Everything Kevin Jennings said after SMU's ACC Championship loss
An emotional Kevin Jennings was gracious enough to speak to the media after SMU’s 34-31 loss to Clemson. Here is what KJ said:
Overall thoughts and feelings from the game: “Yeah, definitely. We just started out pretty slow, not to our standard. I mean, I turned the ball over a couple of times and it can’t happen in any game. So it put us in a deep hole to come back. I mean, we came back, but it was still a deep hole to come back. Just proud of this team and how we fought back and the guys we have on this team. So I’m just very proud of these guys.”
On the halftime adjustments: “Yeah, I mean, we’ve been down before, and we came back, like the first game of the year in Nevada, we’ve been down, and we came back. So we just kept preaching that we had the momentum to come back and stuff like that and just went out there and executed our base plays and just did that and players stepped up in the key moments.
On the final SMU touchdown drive: Yeah, we knew we had to execute on third downs. It was a big time, you know, in any game. Executing on third downs was a big time. So, this team having the clutch gene, you know, just come out and not have too much pressure on ourselves and just come out and execute and get the first down.
On if SMU deserves to make the CFP: “Yeah, totally. I mean, we didn’t really care about what was in front of us in the playoffs or anything like that. We were just focused on the championship game, you know? That’s all we did. We worked our butts off each and every day this week. And, I mean, sadly, we came up short, but I’m so proud of this team, how we fought, and, you know, came back.”
On Dabo Swinney’s postgame comments about SMU being in the CFP: “I think so. I mean, if you look at our resume, you know, we had one loss in the regular season. Then, sadly, we just lost in the championship to a great team. So, I mean, hopefully we are, but it’s up to them.”
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On trying to keep a short-term memory after the rough start: “Yeah, I mean, after those turnovers, I have to have a short memory and come back. I know my team’s counting on me. They were counting on me to make big-time plays. Had to put that behind me, just went out there and played the game I’ve been playing my whole life. And short-time memory, like you said, it’s a major thing in football for sure.”
On the walk-off field goal: “I mean, it was a terrible moment seeing [the ball] going through the post, but it’s what it is. The kicker made a big-time kick, and yeah.
On potentially getting another chance to play with this team this season: “Yeah, it definitely means a lot to get together with this group again and play another game. It would mean a lot for us, and I mean, we wouldn’t approach it any differently. I mean, we had a successful year doing what we’ve been doing. It’s about maintaining and keep doing it.”
