UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas -- Trap games aren't trap games if the favored team handles business accordingly.

This was the message for the SMU football team all week long as it prepared for Stephen F. Austin. Regardless of who the Mustangs were lining up against, the team needed to play in a businesslike manner -- and, on Saturday, not take a winless opponent lightly.

In its first game of the 2020 season at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, SMU dominated Stephen F. Austin, 50-7, and remained undefeated on the year. In front of a socially distanced crowd of 7,898, the Mustangs (3-0) grabbed momentum early and never let up.

By the first 10 minutes of the first quarter, SMU already had a 15-point lead. Ulysses Bentley IV scored his sixth rushing touchdown of the season, this one on a 33-yard run, for SMU's first score. The Mustangs' next drive featured 10 plays, and a 69-yard drive was capped by an 11-yard pass from Shane Buechele to Danny Gray.

Most of the damage was done in the first half. SMU led, 29-0, at the halftime break and dominated both sides of the ball the first 30 minutes of the game. SMU finished the first quarter ahead, 22-0.

The Mustangs had 245 total yards for the first half -- 135 passing and 110 rushing. Stephen F. Austin was held to only 94 total yards -- including 8 rushing -- and six total first downs.

The chance for a shutout ended at the 1:22 mark of the third quarter when Stephen F. Austin quarterback Trae Self scored on a 6-yard touchdown run. He flipped over SMU defenders to get the gutsy score and cap a 14-play, 75-yard drive that lasted more than eight minutes.

SMU finished with 432 total yards and held the Lumberjacks to 216 yards. SMU's rushing tandem of Bentley and TJ McDaniel combined for 208 of the team's 260 rushing yards.

Bentley rushed for two scores in the game. Gray, Terrance Gipson and TaMerik Williams also provided rushing touchdowns.

SMU's vaunted air attack was held at bay in some form. Buechele finished with a career-low 141 passing yards, but he also threw touchdown passes to Gray and Kylen Granson.

SMU now will prepare for American Athletic Conference play next week. The Mustangs will host Memphis in a key matchup set to start at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday.