SMU 51, Virginia Tech 28: Jennings and Knight pull away after halftime

SMU led by nine at halftime and turned it into a rout in the third quarter. Kevin Jennings threw for 350 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to Yamir Knight, and the Mustangs scored 21 unanswered points after the break to beat Virginia Tech 51-28 on Friday night at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

SMU moves to 7-2 and gets back on track after a 30-27 loss at Syracuse. Virginia Tech falls to 6-3, ending a two-game run that included a 20-16 win at Clemson.

How it was won

SMU struck first on a 12-yard run by D. Green and added a 47-yard field goal from B. Baird for a 10-0 lead after one quarter.

Virginia Tech answered early in the second when Ethan Grunkemeyer ran in from 1 yard. From there the half went back and forth. Baird hit from 26, Jennings found Knight for a 46-yard score, and Jeffrey Overton Jr. broke a 22-yard touchdown run to cut it to 20-14. Baird closed the half with a 50-yard field goal with three seconds left, making it 23-14.

The third quarter decided it. Kendrick Raphael ran in from 3 yards, and Jennings hit Knight again from 13 out for a 37-14 lead. Knight's third touchdown, a 5-yarder early in the fourth, made it 44-14.

Virginia Tech scored twice late. Overton ran in from 2 and Grunkemeyer ran in the two-point try, then Grunkemeyer found Q. Brown from 3 yards, though the conversion failed. SMU answered 17 seconds later with a 50-yard Jennings pass to Jalen Cooper.

The box score matched the scoreboard. SMU outgained Virginia Tech 569 to 417, with 350 passing yards and 219 rushing. The Mustangs converted 8 of 12 third downs and turned it over once to the Hokies' two.

• Jennings: 24 of 32, 350 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
• Knight: 6 catches, 103 yards, 3 TD
• Cooper: 5 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD
• Christian Rhodes: 7 carries, 92 yards
• Raphael: 15 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD

Virginia Tech moved the ball reasonably well, going 7 of 12 on third down. Grunkemeyer completed 28 of 38 for 291 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Overton carried 13 times for 123 yards and two scores. Luke Reynolds caught six passes for 67 yards and Ayden Greene added two for 49. The gap was finishing drives: SMU kept scoring touchdowns while the Hokies went more than a quarter and a half without points after halftime.

Against the number

SMU closed as a 6-point favorite and won by 23, a comfortable cover. The Mustangs held a lead of more than six from the final seconds of the first half on.

The total closed at 57.5 and 79 points were scored, so the over cashed. It went over on Knight's 5-yard touchdown with 9:21 left, which made it 44-14.

On the moneyline, SMU closed at -218 and Virginia Tech at +180. The favorite won outright. Closing odds and the full market history are on the game page.

What's next

The schedule data we have does not yet list either team's next opponent. SMU, now 7-2, has won two of its last three. Virginia Tech, now 6-3, will look to recover from its most lopsided loss of the season. We will post both games, with prices, once they are on the board.