DALLAS (AP) — Kevin Jennings passed for 285 yards and a career-high four touchdowns as SMU beat Syracuse 31-18 in the Mustangs’ ACC opener on Saturday afternoon.
Jennings completed 29 of 35 passes with one fourth-quarter interception for 82.9%, second highest in program history for 20-plus attempts to Justin Willis’ 87% (20 of 23) in 2006.
Jennings threw scoring passes of 15 yards to Yamir Knight, 16 yards to RJ Maryland, 14 yards to Derrick McFall and 9 yards to Jordan Hudson as SMU (3-2, 1-0 ACC) broke to a 31-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.
“Probably one bad play in the whole game, late, the interception,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said of his junior quarterback. “Touch when he needs touch. Driving it when he needs to drive it. You can tell he’s playing with a lot of confidence and seeing the field really well.”
Jennings, who completed 16 straight, said he did nothing special.
“Just putting the ball in those guys’ hands,” he said. “They make plays.”
Sam Keltner added a 26-yard field goal for SMU after the Mustangs’ Brandon Miyazono intercepted Rickie Collins.
Collins ran for a 6-yard touchdown and threw an 11-yard TD pass to Johntay Cook II for Syracuse (3-3, 1-2), which dropped its second straight game since losing quarterback Steve Angeli to a season-ending Achilles injury during the second half of the Orange’s 34-21 road upset of Clemson on Sept. 20.
Collins, making his second straight start, was 22-of-45 passing for 279 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Each interception came inside SMU’s 20-yard line.
Syracuse’s Tripp Woody kicked a 38-yard field goal, and David Omopariola tackled SMU’s Dramekco Green in the end zone for a safety.
The Orange were in position to take an early lead, beginning their first possession at SMU’s 42-yard line following a 14-yard punt by the Mustangs’ Wade McSparron. They drove to SMU’s 1, where Collins was stuffed carrying up the middle short of the goal line.
Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse took off under a heavy rush on fourth-and-10 on the Orange’s first possession of the second half and gained 11 yards. Except SMU was ruled offside, and the play didn’t count, though it wasn’t whistled dead as a pre-snap penalty.
Syracuse: The Orange have dropped consecutive games for the first time in coach Fran Brown’s two seasons.
SMU: The Mustangs have won 18 consecutive regular-season conference games, the last nine in the ACC following their final nine played in The American.
Syracuse, off next weekend, will host Pittsburgh on Oct. 18.
SMU will host Stanford next Saturday.
A pass falls incomplete to Syracuse wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons (12) as SMU defensive back Deuce Harmon (7) reaches for the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
KOLKATA, India (AP) — India's Ravindra Jadeja took 4-29 as South Africa was down to 93-7 (35 overs) at stumps on Day 2 of the first cricket test.
Fifteen wickets fell Saturday, as India took control of proceedings after it was bowled out for 189 runs in its first innings.
The hosts took a slender lead of 30 runs, before knocking over the majority of the Proteas’ batting lineup in the second innings.
South Africa had scored 159 runs in its first innings, with Jasprit Bumrah picking 5-27. Overall, it leads by 63 runs after two days of high attrition on an unpredictable surface.
At stumps, skipper Temba Bavuma was batting on 29 runs off 78 balls with Corbin Bosch (1 not out) for company. Play was called off early once again because of bad light.
Spin was the flavor of the day, and India started off its attack with Axar Patel from one end in the second innings.
Kuldeep Yadav struck right at the stroke of tea — Ryan Rickelton was out lbw for 11 runs, with the score at 18-1.
Another six Proteas wickets fell in the final session. Jadeja struck hard at the South African lineup with his discipline.
Aiden Markram was caught at short leg for four, while Wiaan Mulder was caught behind for 11 runs.
South Africa slumped to 60-5 as Jadeja struck twice in the 17th over — after Mulder, he had Toni de Zorzi caught for 2 runs. Later, Tristan Stubbs failed to read another straight delivery, and was bowled for 5 runs.
Kyle Verreynne (9) played a poor stroke off Axar Patel and was castled, with the score down to 75-6.
Marco Jansen threw his bat around to score 13 runs, before he was caught off Yadav. But it was Bavuma who held one end up for South Africa and pushed the game into Day 3.
Earlier, India was bowled out for a lowly first innings’ score as well with off-spinner Simon Harmer picking 4-30. Jansen also took 3-35, with Keshav Maharaj (1-66) and Bosch (1-32) taking a wicket apiece.
Starting at overnight 37-1, Lokesh Rahul and Washington Sundar had negotiated the first hour of play without loss, adding 38 runs in 14 overs.
In the second hour, South Africa struck back with three wickets even as India scored 63 runs. Sundar was the first to go — out caught at slip off Harmer who found ample help from the pitch. He scored 29 runs off 82 balls, with two fours and a six.
Skipper Gill retired hurt after facing only three deliveries — he felt a jerk in his neck when hitting his first boundary and walked off retired hurt.
Gill did not come out to bat again, and reportedly is suffering from a neck spasm. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant marshaled India in the second innings in Gill’s absence.
Rahul scored 39 and was caught off Maharaj, with Markram taking a low catch at slip.
Pant then scored 27 off 24 balls, including two sixes, to speed the scoring prior to lunch, before he fell to a bouncer from Bosch. The first session resulted in 101 runs overall with India 138-4 at lunch.
Dhruv Jurel was the first to go in the second session — a simple, low return catch to Harmer after India crossed 150.
Jadeja crossed 4,000 runs in his test career, as he scored 27 off 45 balls. He joined a select group of all-rounders to pick 300 wickets and score 4000 runs in tests — India’s Kapil Dev, England’s Ian Botham and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori.
Jansen then got into the attack and dismissed the lower-order for cheap. Only Axar Patel resisted with 16 runs, and he was the last man out — caught off Harmer again.
It gave India a slender lead, but the hosts regained control of the match by stumps.
“Playing attacking cricket is the only option as a batter,” Axar Patel said “We can’t have a defensive mindset because you are never in. So we have to convert the loose balls. Patience is key on this surface. If we can keep them below 125, it should be chaseable tomorrow."
South Africa hasn’t won a test in India in 15 years.
The second test will be played from Nov. 22 at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, which hosted multiple games in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup but will become a men’s test venue for the first time.
Recently, India beat West Indies 2-0, with left-arm wrist spinner Yadav the leading bowler with 12 wickets. South Africa drew a two-test series in Pakistan 1-1.
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India's Ravindra Jadeja, front, celebrates with teammate Mohammed Siraj at the end of play on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's Ravindra Jadeja, right, and teammates celebrate the dismissal of South Africa's Tony de Zorzi, second right, on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
South Africa's Simon Harmer celebrates the dismissal of India's Ravindra Jadeja on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
South Africa's Corbin Bosch, center, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of India's Rishabh Pant on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
South Africa's Simon Harmer, left, listens to captain Temba Bavuma before bowling his next delivery on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
South Africa's Simon Harmer, left, celebrates with teammate Marco Jansen after the dismissal of India's Washington Sundar on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's captain Shubman Gill reacts as he leaves the field after retired hurt on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's KL Rahul walks off the field after losing his wicket on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
