DALLAS — SMU’s message to the ACC is loud and clear: the Mustangs belong. Behind a pair of electrifying touchdowns from Chris Johnson Jr. and a stifling defensive effort, SMU rolled past Stanford 34-10 on Saturday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas for its 19th consecutive regular-season conference victory.
Johnson, a Miami transfer, made the highlight reel twice — first with an 87-yard touchdown run and later with a 42-yard catch-and-run off a slick escape from quarterback Kevin Jennings.
“We brought CJ here for what you saw today,” head coach Rhett Lashlee said. “He’s still young. He’s a redshirt freshman that hasn’t played a ton of running back at the college level.”
Jennings completed 22 of 30 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, while linebacker Justin Medlock sealed the win with a 96-yard interception return in the fourth quarter — his second score in as many weeks.
“It was kind of hard to believe,” Lashlee said. “There’s no way a team has ever entered a conference and won their first 10 games in the regular season. It shows that we belong here.”
Stanford (2-4, 1-2) kept it close before halftime, as quarterback Ben Gulbranson led a 75-yard drive capped by a 14-yard TD pass to CJ Williams. But the Cardinal couldn’t overcome six sacks and Medlock’s pick-six down the stretch.
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“I’m not walking out of here thinking these guys are in a different league than us,” interim coach Frank Reich said. “They’re a good program, and I have a lot of respect for them. But we fought.”
With the win, SMU (4-2, 2-0 ACC) remains unbeaten in regular-season conference play since joining the ACC last year. The Mustangs will look to extend their streak next week at Clemson.
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