Happy Valley welcomed the SMU Mustangs in the most traditional way possible. From the jump, the Nittany Lions controlled all aspects of the game. No. 6 Penn State defeated No. 11 SMU in a brutal 38-10 beatdown.
This victory not only cements Penn State’s first-ever home Playoff win, but also a trip to Glendale Arizona. Penn State will face the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31, at 5:30 PM EST.
How the Nittany Lions got to this point was accredited to an 11-2 season with losses only to #8 Ohio State and #1 Oregon in the Big-Ten Championship. Many were skeptical of Penn State with the notable track record of head coach James Franklin in big games. Against top-5 opponents, Franklin is just 1-13, against top-25 opponents he is 13-27.
Despite these numbers, Franklin had his boys ready to play. Penn State wreaked havoc out of the gate and did not look back. It all started defensively, where Penn State took a two-score lead courtesy of Kevin Jennings. However, Penn State’s defensive scheme was nothing too special.
For some, the Mustangs were considered to be “lucky” to have made the Playoffs. After a devastating loss in the ACC Championship against Clemson, the committee treated the Mustangs with a chance of redemption. Any task that involves defeating Penn State in Happy Valley is nothing to overlook. The chances were certainly against Rhett Lashlee and his destined team.
Possibly the biggest scar that came out of the ACC Championship was the exposure of Kevin Jennings. As someone who has flown under the radar, and has uplifted SMU to an astonishing successful season, Jennings has quite a few flaws. If those flaws are exposed properly, SMU will have many vulnerabilities.
It all started with Abdul Carter. The Penn State defense is built around number 11, who does just about everything. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen saw his game plan come to fruition as Carter was the man behind the steering wheel.
SMU’s first drive was likely one of its best. The offense displayed a hurry-up style and fast-paced system, and it worked. The Mustangs had Penn State playing on its heels, and as a result, the team quickly worked its way near the end zone. On a 4th and 1, Lashlee left the offense on the field, and the team failed to convert after Kevin Jennings attempted to pass the ball on an easy scramble that could have been a first down.
This was the start of a rough, rough day for Jennings behind center. This decision alone did not cost the game, but it did strip valuable points off the board. The following decisions weren’t much better. In fact, they proved to be even more costly as Jennings ended up tossing two pick-six interceptions to give Penn State an early 14-0 lead.
From here, the climb back up was very steep. There was some talk of benching Kevin Jennings, but that never came about. The truth of the matter is that Penn State owned the line of scrimmage.
In hindsight, SMU played a solid game defensively. Offensively, Jennings' early woes cost the Mustangs a major price. Penn State did not entirely close the door until the later end of the second quarter which prompted a 28-0 halftime lead.
SMU just did not respond accordingly. In addition to all the disruption up front, the Nittany Lions did not allow any down-field separation. Jennings was often sprinting for his life in the pocket and dancing around, but that did not make things much better. Aside from this, the Mustangs’ run game was also tough to come by. LJ Johnson had a few good runs, but there wasn’t much to work with upfront.
Why SMU abandoned the fast-paced offense was a bit of a mystery. The screen passes were also a sneaky success for Jennings early on. The Mustangs had to pull off some trickery if they wanted a real shot, and the execution wasn’t there. Mano y mano, this was all Penn State. Between the lines, Penn State played a much more physical brand of football and it showed.
The Nittany Lions scored 38 points without a single passing touchdown and only 325 yards of total offense. For reference, SMU had 195 passing yards while Penn State accounted for just 136 passing yards. However, the ground and pound was effective for Penn State as Kaytron Allen finished with 70 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, while Nick Singleton added 90 rushing yards and a touchdown.
With one final statement: The negative connotation that SMU did not deserve to be here is almost a mark of blasphemy. Throughout the regular season, I was largely impressed with the Mustangs and how well the team responded to the ACC. Granted, once again, the schedule was not the strongest. But you win the games that are in front of you, and that is what SMU did.
I do not believe we nearly saw the best depiction of the 2024 SMU Mustangs. But to say they did not deserve it is a dense statement. I’m just wondering what the final score looks like if SMU scores on the first drive, and Jennings doesn't throw two pick-six interceptions (three total). Momentum means everything in the Playoffs.