UNIVERSITY PARK — SMU cruised to a decisive victory in its 2025 season opener late Saturday night, defeating East Texas A&M 42-13 at Ford Stadium.
With the win, SMU has now won 15 of its last 16 home games dating back to 2022.
The Mustangs secured a necessary win to start the season off, but left the field Saturday with some concerns, both after injuries to key players and some sloppy play from others.
Here are five thoughts from SMU’s first game of 2025:
Sports Roundup
Two starters injured in first quarter
As a 47.5-point favorite, SMU’s goal Saturday was to get the rust off and avoid injuries to key players.
They may have accomplished the first but not the second.
SMU lost starting wide receiver Jordan Hudson and starting linebacker Alex Kilgore in the first quarter of Saturday’s game.
Hudson, who many predicted to have a breakout year for SMU, was injured on the first play of the game. He was tackled and ran off the field holding his left elbow. He left for the locker room and returned to the sidelines in a sling but did not return to game action.
“Hopefully it’s not season-ending, but we just don’t know right now,” SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee told ACC Network at halftime. “A lot of these freshmen have got to step up and make plays.”
Less than 10 minutes later, Kilgore made one of the plays of the game, using his foot to intercept an East Texas A&M pass and return it for a touchdown.
But as he crossed the goal line, he injured his left ankle and did not return. He returned to the sideline in the second half on crutches and in a boot.
Lashlee said postgame that both players’ x-rays were negative, but he is not sure about a timeline for their return yet.
Hudson is SMU’s top returning receiver, recording 422 yards and five touchdowns last year. Kilgore had 56 tackles in 2024.
Offensive lineman Zion Nelson, a Miami transfer, also went down with an injury late in the game but remained on the sidelines.
Sloppy play
SMU could afford a somewhat sloppy game against East Texas A&M and still walk away with a win. It didn’t cost the Mustangs in the way it almost did against Nevada in Week 0 a year ago.
But still, the Mustangs will need to be sharper when they take the field next week against a far more talented Baylor team.
A handful of miscommunications by the offensive line saw quarterback Kevin Jennings face some pressure and ultimately turn the ball over twice. Running back Zach Hernandez turned it over as well late in the fourth quarter. Some mental lapses and missed tackles by the defense allowed for eight plays of 15 yards or more by an opponent they shouldn’t have allowed that many against.
And eight penalties for 84 yards were far too many for SMU, including one that took a Yamir Knight punt return for a touchdown off the board.
SMU will hope its Week 1 game was all it needed to clean up some of the early-season sloppiness. Next week’s in-state clash will tell.
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game against the East Texas A&M at SMU, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in University Park.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
Kevin Jennings has high and low moments
SMU’s quarterback showed some of why he is a Heisman dark horse but also some of the same issues he struggled with in 2024.
Jennings caught the attention of fans early, throwing a 63-yard touchdown pass to Romello Brinson on the third play of the game. He added two more touchdowns — one rushing and one passing — in the second half.
But the SMU quarterback also had two turnovers: one fumble and one interception in the end zone.
Jennings worked all offseason on ball security, especially after throwing two pick-sixes in the College Football Playoff game against Penn State. But those improvements didn’t quite show early against East Texas A&M — the easiest opponent he will face all year.
Jennings finished 22-of-30 for 260 yards, two passing touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 12 yards on six attempts with an additional touchdown and a fumble. True freshman Ty Hawkins replaced Jennings on SMU’s final drive.
Romello Brinson shines
Throughout camp, Romello Brinson’s coaches and teammates sang his praises. Many said he was one of the players they were most excited to see.
The veteran receiver appeared in just six games for SMU last year as he battled a nagging injury. But entering this season, he was expected to lead the receiver room. After Hudson’s injury on the first play of the game, his role became even more important.
Brinson was responsible for SMU’s biggest play of the day, finding open space on the third play of the game and taking Jennings’ pass the distance. He flipped into the end zone to put an exclamation point on the Mustangs’ first touchdown of the season.
He finished with a career-high 121 yards on seven catches and a touchdown. He was targeted nine times and had 50 yards after the catch.
Brinson wasn’t the only receiver to stand out. True freshman Jalen Cooper had five catches on six targets for 73 yards and a touchdown. He will likely need to step into a larger role if Hudson is out longterm.
SMU linebacker Alexander Kilgore (54) scores a touchdown over East Texas A&M quarterback Will Madonna (4) during the first half of an NCAA college football game at SMU, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in University Park.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
Defense makes big impact
SMU saw the most turnover on defense, with safety Isaiah Nwokobia as the only returner who started all 14 games last season.
But Scott Symons’ defense picked up right where it left off, scoring two touchdowns to help lead SMU to victory.
Last season, SMU finished fifth in the nation with four defensive touchdowns. The Mustangs got halfway to that total in one game.
Kilgore scooped up a ball deflected by Cam Robertson for a pick six in the first quarter. Then, when East Texas A&M was driving early in the third, Ahmaad Moses returned an interception 95 yards for the touchdown.
SMU’s defense also held East Texas A&M to just 3-for-6 in the red zone, forcing a missed field goal and coming up with two takeaways deep in its own territory.
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