SMU Mustangs rein in the Nevada Wolf Pack to avoid Week 0 upset on the road

What a rocky start to the ACC's 2024 college football season.

The highest ranked ACC member, No. 10 Florida State, was downright smothered by the fellow ACC member Georgia Tech in the season opener to kick off the day.

Nearly eight hours after the Seminoles and the Yellow Jackets started their matchup, the SMU Mustangs, a new member of the conference, kicked off in Reno, NV.

Ahead of the game, the Mustangs were 24.5-point favorites over the Nevada Wolf Pack, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

However, as the first quarter came to an end, the second quarter crept along, and the third quarter unfolded, the Mustangs looked like they were in shock.

At the end of the third quarter, Nevada led SMU 24-13 and the Mustangs seemingly had no answer for the Wolf Pack's offense.

Utilizing two quarterbacks, SMU was struggling to complete passes or gain any yardage on the ground.

Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings, the Mustangs' captains and QBs, combined for just 21 completions on 35 attempts throughout the entirety of the game.

Luckily for SMU, and the ACC, Stone seemed to find his footing during the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs came roaring back to life as the play clock dwindled.

More than doubling their points total, SMU was relentless on the offensive side of the ball during the final period of regulation.

Stone and the Mustangs amassed 16 points in the last fifteen minutes and the SMU defense seemed revitalized as well, holding Nevada scoreless in the fourth.

After a tumultuous 60 minutes, the Mustangs walked away with a 5-point victory over the Wolf Pack to bring the ACC's overall record to 2-1 so far this season.

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