DALLAS (FWAA) – The SMU Mustangs upset No. 10 Miami, 26-20, in overtime Saturday with a dramatic final-minute rally, taking a win over its highest-ranked opponent since the 1983 Cotton Bowl. For a career-high performance from its quarterback and winning at home against its highest-ranked opponent since 2016, SMU earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 1, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the third time for SMU (6-3, 4-1 in the ACC) to receive the award by the FWAA and the first time since 2019 when it won at No. 22 Louisville, 34-27, the first weekend of October.
SMU running back T. J. Harden ran in from a yard out in overtime for the game-winning score, setting off an on-field frenzy for players and fans coming out of the stands. But it was safety Ahmaad Moses who set up the dramatics with an interception on Miami’s possession to open overtime, also at the 1-yard line. Both plays helped SMU win its 13th consecutive home conference game, a program record.
Moses was a defensive catalyst for SMU with two interceptions and a career-high 15 tackles, two of them for losses. Moses’ first interception set SMU up for its first score when he picked off a tipped ball at the Miami 43-yard line and returned it to the Hurricanes’ 28. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings hit Yamir Knight with a touchdown pass on the next play to tie the game at 7-7.
SMU set up the overtime taking advantage of a personal foul call on Miami as it faced 4th-and-9 at its own 48 with 1:08 left. Sam Keltner finished the drive with a 38-yard field goal with 25 seconds left in regulation for a 20-20 tie.
As the Mustangs struggled to run the ball effectively – they had negative rushing yards until gaining 25 in overtime to finish with 23 for the game – it opened opportunities for quarterback Kevin Jennings. The redshirt junior finished 29-of-44 passing for a career-high 365 yards and the touchdown to Knight. Much of those numbers went to wide receiver Jordan Hudson, who had career-highs of 11 receptions and 136 yards, becoming the first SMU receiver with 10-plus receptions since Rashee Rice had 13 in a 2022 game.
SMU is 12-1 in ACC regular-season games since joining conference last season and remains undefeated at 7-0 in ACC home games in that span.
This was SMU’s highest-ranked win since beating No. 6 Pitt, 7-3, in the 1983 Cotton Bowl. The Mustangs’ previous highest-ranked win at home in Ford Stadium came in defeating No. 11 Houston, 38-16, on Oct. 22, 2016.
SMU travels to Boston College in ACC action Saturday for a Noon kickoff on the ACC Network.
Since 2002, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week. Coming into the 2025 season, 284 teams have been honored, including 101 different Division I programs. Each honored team will receive a custom Pop-Tarts "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.
The other National Team of the Week nominee for the weekend of Nov. 1 were:
- Fresno State (6-3): The Bulldogs snapped Boise State's FBS-leading 16-game home winning streak and handed Boise State its first home conference loss since 2022 with a 30-7 win. Fresno State held Boise State to its fewest offensive yards of the season (193) while forcing three turnovers. It was the Bulldogs’ largest margin of victory in the 27-game series since 1996.
- NC State (4-4): The Wolfpack rolled up 583 yards of total offense and ended No. 8 Georgia Tech’s undefeated season with a 48-36 home win, marking their first win over a top-10 team since taking down No. 9 Clemson in overtime in 2021. Quarterback CJ Bailey finished 24-of-32 passing with two touchdowns, moving over 2,000 passing yards on the season and added a rushing touchdown. NC State was 7-for-11 on third-down conversions and 6-for-6 in red-zone trips.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,100 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.