SMU hung on in the first half. Not so much in the second half, as Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars scored 24 second half points en route to a 37-7 drubbing of the Mustangs.
Keenum was 30-of-45 passing for 318 yards and a touchdown, as he tied an NCAA record with his 36th 300 yard passing game. Keenum used his legs as well, as his 16 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter extended Houston's lead to 30-7, effectively putting the game out of reach.
SMU had trouble stopping Houston's rushing game as well. Houston accumulated 148 yards on the ground, averaging 4.8 yards per rush as a team. Michael Hayes led the Cougars in rushing yards, racking up 68 on 15 carries, including a 36 yard touchdown run with less than a minute to go in the first half.
The Mustangs had even more trouble establishing their own running game. SMU only managed to rush for a meager 24 yards on 26 carries, while J.J. McDermott was 23-of-40 passing for 239 yards, with both a touchdown and interception to his credit.
Houston outgained SMU in total yards, 513-263, which is reflected by the 37-7 score.
The win improves Houston to a perfect 11-0, one of the two remaining undefeated teams in FBS, along with top-ranked LSU. SMU, meanwhile, drops to 6-5, and 4-3 within the conference.