It was clear early that the team with the ball last would win the contest between SMU and Baylor. Turns out, that was the Bears. A 27-yard Connor Hawkins field goal in double-overtime delivered a 48-45 win for Baylor. SMU missed a field goal on its first possession of double overtime. 

The first play of the game served as a predictor of things to come when SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings found wide receiver Romello Brinson for a 75-yard touchdown pass. It was the first of two 75-yard touchdown passes for Jennings, who finished the game with 296 yards and three touchdowns to one interception. Brinson finished with four catches for 126 yards and two scores. 

SMU never trailed until the first possession of overtime. The Mustangs built a 38-24 lead with 8:38 left in the game, but it wasn’t enough to fend off the Bears. Both teams are now 1-1 on the season. 

THREE THOUGHTS 

Baylor offense saves the day…again: Baylor head coach Dave Aranda loves movies. One I’m sure he’s seen is Adam Sandler’s “Billy Madison.” There is a scene during the trivia competition late in the movie when Steve Buscemi’s character saves the day and Madison famously says, “Man, am I glad I called that guy.” That’s Aranda watching Jake Spavital’s offense save the day over the last nine games of his tenure. 

It was the Baylor offense that spurned the run of six-straight regular season wins to close 2024, and it is Spavital’s unit once again that is the strength of the Bears. They allowed 459 yards and still won on the road. That’s because the Baylor offense gained 601 yards against the Mustangs. Quarterback Sawyer Robertson threw for 440 yards and four scores. Bryson Washington ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries. Both Josh Cameron and Ashtyn Hawkins topped 100 yards receiving. 

Baylor is now 7-2 over its last nine and will now carry momentum into a Big 12 schedule that is frontloaded with home games against Arizona State and Kansas State. Those high hope this program carried into 2025 felt like fool’s gold heading out of the Week 1 loss to Auburn at home. The Bears will feel better heading out of Week 2, and that’s because one side of the ball. 

Defensive concerns on the Hilltop: The SMU defense was decimated by graduation after the 2024 season. The Ponies lost their entire starting defensive line and both starting linebackers and a couple of key pieces in the secondary. They did a solid job replacing that talent through the transfer portal, but that is a lot of talent to replace and the Baylor game was always going to tell us a lot about the 2025 unit. Early returns aren’t great, but to be fair, the Baylor offense might be the best they see all season. 

SMU ranked 32nd in scoring defense last season while allowing 22.1 points per game. The Mustangs only gave up more than 30 three times – TCU, Clemson, and Penn State. TCU was the only team to score over 40 and that was in a blowout win by SMU. Baylor just scored 34 in regulation and 48 points overall against the Ponies in Dallas. It is something to watch because they’ll be tested again in two weeks against a potent TCU offense in Fort Worth. 

Play more in-state rivals: Playing meaningful games against teams within your region brings out the best in programs. SMU and Baylor fans interact with each other in real life at work or school or church or at family gatherings. Beating teams that your friends root for is what makes college football fun. SMU and Baylor should be applauded for playing this game and giving both fan bases an excellent game. The two compete each other in recruiting, so why not play on the field, too? 

The state of Texas is losing rivalries. SMU vs. TCU is ending after Week 4. The last scheduled Bayou Bucket between Rice and Houston takes place tonight. It’s a shame. We’re not here to call SMU and Baylor rivals, per say, because it has been a long time since those Southwest Conference days, but it is a game that provides more excitement and eyeballs than playing some random helmet from across the country.