Kirk Herbstreit: 'Don't sleep on SMU' as Mustangs push toward ACC Championship bout with Miami
ESPN College GameDay is showing SMU plenty of love as the Mustangs sit at No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings. For ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, he’s been high on the Mustangs for a bit now.
On Saturday’s broadcast from LSU-Alabama, Herbstreit once again sang the praise of the Mustangs.
“Kevin Jennings is kind of a Cam Ward kind of guy. Brashard Smith can run the football,” Herbstreit said. “They’re creating turnovers. There’s a new energy down in that area, Highland Park. They haven’t had this much excitement around SMU since the Pony Express, and it’s legit. Miami’s great, but don’t sleep on SMU, if they get to that ACC Championship.”
Nick Saban, who last week praised SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings as the most underrated player in the country, reminded folks that the Mustangs are unbeaten with Jennings at the helm.
“SMU is 6-0 with him as the starting quarterback,” Saban said. “I think this guy’s something special.”
“He’s a difference maker,” ESPN analyst Desmond Howard added.
ESPN analyst Pat McAfee, who picked Pitt last week, gave SMU its flowers while talking up the defense.
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“Top 5 in the country in rush defense,” McAfee said. “What they did to Pitt, was supposed to be a big game, SMU shows up.”
As Miami quarterback Cam Ward has ascended to a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, it hasn’t always been easy to be undefeated for the fifth-ranked Hurricanes. Mario Cristobal’s team battles Georgia Tech in a huge matchup this weekend.
“Miami and Cam Ward are legit. Their defense concerns me,” Herbstreit said. “They’ve had three games that they’ve had to come back from 10 points or more and they’ve done it because of Cam Ward. 124th in the nation as far as penalties, that’s a concern. Can they keep flirting with that fine line between winning and losing a game and can Cam Ward always bail them out?”
SMU’s hoping it makes it to Charlotte, where there will be some former Miami players aiming to push the Mustangs to a championship.
“A lot of players from Miami. If those two teams play… yes sir,” Howard laughed.
SMU returns to action against Boston College next weekend at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday.
