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SMU Avoids Boston College Upset

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kevin Jennings went 24-for-35 passing for 298 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 SMU held off visiting Boston College 38-28 in Atlantic Coast Conference action Saturday in Texas.

Jennings found three different receivers for touchdowns as the Mustangs (9-1, 6-0) remained unbeaten in their first ACC season. Jordan Hudson had seven catches for 99 yards and a score.

In his first start since Thomas Castellanos was benched and entered the transfer portal, Grayson James completed 18 of 32 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown for Boston College (5-5, 2-4).

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Kye Robichaux rushed for two touchdowns and 90 yards on 21 carries.

Boston College got back within 31-28 after Robichaux capped a 10-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown with 5:52 remaining in regulation. On its ensuing drive, though, James was sacked twice after a Jordan McDonald fourth-and-one conversion.

After the turnover on downs, Jennings found Key’Shawn Smith for a 5-yard score on fourth down to ice the game for SMU.

After Collin Rogers missed a 24-yard field goal at the end of an 11-play opening drive to the red zone, SMU forced a three-and-out and proceeded to score the first touchdown when Jennings completed a 15-yard pass to Roderick Daniels Jr. along the left side.

Boston College turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing drive before the teams combined to trade scores on each of the next four possessions, beginning with a Rogers 35-yard field goal late in the first.

James began to find his rhythm from there, as a 23-yard strike to Lewis Bond over the middle set up Robuchaux’s 2-yard touchdown run — capping a 13-play, 75-yard drive — with 9:49 left in the second.

Aided by a pass interference penalty on third down, the Mustangs responded with a 4-yard run by Brashard Smith to take a 17-7 lead.

James’ 13-yard strike to Kamari Morales with 1:03 left before halftime brought the Eagles within 17-14, but after both quarterbacks traded interceptions within a span of three plays, Rogers booted a 41-yard field goal as time expired.

The Eagles scored on an eight-play, 83-yard drive out of halftime as James reached the end zone on a 20-yard run, giving them their first lead at 21-20.

Halfway through the third, Jennings reversed the score again when he hit Hudson for a 38-yard touchdown and Brashard Smith added a 2-point conversion, completing a 1:53 drive.

After forcing another three-and-out, the Mustangs added Rogers’ 37-yard field goal with 4:02 left in the quarter to make it 31-21.

–Field Level Media

BC Hits High Note at Fenway

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Fenway Bowl: Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14

Thomas Castellanos rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Eagles rallied past the Mustangs in Boston.

Castellanos ran for 156 yards on 21 carries and logged 96 of his 102 passing yards in the second half to lead Boston College (7-6), which lost its last three regular-season games.

SMU (11-3), which had a nine-game winning streak snapped, was shut out 13-0 in the second half and gained just three first downs in the fourth quarter.

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Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 25 Kansas State 28, No. 18 NC State 19

Avery Johnson found Jayce Brown for an 11-yard touchdown to cap the clinching drive in the fourth quarter as No. 25 Kansas State defeated No. 18 North Carolina State 28-19 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Thursday in Orlando.

The Wildcats took the ball with 10:12 left in the fourth quarter and kept it for 7:24 on the decisive march, which lasted 15 plays and covered 72 yards.

Kansas State (9-4) had only one quarterback on the roster Thursday, limiting the Wildcats’ use of Johnson in the running game. He still finished with 71 yards on seven carries to go with 14-of-31 passing for 178 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

North Carolina State (9-4) was seeking its second 10-win season in program history (2002). Brennan Armstrong was 14 of 28 for 164 yards and one interception. He led the Wolfpack with 121 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground but ran for only 7 yards in the second half.

Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers 31, Miami 24

Kyle Monangai rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown, Gavin Wimsatt added two short scoring runs and the Scarlet Knights rallied in the second half to top the Hurricanes in New York.

Wimsatt completed 7 of 15 passes for 84 yards for Rutgers (7-6), which beat Miami for the first time in 12 meetings. It marked Rutgers’ first bowl victory since 2014.

Jacurri Brown was 20 of 31 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first start for the Hurricanes (7-6). He also ran for two touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

It’s SMU vs Virginia at Fenway Bowl

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The SMU Mustangs and University of Virginia Cavaliers will play each other in the inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park on Wednesday, December 29 at 11 a.m. ET, announced by ESPN this afternoon. The inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl, jointly produced by Fenway Sports Management and ESPN Events, will be nationally televised on ESPN. It will mark the first college football bowl game to be played at the historic home of the Boston Red Sox, and the first Division 1 bowl game to be held in New England.

“The Wasabi Fenway Bowl will be a new landmark sporting tradition New England can be proud of, and we could not be more excited to have these two outstanding teams participating in the inaugural game at historic Fenway Park on December 29,” said Michael Welts, CMO of Wasabi Technologies.

“Beyond the field, we are also honored to further the game’s philanthropic mission through the Honor Roll program, which recognizes the incredible efforts of educators to help students reach their full potential in and out of the classroom, while supporting access to quality education in our region. Not only will the Wasabi Fenway Bowl ignite a new passion for college sports in New England, it’s a tremendous opportunity to give back to our local community,” he said.

SMU will be playing its 19th bowl game in program history, after ending the season with an 8-4 record overall, going 4-4 in AAC play. The Mustangs were ranked in the top 25 for five weeks in 2021, reaching as high as No. 16, and feature one of the nation’s top offenses, led by record-setting quarterback Tanner Mordecai.

“Our student-athletes worked hard this season to reach our goal of making the post-season and this will provide a truly unique and first-of-its kind student-athlete experience in playing at Fenway Park against an ACC team,” said SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart.

Virginia enters the 2021 Bowl Season with a record of 6-6 (4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference). The 2021 Wasabi Fenway Bowl will be UVA’s 22nd bowl game appearance in program history. The matchup marks the first-ever meeting between SMU and Virginia. The Cavaliers will play their first game in the city of Boston since 2010 when they visited Boston College.

“We are pleased to be the Atlantic Coast Conference’s representative for the inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl,” said Virginia athletics director Carla Williams. “Playing at such a historic venue will be a special opportunity for our football program and a great experience for our fans. I am grateful for everything that Bronco Mendenhall has done to elevate our football program over the past six years and excited to see him be able to coach this team one more time. It will be a very special moment for everyone associated with Virginia football.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to coach my team one more time and it will be a remarkable experience to play a bowl game at Fenway Park,” “There are a handful of sporting arenas in the country that are as unique, historic and beloved as Fenway Park. So, the idea of coaching my last game at Virginia at a place like Fenway Park, I really like that,” said Virginia head football coach Bronco Mendenhall.

“At the beginning of the year, we set winning a bowl championship as one of our goals. We are going to plan a great experience for our team, enjoy our time in one of the most historic cities in our country and prepare really hard for the final time we will compete together,” he said.