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DALLAS (AP) -- Jaylan Knighton broke the game open with a 95-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and SMU went on to defeat Charlotte 34-16 on Saturday night in an American Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

SMU (3-2) jumped out to a two-score lead after one quarter. Preston Stone gave the Mustangs the lead with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Roderick Daniels Jr. Knighton scored on a 1-yard plunge for a 14-0 lead.

Charlotte's Jake Larson and SMU's Collin Rogers traded short field goals in the second quarter and the Mustangs took a 17-3 lead into halftime.

Knighton's long touchdown run came on the first play after a 59-yard punt by Charlotte's Grant Gonya pinned the Mustangs at the 5-yard line. Rogers' 33-yard field goal pushed SMU's lead to 27-3 midway through the third quarter.

Trexler Ivey had a 3-yard touchdown toss to Jack Hestera but the two-point try failed and the 49ers (1-4) trailed 27-9 after three quarters.

Ivey scored on a 1-yard run midway through the final quarter, but Stone answered two minutes later with a 23-yard touchdown pass to RJ Maryland to wrap up the victory.

Stone completed 14 of 23 passes for 135 yards with one interception for SMU. Knighton piled up 150 yards on 11 carries.

Ivey completed 10 of 17 passes for 107 yards with one interception for Charlotte. Hestera had seven catches for 81 yards.
 

SMU Postgame Notes – September 30, 2023

• SMU 34, Charlotte 16
• SMU (3-2, 1-0 American), Charlotte (1-4, 0-1 American)
• Gerald J. Ford Stadium – Dallas, Texas

NEXT GAME

• At East Carolina - Thursday, October 12 – 7:30pm ET/6:30pm CT – Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium – Greenville, N.C.
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: KLIF 570 AM | SMU Mobile App/Varsity Network

TEAM NOTES

• Captains: Jake Bailey #12, WR, Sr.), Elijah Chatman (#40, DT, Sr.), Brandon Crossley (#1, S, Sr.), Tyler Lavine (#31, RB, Sr.), Jonathan McGill (#2, S, Sr.), Justin Osborne (#51, OL, Sr.), Preston Stone (#2, QB, So.)
• SMU is 3-0 at home this season
  • 21-4 at home since the start of the 2019 season
  • SMU has won 8 consecutive home conference openers
  • SMU is 6-1 in the past 7 AAC openers
  • SMU has scored 141 points in the three home games (47.0 average)
• SMU had a season-high 228 rushing yards (was 209 vs La. Tech) and averaged 6.0 yards per carry
  • Most since 273 rushing yards at USF 11/12/22 (W, 41-23)
• Jaylan Knighton was 11-150 rushing with a career-high tying 2TDs
  • Highest rushing total for a Mustang this season (was 128 by LJ Johnson Jr. vs La. Tech 9/2)
  • His 95-yard TD run ties for the second-longest run in SMU history
    • 1. 96t - Kris Briggs vs. Tulsa, 2002 96t
    • 2. 95t - C. Morrison/J. Jacobs vs. Texas, 1985
    • 2. 95t - Jaylan Knighton, vs Charlotte 2023
  • The 95-yard run is third-longest in AAC history
    • 97t - Ta'Zhawn Henry, Houston at South Florida, 11/6/21
    • 96t - Adrian Killins Jr., UCF vs. Memphis, 9/30/17
    • 95t - Jaylan Knighton, SMU vs. Charlotte, 9/30/23
• Preston Stone was 14-23 passing for 135 yards with 2 TDs plus 9-20 rushing
  • TDs: Roderick Daniels Jr., RJ Maryland
• SMU had 8 different players catch a pass, has had at least eight different players catch a pass in every game this season
• SMU was 4-4 in the red zone
• SMU was 8-14 on third down and 1-1 on fourth down (Preston Stone 23-yard TD pass to RJ Maryland)
• SMU had 2 sacks and 8 TFLs
  • Sacks: Nelson Paul, Kori Roberson
  • TFLs: Nelson Paul (2.5), Jordan Miller (1), Alex Kilgore (1), Isaiah Nwokobia (1), Kori Roberson (1), Ahmad Walker (1), Elijah Chatman (0.5)
  • Isaiah Nwokobia had a career-high 9 tackles
  • Kobe Wilson had a team-high and career-high 10 tackles
• ​​​​​​​ESPNU Highlights
  • Roderick Daniels Jr. 12-yard receiving TD from Preston Stone 
  • Jaylan Knighton 1-yard TD run 
  • Jaylan Knighton 95-yard TD run 
  • Full highlights 
• SMU Highlights and Head Coach Rhett Lashlee postgame radio | SMU Radio Network on KTCK "The Ticket" 96.7 FM, 1310 AM (Rich Phillips pxp, Scott Garner analyst, Steve Lansdale sideline) – Credit: Learfield / SMU Radio Network
  • Highlights
  • Lashlee postgame​​​​​​​

ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Ryan Bujcevski (#92, P, Sr.) – Ray Guy Award Watch List
  • 3-137 punting, long of 54 with one inside the 20
• Elijah Chatman (#40, DT, Sr.) - Outland Trophy Watch List
  • Had one tackle, including a half-TFL
• Roderick Daniels Jr. (#13, WR, Jr.)
  • 2-25 receiving with a TD (2^nd TD of the season)
• Branson Hickman (#56, C, Jr.) – Rimington Trophy Watch List
  • Has started 24 straight games that he has played (missed one game in 2022)
• ​​​​​​​Jaylan Knighton (#4, RB, Sr.)
  • 11-150 rushing with 2 TDs
  • Career-long 95-yard TD run (T-2^nd longest in SMU history, 3^rd longest in AAC history)
  • Tied career high 2 TDs
• RJ Maryland (#82, TE, So.)
  • 3-33 receiving with a TD (2^nd TD of the season, 8^th of his career)
• Isaiah Nwokobia (#23, S, So.)
  • Career-high 9 tackles (was 8), including a TFL
• Justin Osborne (#51, OL, Sr.) - Outland Trophy Watch List
  • DNP
• Nelson Paul (#9, DE, Sr.)
  • Had 5 tackles, including 2.5 TFLs and a sack
• Collin Rogers #41, K, So.)
  • 4-4 on PATs, now 78-79 for his career
  • 2-2 on FGs (22, 33)
• ​​​​​​​Cale Sanders Jr, (#22, DB, Jr.)
  • Had his second career interception
  • Had 4 tackles and 2 pass breakups
• Preston Stone (#2, QB, So.) - Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List
  • 14-23 passing for 135 yards and 2 TDs
• Kobe Wilson (#24, LB, Jr.)
  • Team-high and career-high 10 tackles, also had a QB hurry
• Charles Woods (#3, CB, Sr.)
  • 3 tackles and a pass breakup