A game that had all kinds of ups and downs results in a game-winning field goal for SMU.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas -- Describing Saturday's SMU win as a "roller coaster" doesn't do it justice.
The good news first: SMU managed to pull out a 30-27 victory over No. 25 Memphis at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Kicker Chris Naggar drilled a 43-yard field goal with nine seconds left to seal the win.
It was a win that a long time coming for SMU, which improved to 4-0 on the year. Prior to Saturday, the last time the Mustangs beat Memphis (1-1) was in 2013.
"We've said this to our players all week: If you want to win a championship, you've got to beat the champion," SMU coach Sonny Dykes said. "That's the defending champion in our conference."
That win, however, came with a ton of ups and downs. The injury bug struck SMU's offense, as wide receiver Reggie Roberson Jr. and running back TJ McDaniel both went down with injuries to where they were carted off the field. McDaniel was hurt on the first play of the game, and Roberson was injured late in the third quarter.
SMU also saw defensive end Turner Coxe, defensive tackle Elijah Chatman and offensive tackle Beau Morris injured for part of the game. Morris and Chatman both returned, and Chatman actually was a part of the momentum-turning play that led to the Mustangs getting the hard-earned win.
With 1:25 left, defensive lineman Junior Aho forced a sack fumble on Memphis quarterback Brady White, and Chatman recovered the ball to give SMU the ball at the Memphis 41-yard line. The Mustangs marched down the field with an eight-play drive led by catches from tight end Kylen Granson and wide receiver Austin Upshaw.
From there, Naggar lined up for the field goal try and drilled it with plenty of room to spare.
Saturday was a game that featured more than 1,100 yards and 47 total first downs. It was also one where it looked, at first, like SMU would take the game in a runaway.
After trading field goals on their opening possessions, SMU scored 21 unanswered points, starting with a 3-yard Shane Buechele pass to receiver Danny Gray with less than four minutes in the first quarter.
From there, Buechele and Roberson connected on separate plays that went for 70 and 85 yards, respectively. Before leaving the game, Roberson had five catches for 243 yards and two touchdowns.
At the 9:51 mark of the second quarter, SMU led, 24-3. But Memphis managed to battle back throughout the game, and by the end of the third quarter, the game was tied at 27.
