Kevin Jennings threw for 337 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in one half as No. 17 SMU crushed UC Davis 56-10 in brutal Texas heat.

Kevin Jennings didn’t need four quarters to put together one of the biggest performances of his SMU career.

The No. 17 SMU Mustangs blasted UC Davis 56-10 on Saturday in Dallas as Jennings threw for 337 yards and a career-high five touchdowns — all before halftime.

Jennings completed 14 of 16 passes, an 87.5 percent completion rate, without an interception as SMU built a 42-0 halftime lead. With temperatures reaching 100 degrees and the heat index climbing to 107, the teams agreed to shorten the second half to two 12-minute quarters.

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By then, the outcome was already settled.

Derrick McFall delivered one of SMU’s biggest plays with a 52-yard touchdown reception and also ripped off a 40-yard run. Theo Melin Ohrstrom caught two touchdown passes, while Yannick Smith turned a short reception into a memorable 44-yard score by fighting through multiple defenders on his way to the end zone.

SMU’s offensive burst became especially ruthless late in the second quarter.

With UC Davis backed up near its own goal line and trailing 28-0, SMU forced an interception, scored quickly, forced another short possession and then struck again. In less than two minutes, the Mustangs transformed a comfortable advantage into a complete rout.

Jennings’ afternoon also carried historical significance.

The veteran quarterback now has 767 passing yards and eight touchdowns through SMU’s first two victories. He also moved past Ben Hicks for the program’s career total-offense record, reaching 9,073 yards.

That adds another layer to an already strong opening for SMU’s Heisman Trophy campaign surrounding Jennings.

Defensively, the Mustangs overwhelmed an experienced UC Davis team that entered the game 2-0 and had reached the FCS playoffs in each of the previous two seasons.

Aggies quarterback Treynor Cleeland, who threw five touchdowns against San Diego a week earlier, was limited to 83 yards on 11-of-25 passing with an interception before being replaced.

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The blowout moves SMU to 2-0, but the degree of difficulty rises immediately.

After beating Florida State 27-24 and dismantling UC Davis, the Mustangs travel to No. 24 Louisville next Saturday for their second ACC game in three weeks.

Jennings has already made SMU look dangerous.

Louisville should provide a much clearer indication of just how dangerous.