DALLAS, Texas – In their final home game of the season, SMU beat the Memphis Tigers with a final score of 34 to 31. It was senior day for the Mustangs, who honored 19 seniors during their pregame ceremony.
Quarterback Tanner Mordecai, who announced earlier this week that he would be going pro after this season, suffered a hit late in the second quarter. He was able to walk off the field, but remained in the medical tent just until the end of the second quarter, which gave Kevin Jennings playing time. After the game, Head Coach Rhett Lashlee told members of the media that he trusts Kevin, and is proud of how he came in and played today.
“Kevin was playing well, he hit Rashee on the big one and then Goffney on the third down conversion,” Lashlee said. “I just felt like we had some rhythm.”
Senior Receiver Rashee Rice had a monumental night, setting the Emmanuel Sanders record for most receiving yards in a single season at SMU. The previous record was set by Sanders in 2009 with 1,339 yards, which Rice surpassed on Saturday with 1,355 yards.
“Emmanuel Sanders had that record for a while, and I plan on having that record for a while,” Rice said. “It’s just all hitting me now.”
An ongoing theme for the Mustang defense this season has been their inability to stop the run game. However, on Saturday, the defense came out with a renewed fire. Defensive back Brandon Crossley, who sealed the game with an in-zone interception, told the media that how he and his defense played on Saturday, was exactly how they wanted to finish senior night.
“Everybody on defense has been up and down all year with different emotions,” Crossley said. “So it just felt real good to bring it out for the seniors and finish strong.”
The Mustangs finished their season 7-5, and are awaiting an invitation to a bowl game.
