Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography
SNAPDRAGON STADIUM – The SMU Mustangs (9-4) held off a frantic second-half comeback to defeat the No. 17 Arizona Wildcats (9-4) 24-19 in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl on Friday night, claiming the program's first bowl victory in 13 years.
The Mustangs dominated the first half, building a 24-0 lead before the Wildcats mounted a desperate rally that fell just short.
"It's the first bowl we've won in a while here at SMU," said Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee. "Each year, we've been able to check things off. That's the one thing this group hadn't done. We hadn't won a bowl game, we hadn't finished the season with a win."
SMU came out firing, racing to a 21-0 lead before halftime with three touchdown drives that dissected Arizona's undermanned defense. The Wildcats were without several key players who opted out of the bowl game, a decision Arizona head coach Brent Brennan acknowledged before kickoff.
"Three weeks ago, we had some of our players tell us that they were not going to play in this football game," Brennan said. "Those are family decisions, and we respect that."
Senior running back T.J. Harden set the tone immediately for SMU, capping the opening 83-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run just 13:58 into the game. Harden struck again midway through the first quarter with a 3-yard scoring plunge, making it 14-0.
The Mustangs' offense showed no signs of slowing. A methodical 16-play, 94-yard drive consumed nearly seven minutes and ended with senior tight end Stone Eby's 1-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 21-0.
Sam Keltner added a 24-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in the half for a commanding 24-0 advantage.
"One, we couldn't have played much better in the first half," Lashlee said. "Nobody has done that to Arizona's defense all year."
But Arizona, picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason poll before winning nine games, refused to go quietly.
