SMU Outlasts Missouri State 34-24 as Score Mirrors Last Year's Meeting

Casey Woods returned to Dallas as Missouri State's head coach and watched SMU follow its 2025 script to a 34-24 win at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

SMU rallied past Missouri State 34-24 on Saturday night at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, and for the second straight season the Mustangs started slowly against the Bears before grinding out a win. SMU improved to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, while Missouri State fell to 1-3 and 0-0 in Conference USA games.

The Sept. 26 matchup carried a heavy personal subplot. Casey Woods, coaching his fourth game as Missouri State's head coach, returned to the stadium where he had spent four seasons as SMU's offensive coordinator. He stood across from Rhett Lashlee, his former boss and friend, with the Bears entering as a clear underdog.

Woods helped build the foundation for SMU's rise. During his four seasons running the offense, the Mustangs fielded three units that ranked among the top 12 nationally in scoring, won an American Athletic Conference championship, reached two conference title games, earned a College Football Playoff berth and won a bowl game.

Saturday's result looked strikingly familiar. In last year's meeting in Springfield, Missouri State jumped ahead 10-0 after the first quarter before SMU pulled away to win 28-10. This time, the Bears again led 10-0 after one quarter, and SMU again led 14-10 at halftime and 21-10 through three, leaving the box scores identical through 75 percent of the game.

The fourth quarter was the only divergence. Missouri State won the final period 14-13 on Saturday, a year after SMU had taken that quarter 7-0.

The parallels ran deeper than the scoreboard. In both meetings, SMU failed to score on its first three drives, a stretch spoiled by a fumble and an interception, and missed its lone first-half field goal attempt. The Mustangs were also flagged exactly 12 times for more than 110 yards in each contest.

The statistical echoes continued from there. SMU finished minus-1 in the turnover battle and out-gained the Bears by more than 200 yards, matching its 2025 numbers, and it sacked Missouri State quarterbacks at least five times for the second straight year — seven times in all on Saturday.

Kevin Jennings supplied the biggest difference between the two editions. After throwing for 281 yards and one touchdown in the 2025 game, he passed for 464 yards and three scores, a performance that lifted him to No. 1 in FBS passing yards per game. Yamir Knight racked up 164 receiving yards and Jalen Cooper added 125, giving SMU two 100-yard receivers.

Missouri State had a fourth-quarter possession with a chance to move in front, but SMU's defense forced a quick punt to end the threat. Woods now heads back to Springfield hoping to spark a repeat of the Bears' 2025 midseason surge, while Lashlee's Mustangs turn to the remainder of their ACC schedule.