Virginia Tech walked into Dallas with a chance to measure itself against one of the ACC’s hotter offenses and walked out with a clear reminder of how far there still is to go on defense.
SMU shredded the Hokies 51-28 on Friday night at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, piling up season-best numbers across the board and never really letting Virginia Tech settle in. The Mustangs finished with 569 total yards and 219 rushing yards, both highs against the Hokies this season, while quarterback Kevin Jennings carved them up for 350 passing yards and four touchdowns.
SMU was in control almost from the jump. The Mustangs scored on their opening possession, needing just 2½ minutes to go 75 yards before Dramecko Green punched in a 12-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead. That was the start of a night in which SMU scored on nine of its 11 drives and put points on the board the first eight times it touched the ball.
Virginia Tech did have moments where it pushed back. James Franklin kept the offense on the field on a fourth-and-1 from the Hokies’ own 34, and Jeffrey Overton converted by inches. The drive stayed alive with a 29-yard wheel route to tight end Luke Reynolds, then ended with Ethan Grunkemeyer sneaking in from the 1 to trim the margin to 10-7 with 12:09 left in the half.
But every time Tech threatened to get comfortable, SMU answered. A 37-yard screen pass to Yannick Smith set up a Brendan Baird field goal.
Then came the turnover that changed the tone for good: after Grunkemeyer overthrew Davion “FatRat” Brown on a deep ball, SMU defensive end Marques White knocked the ball loose and recovered it at the Hokies’ 46. One snap later, Jennings found Yamir Knight on a post route for a long touchdown and a 20-7 lead.
The Hokies briefly stayed within reach when Overton broke loose for a 22-yard touchdown run to make it 20-14 with 2:23 left before halftime, but SMU squeezed out more points before the break. Tech safety Tyson Flowers was disqualified for targeting on a hard, high hit, and after a sack by Aycen Stevens and Cortez Harris, Jennings hit Kendrick Raphael on a checkdown to set up Baird’s 50-yard field goal. That sent SMU into halftime up 23-14.
From there, the Mustangs pulled away fast. Raphael scored on a 3-yard run, Jennings connected with Knight for touchdowns of 13 and 5 yards, and the Hokies were left trying to make the score look less lopsided.
Overton, who finished with 123 yards on 12 carries, added his second rushing touchdown of the night from 2 yards out with 6:29 to play. Brennan Johnson then picked off a tipped pass, and Que’Sean Brown hauled in a jump ball from the 3 for another Tech touchdown to make it 44-28.
That was as close as it got. SMU closed the night with a little flourish when Jalen Cooper took a tap pass from Jennings on a jet sweep and raced 50 yards for the final touchdown, making it 51-28 with 3:13 left.
For Virginia Tech, the numbers told the story. The Hokies allowed more than 500 yards for the first time since last year’s game against Old Dominion, and the 51 points were the most they’ve given up since a 54-10 loss in the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl. SMU’s yardage total was the highest against Tech since North Carolina rolled up 656 in 2020.
The loss also marked James Franklin’s first defeat by double digits since a 38-25 loss to Ole Miss in the 2023 Peach Bowl. He hadn’t lost by 20 or more since a 41-17 defeat at Michigan in 2022.
Virginia Tech returns home to face Stanford on Saturday, Nov. 14, at either 7 p.m. on ESPN2 or 7:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
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