SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said Tuesday that Kevin Jennings would start at quarterback moving forward.
Preston Stone started the first three games of the season, and Lashlee had maintained throughout preseason he would play both Stone and Jennings. Indeed, in the first three games, Stone played the first two drives, then Jennings the next two as coaches got a feel for game flow.
But after Stone went three-and-out on his first three drives in an 18-15 loss to BYU last week, the 2-1 Mustangs turned to Jennings for the rest of the game. Stone finished 2-of-4 for 4 yards and was sacked three times. The offensive line struggled against BYU, so Jennings was able to move outside the pocket and keep SMU in the game.
Jennings finished 15-of-32 for 140 yards with an interception and added 38 yards rushing.
Stone also struggled in the opener against Nevada before leading a fourth-quarter comeback. On the season, he is completing 53 percent of his passes in two FBS games.
"It wasn't one game or one moment," Lashlee said. "Both guys have had a lot of success and won a lot. We're not performing well offensively but if you watch, we've moved the ball better when [Kevin's] in there as a team, and that's not always on the quarterback. Early drives the other night, we had a lot of busts in protections that aren't on the quarterback that really contributed to some of the early issues so that's frustrating. It's not just one snapshot of anything.
"We feel like it gives us the best chance to win with this team."