Everything Rhett Lashlee said after SMU's win over Duke

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee met with the media Saturday night after the Mustangs beat Duke in overtime, 28-27. Here’s what he had to say after his team moved to 7-1 overall.

Opening statement: “We’re just really humbled to get a win. Probably put on a clinic of how to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I think there was, even as bad as the turnovers were in the first half, and I still thought we had a solid half and we were in control of the game, playing good on both sides of the ball. Then I thought we were settling down. Then to start the second half, we get a stop, we get the explosive play. Credit them, we didn’t score from the one yard line on four straight plays. Probably need better play calls if those aren’t gonna work. So that’s not on the kids, that’s on me. We gotta be able to get it in. I don’t remember that happening to us ever in my time here. But credit them, and that changed the game. Then they go all the way down and score. Then really, the kicker was…they call a personal foul because all one of our players is doing is just pulling the guy off the pile. When you do that, it’s automatic. So now they get the ball at the 15, not the 1-foot line. They responded, but then we got a stop, I think and we scored again. It went up two scores and still we’re in a good position.

“They just kept coming. I think I told the guys there’s four or five times in the last probably ten minutes of that game that we could have just said it’s not our night. They missed a field goal, but our defense held them to a field goal after one of the turnovers. Then we turn it over again. We don’t even let them get any yards, so they can’t kick a field goal. They punt it. Then we turn it over again. Credit Casey Horny, Kyle Cooper, and Scott Symons, our special teams defensive staff for devising a must-block situation. One of those things you don’t really need it till you need it. Had just been working it recently and Jahfari and the guys for executing it, kept us in the game and the defense stopping them again on a two-point play. Credit Duke, Manny, so much respect for him. Their guys deserve to win that game too. It’s a shame that someone didn’t, but we’re very thankful to be 7-1 and 4-0.”

On if there was a point in the aftermath that he had to laugh at how wild the game was: “I did not laugh. No, honestly, I got a little bit of emotional at first because this profession is weird. We’re competitive and trust me, you want to beat your friends probably more than anybody because, it’s like if you had a brother or something, right? So you go against them all, but I have so much respect for Manny and all of the people on that sidelines that as soon as the incompletion and there was no flags or anything, I knew we had won. You just kind of, man, you don’t know what to say like. It’s gut wrenching for one and relieving for the other. Then I got emotional because I was just thinking about our guys. We should have lost that game five different times late. We should have. If we played it 100 times probably losing 99 of them. Doesn’t mean you’re going to win and pull it out, but our guys just kept playing, they kept fighting Our defense kept getting stops. We kept rushing field goals. We found a way to block one. Offense scored. Defense stopped them on the two-point play. Just a great lesson in resiliency and what it can do.”

On if he’s ever been a part of a game like this with turnovers: “No, and I would have told you it’s like 1940 since. Someone told me 2011 was the last time the time a team lost by six turnovers and won. I’ve not had a six turnover game in my career that I’m aware of as a coach that we turned it over six times. We won the explosive plays and we won the run game. We won two of the three and maybe that was the difference. But wow, I don’t know what to say.”

On SMU’s defense: “It feels great. I mean, that’s what team sports are about. That’s what winning is about. To continue to find ways to win, win when you’re not at your best or maybe win when another team may have outplayed you in some areas like the turnover situation, it’s important. Our guys lean on each other. They don’t keep score of, hey, offense you turned it over six times tonight. Or vice versa. Look, there were times that offense was playing really well tonight in the first half and even early in the third quarter. If we hadn’t been turning over, we might have had 35 points. Our defense allowed a 90-something yard drive and an 80-something yard drive. Everybody just keeps playing. I was just really proud of the way our guys stuck together in a tough situation.”

On Duke not scoring any points off turnovers: “That’s arguably the most staggering stat of all. Not that it was 6-0 and really seven if you count having the ball on the 1-yard line and not score. That might as well be a turnover on downs, right? So 6-0 or 7-0 and they had zero points in the game off turnovers. It’s pretty remarkable. That’s why you keep playing every play, play the next play.”

On injuries and SMU overcoming them: “I’m glad you asked that. I don’t have any clarity on the severity of the injuries. I know Brandon was in a sling, but at least at halftime I was told it’s not as bad as it looks, so I don’t know what that means for next week. Then same thing with Jake. I’m hopeful that it’s not as bad as we thought. He just didn’t have any strength, so he couldn’t go back in. Same thing with J.O., I think it was a stinger maybe, and Ben Sparks goes in there, and Logan Parr is playing beat up. Elijah went down, came back, Kevin went down, got a scare. He was able to come back. So we’ll see, I mean, we’re beat up. We’re gonna have to find a way to grind out another game next week at home before we get an off week. 

“The point I wanna make is, so Roderick Daniels has not taken a snap at receiver in over a month. He has not played a snap at receiver in over a month. As soon as Jake got hurt, he went back to receiver, without taking a single snap. That’s how smart he is. That’s what a football player, that’s what a team guy he is. Carter Campbell is available to play as well. Those guys did a great job standing in, and all he does is have two massive explosive plays. He’s just a winner man. That’s kinda what he’s been these last three years here for us. Running back, receiver, whatever you want him to be. And so I’m really proud of him. And then Matthew Hibner, and I thought he stepped up big time with RJ being out. Him or Stone.”

On if he was surprised that Duke went for two: “Not at all, that’s exactly what he should have done. Honestly now, if the roles would’ve been reversed, that’s what we would have done because you got to go for two in the second overtime anyways. Then after the second overtime, that’s all it is, is a two point shootout. So you kind of know now, most of the time, coach is going to go, if you score second in that scenario, you’re going to go for two. Why wouldn’t you? You at least now know you got a chance to end the game on your terms. You’re not guaranteed another opportunity in the next overtime. If you both happen to score, you’re going to have to do it then anyway, so let’s just do it now. They made the right call on what they did. I thought Scott did a good job of seeing the formation and adjusting our call after the timeout and our guys made a play.”

On if you burn the tape for SMU QB Kevin Jennings or learn from it: “You want to burn it, we’re not going to, we’re going to watch it. We’re going to get better. He was really down, but I think we picked him up, I hope. I mean, he’s beat up. He’s down because he has high expectations of himself, but the No. 1 job of a quarterback is to win and we won. His teammates picked him up tonight, and so he’ll be fine. We all have nights when we’re not at our best, and we found a way to win. Any great season, any championship run, anything like that that a team’s ever been on, you’re gonna look back and have one or two games that you’re like, we probably shouldn’t have won that one, but we found a way to do it, and so that’s what tonight was for us.”