Billions of {dollars} should purchase numerous issues. It could assist revive a soccer program and get your alma mater into a much bigger convention. It could purchase a non-public jet. However it will probably’t clear extra space at a tiny regional airport.
SMU donor Invoice Armstrong’s final identify is on the workforce’s indoor apply facility. His airplane, which included two-time U.S. Open champion golfer Bryson DeChambeau and former Mustangs star operating again Craig James, left Dallas round 6:30 a.m. CT for State Faculty, Pa. However upon arrival, it was diverted to Williamsport, as have been another SMU personal planes. The airport was full.
If you happen to imagine in harbingers, this was an ominous one, the boundaries of SMU’s cash on show. From a celebration bus on the drive to the stadium, a number of SMU donors and former gamers watched on their telephones as quarterback Kevin Jennings threw two choose sixes. By the point they arrived at Beaver Stadium, the rating was 21-0, the sport all however over.
“Nonetheless a fantastic season,” Armstrong stated after the sport, pulling gloves out of his pocket and refusing to get too down. To him, there was little doubt that the 11-win Mustangs belonged right here.
The ultimate rating was 38-10. Because the final at-large workforce within the area, the discourse over Faculty Soccer Playoff blowouts and choice committee selections turned to SMU, at some point after Indiana was manhandled by Notre Dame.
On show at Penn State was the distinction between being a CFP darling, a enjoyable story, and a CFP contender. It’s a niche so typically uncovered at this stage of the season.
“We didn’t play properly sufficient to say something that isn’t going to be written,” head coach Rhett Lashlee stated. “It’ll be written, ought to we be in or did we belong? That’s effective. You’re welcome to write down it. We didn’t play good at present. However this can be a high quality workforce. We had a great workforce. We should be right here. We earned the appropriate to be right here. I’m dissatisfied we didn’t play to the extent that validates that.”
What’s too unhealthy is SMU didn’t even give itself an opportunity. Earlier than kickoff, Lashlee informed the printed his workforce needed to keep away from a nasty begin prefer it’d had within the ACC Championship Recreation towards Clemson, when Jennings had two unhealthy turnovers.
What occurred this time? First, Jennings missed a wide-open Matthew Hibner ultimately zone on what ought to’ve been a fourth-down landing to cap SMU’s opening drive. On the second drive, Jennings threw a choose six, lacking a brief throw out of the backfield. On the fourth drive, Jennings threw one other choose six, a determined try to make a play on third down as an alternative of throwing the ball away.
SMU was down 14-0 regardless of enjoying fairly properly in any other case and holding up within the trenches. The protection to that time had been stout.
“That form of shell-shocked us somewhat bit,” Lashlee stated of the turnover scores.
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Jennings has been turnover-prone. He had 5 towards Duke, however the Mustangs rallied to win that one. SMU additionally rallied from his two turnovers towards Clemson to tie issues up late. However Penn State is one other stage up in competitors.
“We don’t have an Abdul Carter,” Lashlee stated, referring to Penn State’s All-America edge rusher who was within the backfield continuously and did greater than his two tackles for loss point out, continuously sending Jennings out of the pocket. Penn State’s protection completed with 11 tackles for loss.
For his half, Jennings stated his early miss ultimately zone didn’t linger in his head and result in the interceptions. Lashlee blamed the second quarter tipped crimson zone interception on himself, saying he ought to’ve simply referred to as a operating play. Jennings blamed himself.
“I made errors thrice and gave them the ball with careless errors,” the usually quiet Jennings stated. “I didn’t deal with the ball.”
Requested if he thought-about changing Jennings with backup Preston Stone, Lashlee didn’t point out it ever got here up till the fourth quarter. Stone, who was the Mustangs’ beginning quarterback final yr and at first of this yr, entered the switch portal earlier this month however had stayed with the SMU workforce. When Lashlee pulled Jennings late, everybody determined they didn’t need Stone to get damage on his manner out at that time within the recreation, the coach stated. After the ultimate horn sounded, a number of stories emerged that Stone was heading to Northwestern.
A 38-10 recreation will not be shut, neither is it aggressive. Penn State was clearly the higher workforce, one which will likely be favored to win the Fiesta Bowl towards No. 3 seed Boise State. However SMU completed with extra first downs and held PSU to five.0 yards per play, although the quantity of rubbish time definitely factored into these respectable stats.
SMU scored simply three factors on 4 crimson zone journeys and gave away 14 factors on the interception return touchdowns. It’s why Lashlee was so annoyed. He is aware of the way it appears to be like. He can’t argue in any other case.
“Persons are going to see 38-10 or (28-0 at) halftime and say they don’t belong, however the two choose sixes and we had our alternatives,” he stated. “We don’t have anyone guilty however ourselves. It ought to’ve been a great defensive wrestle within the 20s. We didn’t try this.”
SMU lengthy felt that if it simply received an influence convention invitation, it will present it belonged. The Mustangs confirmed they belonged within the ACC, going 8-0 in convention play. However they didn’t present they’re prepared for this stage but. Nittany Lions coach James Franklin takes numerous warmth from followers and detractors for not successful the large video games, however he nearly all the time wins the video games wherein Penn State has extra expertise.
Underdog tales usually finish with a thud within the CFP, and SMU and Indiana be part of an inventory that features Cincinnati, TCU and others. High-level expertise wins ultimately, and SMU doesn’t have that but.
Lashlee and SMU will spend the following months listening to people who say SMU shouldn’t have been within the CFP, that Alabama deserved the spot (although Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe’s three-interception efficiency in a 21-point loss to 6-6 Oklahoma in mid-November was practically precisely the identical as Jennings’ at Penn State). That’s what comes with this stage.
SMU discovered itself right here for the primary time and didn’t ship. Because the get together bus headed again to Williamsport and the personal planes flew again to Dallas, SMU’s coaches, gamers and billionaires left with a transparent imaginative and prescient of simply how far they nonetheless should go.
(Photograph: Mitchell Leff / Getty Pictures)
