DALLAS, TEXAS — It was a “frustrating” game for Southern Methodist University, according to head coach Rhett Lashlee—its first of 10-straight power opponents, ending in a 18-15 loss to the Big 12’s Brigham Young Cougars.
SMU (2-1) dropped its first game of the 2024 campaign, and fifth in five meetings with BYU (2-0).
“Every game we play this year is going to be similar to this,” Lashlee warned. “The guy calling the plays… didn’t get it done,” he said, pointing at himself.
Starting quarterback Preston Stone only played three drives in the first quarter—Stone getting sacked in both of the first two drives, and all of them three-and-outs. QB Kevin Jennings got the rest of the reps.
“We went into the game with the plan of predominantly playing Preston,” Lashlee said. “We weren’t going to go back-and-forth, it’s not fair to the guys…. The first two drives were really poor, [but] I don’t think the first two drives were on Preston by any means… [We] went with the way the game was going.”
The Cougars scored first, BYU’s Jake Retzlaff completing a pass to Mata’ava Ta’ase for 16 yards. Will Ferring’s point-after-touchdown was good.
SMU got on the board in the second quarter when kicker Collin Rogers kicked a career long 53-yard field goal. He hit a second one, this time from the 52-yard line, then a third one to make it 9-7, in favor of the Mustangs, heading into the half.
Rogers hit another field goal in the third quarter—with that field goal, Rogers tied a program record with four made field goals in a game. He also did it last year, at Tulane in the conference championship.
But at the end of the third, BYU’s running back Enoch Nawahine scored his first career touchdown, and the Cougars got the two-point conversion when BYU went for 2 and running back Keanu Hill hauled it in, making it 12-15, BYU.
Rogers’ fifth field goal of the night, with just over six minutes left to go in the fourth quarter, set SMU’s single-game program record. It was his 44th career made field goal, which ties SMU’s career record. He is just the second Mustang with multiple 50 or more yard field goals in a game; Thomas Morstead hit 52 and 50 at Tulsa in 2007.
There was one more field goal to close out the night, for BYU with just under two minutes to go; the final score of 15-18 sealed the deal for the Cougars’ second win of the season.
“For whoever is coming next, we’re going to make sure we fix what we [need] to fix,” Wilson said.
“It’s disappointing to lose… especially when your players play as hard as they do…” Lashlee said. “We got inside the 30-yard line and didn’t score touchdowns, it’s as simple as that.”
A bye week separates the Mustangs from the Horned Frogs and the Iron Skillet Rivalry, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21.
