Chris Naggar played similar scenarios in his mind thousands of times. Game-winning field goal. Left hash. Thirteen seconds left to play. Score is tied.

As SMU's kicker set up Saturday evening, Memphis calls a timeout. And then calls another. The second timeout, Naggar chooses to go through the kicking motion, as the ball is snapped milliseconds after the Tigers take their second straight timeout.

The kick goes through the uprights. It doesn't count for points, but it goes through.

Finally, the play goes live. Snapper Will Benton hikes to holder Derek Green. Laces are out. It's a perfect snap.

Naggar goes through his routine, plants and delivers a kick good for a 43-yard try. It was so strong that it would have been good from 60.

This is the type of story SMU didn't have last year. And this is why Naggar is getting recognition similar to a quarterback, running or wide receiver for any other team.

He is that missing link for SMU. And he's a big reason why the Mustangs are the only 4-0 FBS team in the country and currently ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll.

"We need to score touchdowns," SMU coach Sonny Dykes said. "But when we send Chris out there, you have the feeling that he's going to make him."

Living the dream

Instead of celebrating incessantly after making the winning kick, Naggar (pronounced nuh-GARR) remained calm and content. He tapped his teammates on their helmets to show appreciation for blocking the Memphis defenders looking for a momentum-changing field-goal block.

Naggar then held up nine fingers to the SMU sideline, reminding teammates that there were still nine seconds left in the game. He knew that anything could happen in nine seconds. Especially with a Memphis team so explosive.

He also knew that he had done his job -- something he wasn't worried about.

"I had no doubt it was going in. [Memphis] could have called 17 more timeouts," Naggar said.

It was a scenario Naggar said he had been playing in his mind for about the final six minutes of the game. It also was a situation he said every kicker dreams about growing up. As a graduate transfer from Texas, Naggar said he grew up watching the Longhorns and still remembers a certain Thanksgiving Day kick in 2011.

"Back when I was younger, I was a big Texas fan growing up, and I saw Justin Tucker hit a game-winner against [Texas] A&M," Naggar said. "That's really what sealed the deal for me in wanting to be a kicker."

After Saturday, Naggar now has a memory of his own. And it came against a ranked Memphis team that SMU hadn't beaten since 2013. "He's got a lot of confidence," Dykes said, "and our players believe in him."

Past connections

Naggar and quarterback Shane Buechele were teammates at Texas from 2016-18. They actually grew up minutes from each other in Arlington and played against each other in high school. Naggar went to Arlington High; Buechele went to Lamar High.

While at Texas, Naggar redshirted his freshman year and didn't play his first two seasons. As a junior, he saw action as a punter and minimal time as a kickoff specialist.

Naggar graduated and decided to play one more season closer to home at SMU. He was a welcomed addition and someone who came with tons of attention, as speculation arose early spring that he would be coming to the Hilltop.

"I always knew he was talented and had a big leg," Buechele said of Naggar. "At Texas, it just didn't work out for him, so he came here, and he's done some really good things for us. I'm thankful that he's here."

"On my visit [to SMU]," Naggar added, "Coach Dykes spoke on how they needed to improve on special teams. Leading up to this game, in meetings, we would watch last year's game.

"It was clear we needed to step it up. I'm just glad I could play a part."

SMU's X-factor

In four games, Naggar has made 21 of 22 PATs, and he's connected on all seven of his field goal attempts, with a long of 46 yards against North Texas on Sept. 19. To add, Naggar serves as SMU's kickoff specialist, and he's booted 20 of 30 kicks for touchbacks.

Punting against Memphis, Naggar was on the field four times and averaged 45.8 yards per kick. Two of those went more than 50 yards, and two landed inside the 20-yard line.

His efforts have resulted in field position in favor of the SMU defense. This was a major problem last year when the Mustangs were handed their first loss of the year to Memphis.

"Some of the games we play where you have to kick off a lot and cover a lot of kicks, starting field position is so critical," Dykes said. "It's so important."

Naggar's performance Saturday, Dykes said, was "very comforting" considering the offense struggled to score in the second half. The Mustangs were held to only six points in the half -- all coming from Naggar field goals. Naggar made field goals from 27, 25 and 43 yards against Memphis.

On Monday, he was named the American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time this season -- a remarkable feat considering SMU's only played four games.

Naggar's truly become the X-factor that SMU was looking for last year, and he's one of the reasons why Dykes believes the 2020 team has potential to be even better than last year's memorable squad.

As for Naggar, all he wants is to continue being clutch while staying humble. He knows he's been put in a great situation, and he understands -- and dwells in -- the moment.

"The fact Coach Dykes had so much confidence in me, I love that," he said.