Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 464 yards as SMU piled up 592 yards of offense and rallied past Missouri State for a 34-24 home victory.
SMU's offense made things considerably harder than necessary Saturday night, but once Kevin Jennings found his rhythm, Missouri State couldn't do much to stop the Mustangs.
No. 22 SMU overcame an ugly opening quarter and a 10-point deficit to beat Missouri State 34-24 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, riding a massive offensive performance that produced 592 total yards and 29 first downs.
Jennings was the centerpiece.
The veteran quarterback completed 33 of 39 passes for a career-high 464 yards and three touchdowns, finishing at an 84.6 percent completion rate. He also completed a school-record 21 consecutive passes and added a rushing touchdown.
By the end of the night, Jennings had become SMU's career leader in passing yards with 9,162, career completions with 722 and touchdowns responsible for with 78.
That's a pretty productive night.
SMU needed nearly all of it after two first-quarter turnovers helped Missouri State build a 10-0 advantage, including a Jennings interception that Joel Boamah returned 60 yards for a touchdown.
The Mustangs responded by scoring touchdowns on three consecutive possessions.
Kendrick Raphael started the comeback with a 1-yard touchdown run and finished with 98 rushing yards on 23 carries.
Jennings then connected with tight end Theo Melin Ohrstrom for a 19-yard score just before halftime before running for another 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
The passing game exploded from there.
Yamir Knight delivered a career night with 11 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown, while Jalen Cooper added career highs with eight catches for 125 yards. Ohrstrom caught two touchdown passes, including a 23-yarder in the fourth quarter.
SMU finished with 10 explosive plays and averaged 7.5 yards per snap while converting eight of 12 third downs.
There were still problems. Two turnovers, 12 penalties for 111 yards and two missed field goals kept Missouri State hanging around much longer than SMU would've wanted.
But offensively, the Mustangs showed just how dangerous they can be.
After falling behind 10-0, Jennings and company essentially took over the game ... and SMU will take a 3-1 record into next Saturday's ACC home opener against Boston College.
