For a program that has spent years building its reputation and fighting for recognition among college football’s elite, Saturday’s defeat was a painful reality check. The SMU Mustangs had their home crowd behind them, an opportunity to strengthen their ACC standing, and a season that still carried significant expectations. But after the final whistle, the scoreboard told a story nobody in Dallas wanted to see: Wake Forest 49, SMU 7.
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While the Mustangs struggled to recover from the humiliation, one of their most recognisable former players had a message for the university community. Denver Broncos wide receiver and SMU alumnus Courtland Sutton took to Instagram, writing: “Although we weren’t victorious today, we must continue to support our team with the highest level of love and encouragement!”
He also posted “Pony Up” on his Instagram story, invoking SMU’s rallying cry.
Addressing the SMU faithful, he added: “To my SMU family, I want to say thank you for the love and support I felt all weekend. There was an abundance of love and genuine support from everybody this weekend.”
His message was a show of support for the SMU community after Wake Forest, coached by Jake Dickert, handed the Mustangs a 49-7 loss. It also came as some fans took to X to call for the firing of SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee during the Mustangs’ 42-0 first-half deficit, though Sutton did not address the criticism directly.
For Sutton, this was more than just another college football result. His relationship with SMU goes beyond the usual connection between a former student-athlete and his university. Between 2014 and 2017, the Texas-born receiver became one of the most productive wide receivers in the program’s history before taking his talents to the NFL.
Sutton finished his SMU career with 195 receptions, 3,220 receiving yards, and 31 touchdowns. Those numbers placed him second in the program’s history for receiving touchdowns and third for receiving yards.
While Sutton was encouraging the SMU faithful, Jake Dickert and his Wake Forest players were celebrating a victory that could change the direction of their season.
The Demon Deacons arrived in Dallas with an 8-1 overall record and ambitions of strengthening their College Football Playoff credentials. They left with a 9-1 record after delivering one of their most dominant performances of the campaign.
From the opening whistle, Wake Forest looked like a team with something to prove. Running back Ty Clark III opened the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown run, immediately putting SMU under pressure. Jamar Searcy followed with another rushing touchdown to give the visitors a 14-0 advantage in the first quarter.
The second quarter was where things became particularly uncomfortable for the Mustangs. Wake Forest added four more touchdowns, exposing SMU’s defensive weaknesses and taking full advantage of turnovers and favourable field position.
Quarterback Gio Lopez was central to the demolition. He connected with Carlos Hernandez for a 44-yard touchdown before adding two rushing touchdowns to his impressive performance. Deuce Lawrence also found the end zone, as Wake Forest headed into the halftime break with an astonishing 42-0 lead.
SMU eventually managed to get on the scoreboard in the third quarter through Yannick Smith, who caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Jennings. But the response did little to change the outcome. Steele Pizzella added another rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to complete the 49-7 victory.
The statistics reflected the dominance. The Demon Deacons gained 535 total yards to SMU’s 275 and rushed for 286 yards while holding the Mustangs to 66. Wake Forest’s defense forced three turnovers and limited SMU to three successful third-down conversions on 14 attempts.