SMU QB Kevin Jennings' Hiccup: 1 Game or a Catastrophic Downfall?

UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas — Rhett Lashlee’s Tuesday news conference was equal parts postmortem and positivity. That — even after a win — is part of the game for a nationally-ranked program.

Lashlee’s remarks were a masterful hedge-fest in which he delved into SMU’s hard-fought victory over Tulane. At the same time, he skillfully dodged those elephants in the room, specifically focusing on turnovers and SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings’ tough outing.

Despite generating an eye-popping 647 yards on the ground, the Mustangs almost saw their winning streak come to an end, thanks in large part to Jennings’ three interceptions and fumble. These mistakes consistently put Lashlee’s team in trouble on Saturday night. Luckily, the usually-reliable Tulane offense couldn’t capitalize on these miscues.

Still, the concerns are valid, and the Mustangs can’t keep over-relying on their rushing offense to save the day. There’s no argument - that rushing attack has proven to be nearly unbeatable in its current form. Now it’s critical that the passing game catches up and for Jennings to find his footing in this crucial phase of the season.

Make no mistake, Lashlee’s post-game presser was not an exercise in panic. Rather, it was the careful work of a coach trying to make sure his team avoids complacency. Complacency is a poison that no team - regardless of ranking - can afford, especially not in the wild world of college football.

Upon addressing Jennings’ hiccups on Saturday night, Lashlee stated that the bulk of the issues boiled down to communication breakdowns. Furthermore, he chalked it up to an anomaly and claimed that a more polished outing will return, hopefully very soon.

Of course, there’s a narrative brewing here that suggests when the pressure cranks up in a few weeks, the usual turnover issues combined with limited passing offense could be catastrophic. One can almost picture this particular storm brewing over the horizon. Last weekend’s close win has created what feels like a powder keg, just waiting for a spark to ignite.

Coach Lashlee doesn’t have to look far to prove the doubters wrong. When his SMU team can manage to produce those solid victories without the turnovers piling up, then their 10-0 record won’t be a mirage, and that powder keg will look much less volatile.