The SMU football team has delivered plenty of big wins over the last few years, but none bigger than Saturday's 26-20 overtime victory against No. 10 Miami.

In 2019, the Mustangs beat Tulane in the regular season finale for the first 10-win season since 1984. In 2023, SMU beat Tulane for the American Athletic Conference championship, winning 11 games and an outright conference title for the first time since 1982.

With the win, SMU beat a Top 10 opponent for the first time since the 1982 season and for the first time at home since 1974.

"You don't get tired of it at all," SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings said of making history. "You've got to keep stacking them, keep coming up with things like that. Keep proceeding, keep getting better as a team because that's the only goal right there — keep getting better as a team and go finish it off."

For a team and a program that had won a conference title, played for the ACC championship in its first season in the league and reached the College Football Playoff in the last two seasons, there was one thing missing — a big-time win.

That's what Sunday's victory against Miami was.

"Big game, I think it's the highest-ranked win at Ford Stadium. It's been a while since we won a Top 10 game," SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee said. "(Saturday) was a culture win for our program. It just is. Year 2 in the ACC, we've got a lot of work to do to build what we want to build, but those kids, I couldn't be more proud of them."

It was a message: SMU can win these kinds of games.

"This is great for our fans," Lashlee said. "Just seeing them on the field celebrating, this is a big win for our program and what we're trying to build."

It wasn't the first time a field had been rushed during Jordan Hudson's career, but even he had to admit this one felt different and even 'surreal.' 

And the Mustangs aren't done yet.

"SMU's back. That's what I say," Hudson said. "We're back. We beat Top 10 teams, we beat ACC champions, and we've played and contended in games with ACC champions. Rhett Lashlee has done a great job with the brotherhood here and the bonds that he's building with everybody. I feel like the spark that he brings allows us to go cut loose and have fun. That's what he's doing here and building here at this program. I feel like the next 5-10 years, this is going to be a different program than it is now. We're just scratching the surface."

The turnaround started before Jennings was at SMU. The 10-win team in 2019 opened the season 8-0, won every home game and ranked as high as No. 14 in the Coaches Poll and No. 15 in the AP Poll, the highest since 1985. 

It continued once Jennings made it to campus, even winning a conference championship in his second season. But nothing compares to the energy and excitement in the stands during the game and on the field after Saturday's win.

"It's crazy. Coming in freshman year, it was nothing like this," Jennings said. "Freshman, sophomore year, nothing like this. But the fans and the student body has turned this place to another level. Just having them behind us, they helped us with that game for sure, having clutch moments and the false starts and all that stuff. They definitely helped us with that."

While Jennings wasn't around for that 2019 season, Lashlee was. He served as the offensive coordinator for the 2018 and 2019 seasons and helped start the turnaround. 

Saturday was different. 

"They're carrying the goalpost (out of the stadium). That's a change," Lashlee said. "We beat a Top 10 team for the first time in my lifetime. That's a big deal. And I just think we have a toughness about us, and we expect to win. I think our fan base is on board, I think our entire administration and the SMU family is on board. We want to build this thing to be as good as we can possibly be."

There were plenty of stars and big performances that went into Saturday's win, but three stand out.

Jennings threw for 365 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another. Hudson caught 11 passes for 136 yards, including a pair of key receptions on the drive that led to the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation. ACC Defensive Back, Walter Camp Defensive Player and Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week Ahmaad Moses finished with a game-high 15 tackles, including two for loss, and a pair of interceptions, including the one in overtime leading to the game-winning score.

They played at Dallas South Oak Cliff, Garland High and Arlington Mansfield Summit, respectively, and all stayed home to play for Dallas' team. Jennings and Moses were committed elsewhere when Lashlee was hired as the head coach and flipped. Hudson was an SMU commit, followed the former staff, and then returned to the Mustangs a year later.

"I think that's what's changed," Lashlee said. "The kids in Dallas say, 'You know what, I don't gotta to leave to go elsewhere and play big-time football. I can stay right here, I can build my brand, I can get a great degree at SMU, have great connections for life after ball and, oh yeah, I can compete for championships and play on the biggest stage.' That's changed since I was here the first time."

The Mustangs do it for their city, for their school and for each other. But they also do it for their head coach, who has helped lead SMU football back onto the national stage for the first time in over 40 years.

"It was a sentimental moment," Jennings said. "Coach Lashlee, we love that guy right there. He gives his all to us. It's amazing being in the locker room and having him as our coach."

As a senior, Moses will soon hang up his SMU uniform, but he has an opinion on the future of the program when it comes to the head coach and his recent contract extension.

"Keep on extending him," Moses said.