The SMU Mustangs‘ Cinderella story came to an abrupt, quick ending during their visit to the Penn State Nittany Lions. A disastrous first half by the Mustangs was too much to overcome for Rhett Lashlee’s team, as they fell 38-10 to Penn State and bid their NCAA season farewell.
The Mustangs trailed 28-0 at the half, and despite what Lashlee could have told his players to rally a comeback at Beaver Stadium, the deficit was ultimately too big to revert.
The offensive performance from the Mustangs was embarrassing. Quarterback Kevin Jennings struggled tremendously against Penn State’s defense, as he threw three interceptions (all during the first half) and two were returned for defensive touchdowns.
SMU knew they’d be walking into a hostile environment in the home of the Nittany Lions, but they couldn’t get their footing on the ground. However, head coach Rhett Lashlee doesn’t believe his team’s shortcomings were caused by one of the rowdiest home crowds in college football.
“We got what we expected,” Lashlee said, via On3. “I don’t think we burned time-outs because of the crowd per se, but I thought 95% of the game we handled the crowd great. First half we didn’t have any issues. It was that third quarter we got down on the endzone where the student section was…The crowd was definitely a factor there, and, you know, it showed.“
Drew Allar makes bold statement on critics
In the 38-24 triumph over SMU, Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar had a quiet outing—neither spectacular nor disappointing. Allar finished the game with 13 completions out of 22 pass attempts, for 127 passing yards with no touchdowns. While many believe Allar was bailed by the dominant defensive performance, Penn State’s QB has made it clear he isn’t listening to the outside noise.
“I don’t care what anybody says about me or my team or my coach,” Allar said after the game, as quoted by Tyler Donohue on X. “At the end of the day, our process is our process. The only opinions that matter are the ones in the Lasch building. Me personally, I don’t care what anybody says about me from the outside.“
Beau Pribula transfers to Missouri
Although Beau Pribula stated his intent to stay with the Nittany Lions during their CFP journey, due to the transfer portal’s restrictions, time was ticking for the backup quarterback in Penn State. Thus, he had to make the difficult decision of moving on from the program, in hopes of landing somewhere he could become the QB1.
After days of careful consideration, Pribula has reached a decision and will tranfer to the Missouri Tigers. With the announcement, Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz added a promising quarterback to his program for the 2025 season in the SEC.
As for Penn State, their focus shifts towards their upcoming quarterfinal matchup. On December 31, the Nittany Lions will take on the Boise State Broncos at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.