SMU safety Ahmaad Moses (3) celebrates his turnover touchdown with teammates defensive tackle Terry Webb (4) and cornerback Deuce Harmon (7) during the second half of an NCAA college football game against East Texas A&M Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

No. 16 SMU returns two interceptions for TDs in season-opening 42-13 win over East Texas A&M

DALLAS (AP) — Ahmaad Moses returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown and middle linebacker Alexander Kilgore had a much shorter and stranger pick-6 as 16th-ranked SMU opened the season with a 42-13 win over East Texas A&M on Saturday night.

The Mustangs led for good after Kevin Jennings’ 63-yard TD pass to Romello Brinson on the third play less than a minute into the game. Jennings completed 22 of 30 passes for 260 yards and two TDs, and ran 7 yards for a score. Brinson had seven catches for 121 yards.

Moses’ big play made it 28-3 after Football Championship Subdivision team East Texas A&M got to the SMU 8 on the first drive after halftime. He stepped in front of a pass by Eric Rodriguez and sprinted the length of the field untouched.

“Good to be 1-0, definitely would have like to have played a little better,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “There was a combination of Game 1, combination of playing a lot of new guys, and a combination of us not playing well. First half, particularly, offensively.”

SMU, which had the ball for only about 21 minutes for the entire game, led 21-3 at halftime. The Mustangs had eight penalties for 84 yards.

Kilgore, one of the team’s captains, got hurt on his 10-yard TD return in the first quarter. He was limping when he got up and was on the sideline after halftime on crutches and with a protective boot on his left foot.

Will Madonna threw that interception, which first went off 6-foot-4 defensive end Cameron Robertson while he reached over an offensive lineman. The ball then ricocheted off of Kilgore’s foot without hitting the ground. He grabbed it and was tripped up by Madonna as he crossed the goal line.

SMU lost top returning receiver Jordan Hudson to an elbow injury on a 7-yard catch on the first play of the game.

Lashlee said X-rays were negative for both Kilgore and Hudson, though he wasn’t sure yet of their availability for the next game.

The Takeaway

East Texas A&M: The team formerly known as A&M-Commerce, with its campus only about 70 miles from SMU, played its first game as a full-fledged Division I FCS member. The Lions were the NCAA Division II national champion in 2017.

SMU: Along with two pick-6s in a game for the first time since 2016, SMU’s defense forced a fumble after the Lions drove to the 4. … The Mustangs made their ACC debut last year going undefeated in conference play, but finished the season with back-to-back losses, to Clemson in the conference championship game and Penn State in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game.

Up next

SMU stays home next Saturday to play former SWC rival Baylor (0-1) for the first time since 2016. East Texas A&M plays at Florida State (1-0), which is coming off a 31-17 upset of No. 9 Alabama.

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SMU wide receiver Romello Brinson (3) runs for a touchdown after catching a pass against East Texas A&M defensive back Javon Gillespie (7) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) passes after faking a hand-off to running back Derrick McFall (0) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against East Texas A&M Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
SMU running back Chris Johnson Jr. (6) breaks a tackle against East Texas A&M defensive back Javon Gillespie (7) and linebacker Koby-Sebasyen King, bottom, on the way to scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, left, shakes hands with East Texas A&M head coach Clint Dolezel after the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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