The SMU Broncos last won a bowl game in 2012 in the American Conference. That was 13 years and two conferences ago, and a lot has changed within a program that is quickly evolving into one of the powers in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on a second consecutive College Football Playoff berth, Southern Methodist University flew to San Diego on a business trip in hopes of getting the signature postseason win the program has long lacked. The Broncos accomplished their mission in the Holiday Bowl, defeating top-ranked Arizona 24-19. Rhett Lashlee and his staff finally ended a more than decade-long bowl win drought, giving SMU its third consecutive 9+ win season.
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The Holiday Bowl is the ultimate tale of two halves. In the first half, the Broncos won 24-0. The second half was a matter of life and death, as Arizona outscored SMU 19-0 in the final two frames.
SMU came out strong, going on a dynamic flea-flicker play on the second play from scrimmage, freeing up tight end Matthew Hibner for an 80-yard reception. Running back TJ Harden then rushed for a 1-yard score, giving the Broncos the fast start they desperately needed.
After a few early defensive stops, momentum only surged. Harden found the end zone again on a productive drive in the first quarter as quarterback Kevin Jennings surgically ripped apart Arizona’s typically stout pass defense that was missing several All-Big 12 caliber defensive backs. Jennings accumulated 248 passing yards in the first half, and his opponents have been held to less than 200 yards five times in a row.
Early in the second quarter, SMU extended its lead to 21-0, led by an unlikely player. Tight end Stone Eby, filling in for the absent RJ Maryland, had touched the ball just twice all season, but on the opening play of the second inning, Eby had an 18-yard catch, a devastating block and a touchdown to give the Broncos a three-point lead.
Kicker Sam Keltner hit a 24-yard field goal with 29 seconds left to give SMU a 24-0 halftime advantage. Arizona became the first team to score zero points in the first half of the Holiday Bowl since 2009, when Ndamukong Suh’s Nebraska swept the Wildcats 33-0.
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Only this time, Arizona wasn’t ready to lie down and post a goose egg on the scoreboard. The Wildcats began a comeback when Michael Dansby intercepted Jennings in the end zone, preventing SMU from taking a potential 31-0 lead. Arizona capitalized on SMU’s first turnover of the night with a 96-yard drive, cutting the deficit to 24-6 on a 28-yard reception from Noah Fifita to Javin Whatley with 2:38 left in the third quarter.
The Broncos’ turnover issues then became more serious. Jennings threw a jackpot-style lob downfield, and a swarm of Broncos and Wildcats waited for the ball to land in the air. After three or four deflections, outside linebacker Riley Wilson made a diving interception in SMU territory, giving Arizona a golden opportunity for a comeback. However, the Wildcats put a serious inconvenience into the game on fourth down at the 10-yard line.
Still, Fifita struggled in a 265-yard performance in the fourth quarter that led to another touchdown and chipped away at SMU’s once comfortable advantage. This time, he found Trey Spivey for a 10-yard score with 8:40 left, leaving plenty of time for a 24-12 comeback. SMU’s offense finally responded, taking four minutes to get to the Arizona 34-yard line and looking ready to seal the win. However, Jennings threw his third interception of the second half and second against Wilson, suddenly giving Arizona’s hopes a boost.
Fifita then scored his third touchdown of the Holiday Bowl with 33 seconds left, hitting tight end Cameron Barmore, who leads the Wildcats in receptions (5) and receiving yards (61). But without a timeout, the Wildcats needed an onside recovery for the first time since 2017 to complete the miraculous rally. However, SMU pounced on the ball without any special teams drama to give the Broncos a long-awaited victory.
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Rhett Lashlee soaked in eggnog during the postgame celebrations, while wide receiver Yamir Knight (seven catches, 104 yards) and free safety Ahmed Moses (13 tackles, one pass breakup) earned offensive MVP and defensive MVP honors, respectively.
Arizona State (9-4, 6-3 Big 12) is five points shy of its fifth 10-win season in history. The 21st-ranked Wildcats may have lost their chance at a second late-season ranking in the 21st century, but 2025 is still shaping up to be an incredible bounce-back year under head coach Brent Brennan. The team is one of nine Arizona teams to record nine wins and the first to do so since joining the Big 12.
SMU (9-4, 6-2 ACC) finally hoists a bowl trophy after a 13-year wait. The Broncos led in the fourth quarter in all four of their losses and fell well short of their CFP goal but still managed a significant field goal. The program continues its momentum by posting nine wins in three consecutive seasons for the first time since the boom days of 1981-84.