Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530530
2 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ////////// P L A Y O F F P R E V I E W F I R S T R O U N D /////////////////////////////////// N o. 6 seed Penn State will welcome No. 11 SMU to Beaver Stadium for a first-round game in the inau- gural College Football Playoff. Kickoff is set for noon on Dec. 21, with TNT broadcasting the contest from Beaver Stadium. Head coach Rhett Lashlee's Mus- tangs finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They held onto the final at-large spot in the field, get- ting the nod over Alabama following a 34-31 loss to Clemson in the ACC title game, in which they stormed back from an early 24-7 deficit, only to lose on a 56-yard walk-off field goal by the Tigers. "I think America saw what SMU is capable of," Lashlee told ESPN on se- lection Sunday. "I think they saw the ceiling. … If we play four good quar- ters of football like we have most of the time this year, we can go win at Penn State, we can win in the next round. It's on us to make sure we don't have a start like that here in a few weeks. But you know, again, I just think America saw that SMU belongs. We're a team that has a chance to compete for this championship." Penn State's defense was on its heels for much of the team's matchup with Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game. Coming off that 45-37 loss, the Nittany Lions must figure out how to slow down an SMU team that fields the nation's No. 6 scoring offense at 38.5 points per game. Quarterback Kevin Jennings, a third- team All-ACC pick, has completed 227 of 344 passes (66 percent) for 3,050 yards, with 22 touchdowns and 8 inter- ceptions. He did not begin the season as the Mustangs' first-team quarter- back but took over in September and ran the show from there. Here's a closer look at Penn State's first-round CFP opponent: COACH Rhett Lashlee (29-11 in three seasons at SMU; overall collegiate re- cord: same) 2024 RECORD 11-2, 8-0 ACC PLAYOFF RECORD First appearance NO. 11 SEED SMU MUSTANGS WILD WILD HORSES HORSES Penn State's opening-round opponent will bring a high-revving offense and rugged defense to State College G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Senior wideout Roderick Daniels Jr. is the Mustangs' leading pass catcher with 38 receptions for 599 yards and 3 TDs. PHOTO COURTESY SMU ATHLETICS