DALLAS (Interstat) — Kevin Jennings threw five touchdown passes and SMU scored early and often in a 56-10 victory over visiting UC Davis on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The announced attendance was 29,054. SMU improved to 2-0, while UC Davis dropped to 2-1. Jennings, a quarterback from Oak Cliff, Texas, completed 14 of 16 passes for 337 yards and added three rushes for 5 yards. His five scoring throws powered the Mustangs through a dominant first half.

Jennings set the tone in the opening quarter. SMU took the lead on K. Raphael’s 5-yard rush left with 6:40 remaining, and Nick Reed made the extra point. UC Davis had a chance to answer, but Robert Meyer missed a 42-yard field goal attempt with 2:01 left in the period. Jennings then found Derrick McFall for a 52-yard touchdown with 1:18 remaining. Reed’s kick made it a two-score game, and SMU kept rolling.

The second quarter belonged almost entirely to Jennings and the Mustangs. He connected with T. Melin Öhrström on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 12:33 remaining. Less than three minutes later, Jennings hit Randy Pittman Jr. for a 2-yard score at the 10:28 mark. With 0:59 left before halftime, Jennings and Öhrström hooked up again for a 14-yard touchdown. Jennings capped the half with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Yannick Smith with 0:24 remaining. Reed kicked the extra point after each score, and SMU carried a commanding lead into the break.

Smith finished with one reception for 44 yards and a touchdown. Jennings’ five touchdown passes came before halftime, and he did not need to produce much more through the air after the break. Ty Hawkins took over at quarterback and kept the offense moving. Hawkins completed 11 of 13 passes for 104 yards, ran three times for 15 yards, and threw two touchdown passes.

In the third quarter, Hawkins had a 5-yard touchdown pass to A. Miles II nullified by an SMU ineligible downfield penalty at the 6:45 mark. Hawkins responded on the next key play, hitting Z. Turner for an 8-yard touchdown with 6:12 remaining. B. Baird kicked the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Hawkins connected with A. Miles II again, this time for a 3-yard touchdown at the 9:01 mark, and Baird added the extra point. The Mustangs also had a 43-yard field goal attempt by Nick Reed blocked by UC Davis’s Drew Faulkner with 6:38 remaining.

UC Davis struggled to sustain offense for much of the game. Treynor Cleeland completed 11 of 26 passes for 83 yards. Jackson Kollock later entered and completed 8 of 10 passes for 88 yards and one touchdown. Kollock’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Coby Herman with 11:18 remaining put the Aggies on the board. Robert Meyer made the extra point. Meyer added a 33-yard field goal with 3:35 remaining. He had missed a 42-yard attempt in the first quarter. Herman finished with two rushes for 19 yards, one reception for 4 yards, and one touchdown.

Samuel Gbatu Jr. was UC Davis’s most productive receiver, making five catches for 60 yards and adding one rush for 7 yards. Jackson Fay had one reception for 47 yards. Tyler Hennessy caught three passes for 19 yards. LaDanian Streets added two receptions for 17 yards. Marquis Bradley had two catches for 11 yards. Jordan Fisher ran eight times for 19 yards and caught one pass for 3 yards. Matteo Perez ran three times for 19 yards, caught one pass for 6 yards, returned one punt for 14 yards, and made one tackle. Coby Herman had two rushes for 19 yards and one reception for 4 yards with a touchdown. Kai Acia ran three times for 2 yards and caught one pass for minus-2 yards. Xzavior Guess ran twice for 3 yards. Mason Walsh ran once for 6 yards. Zach Jones ran once for 1 yard and caught one pass for 1 yard. Jake Houseworth had one reception for 5 yards. Dylan Mauro punted six times for 246 yards.

Defensively for UC Davis, Brayden Rosa recorded seven tackles. Drew Faulkner had five tackles and blocked a field goal. Nick Afato made four tackles. Teeg Slone had four tackles, one sack, and one quarterback hurry. Thomas McCormick and Chaz Gilbreath each made four tackles. Macray Madruga, Devin Huegel, and Jeremiah Brown each finished with three tackles. Hayden John, Porter Connors, and Jaden Few each had two tackles, with Few adding one quarterback hurry. Cory McEnroe also had two tackles. Rayne Mayo Jr., Daniel Amoako, Julian Fernandez, Edward Khutsishvili, Tom Sackinsky, Trey Carr, Ty Richardson, Donnie Vercher, Tyler Parker, Julius Ray, Grant Garretson, Charlie Allen, and Drew Cofield each made one tackle.

For SMU’s defense, Sael Reyes, Alexander Kilgore, and Jaden Milliner-Jones each recorded four tackles. The Mustangs limited UC Davis’s passing game for most of the afternoon and kept the Aggies out of the end zone until late. SMU’s special teams also contributed, though Reed’s 43-yard field goal try was blocked. Baird handled extra-point duties after Hawkins’ touchdown passes.

The game continued SMU’s strong start to the season. The Mustangs had beaten Florida State 27-24 on Sept. 7 before returning home to face UC Davis. UC Davis had opened the year with a 31-24 win at Portland State on Aug. 29 and a 49-17 win at San Diego on Sept. 5. SMU is set to visit Louisville on Sept. 19, while UC Davis will host Stetson on Sept. 19.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of SMU 36, UC Davis 20. Interstat’s ELO system gave SMU a 95.5 percent probability to win. UC Davis had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +30.5. The total score of 66 went under the over/under line of 58.5.