in that span.
Jennings and Knight hooked up for TDs of 13 and 5 yards after halftime, and Jalen Cooper had a 50-yard TD catch.
The takeaway
Virginia Tech: The Hokies were coming off an open date after back-to-back wins that followed their only two losses of the season. They did have 417 total yards.
SMU: The Mustangs, who played as an unranked team for the first time this season, are are 19-4 in ACC play since joining the league, the most wins by any team in that span. The only teams ahead of them in the league standings are No. 1 Miami (8-0, 5-0) and No. 14 Wake Forest (7-1, 5-1), who both play non-conference games Saturday. Wake Forest visits SMU next week.
Up next
Virginia Tech hosts Stanford on Nov. 14.
SMU plays its home finale Nov. 14 against Wake Forest.
