SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings was ready to roll Saturday in the Mustangs’ road game against No. 22 Louisville, and he put up some standout first-half numbers — including more total yards on his own than the Cardinals’ offense.
The sophomore quarterback completed 13-of-15 passes in the first half for 149 yards and added 108 yards on the ground on seven carries with a rushing, including a jaw-dropping 59-yard touchdown run to give SMU a 21-10 lead midway through the second quarter.
Jennings — who even even briefly left the game in the first quarter after being injured on a 22-yard run, as the Louisville Courier Journal noted — finished the first half with 257 total yards, and the Mustangs had a 24-13 lead at the break. Jennings literally accounted for about 90 percent of SMU’s 284 first-half yards.
KJ WITH THE SHIFTY 59-YARD RUN TO THE HOUSE ON 3RD AND 2 😳🔥
📺 @ESPN x @SMUFB pic.twitter.com/Rz8tW3Jf0n
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 5, 2024
In comparison, Louisville as a whole finished the first half with 177 yards, 144 of which were thrown by quarterback Tyler Shough. The Cardinals had 33 rushing yards in the first 30 minutes, but with Jennings rushing for almost as many yards in this game’s first half as he had on the season through Week 5 (149 yards), they just couldn’t keep up.
College football fans, Louisville ones likely aside, were absolutely stunned and loved Jennings’ first half performance.
UPDATE: SMU won, 34-27.
How Twitter reacted to Kevin Jennings’ first half against Louisville
I will be betting SMU’s Kevin Jennings to win the Heisman in 2025
He’s got the goods
pic.twitter.com/NaY8CXUgL3— Evan (aka Ebo) (@EBoKnowss) October 5, 2024
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) October 5, 2024
Kevin Jennings with the 59 yard rushing touchdown!
SMU up 21-10 at Louisville. pic.twitter.com/wWq8Mh3jvy
— Backyard Catch (@BackyardCatch) October 5, 2024
Kevin Jennings doing Lamar Jackson things today at Louisville. So fitting. https://t.co/HdTdSL4fYx
— Lia Assimakopoulos (@Lassimak) October 5, 2024
SMU is a BLAST to watch play football. Kevin Jennings is a freaking horse.
— Corby Davidson (@corbydavidson) October 5, 2024
I don’t think @SMUFB will be rotating QB’s much anymore. Goodness gracious Kevin Jennings is coming into his own. Running/throwing. Balla!!!
SMU still very much in the playoff convo.— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) October 5, 2024
Kevin Jennings had 149 rushing yards on the year. He has 108 in the first half.
— Keith Wynne (@Keith_Wynne) October 5, 2024
need all of y’all who doubted Kevin Jennings to apologize rn
— maddie (@maddie__41) October 5, 2024
Kevin Jennings is HIM pic.twitter.com/x28mMjDWLL
— Texas Football Life (@txfblife) October 5, 2024
Kevin Jennings in the first half vs. Louisville:
▪️ 13/15
▪️ 149 Pass YDS
▪️ 108 Rush YDS
▪️ 1 TD pic.twitter.com/pQPfha4cAy— theScore Bet (@theScoreBet) October 5, 2024
SMU might be a wagon. https://t.co/mIkzrTBXFZ
— Sons of Saturday Podcast (@SonsofSatVT) October 5, 2024
Them ponies!!! https://t.co/v0ErXHtVaw
— Trey 🏆RANGERS 2023 WORLD CHAMPIONS 💍 (@YungTrey_23) October 5, 2024
