Rhett Lashlee, the head coach of SMU, tried his utmost to minimize the temperature earlier this week if he is worried about the State College cold.
In an NCAA playoff game on Saturday afternoon, Lashlee’s Mustangs will travel to Penn State, where temperatures are expected to be in the neighborhood of thirty degrees.
The good news? If you believe weather forecasters, snow is improbable.
The ACC runner-up, SMU (11-2), is around eight points behind.
But this season, it was difficult to defeat the Mustangs. They have lost both games by three points.
When questioned about performing in chilly weather in front of a large Beaver Stadium crowd, Lashlee responded, “There’s really nothing you can do to prepare for it.”
You simply need to adapt to it, go compete, and get there. Naturally, they have a significant homefield advantage, which is why they are entitled to be at home.
This week, Lashlee has received a lot of inquiries about the weather. Probably too many.
The catch is that, according to Lashlee, they are playing in the same weather as us.
Like us, they must play a part in it. Additionally, I don’t believe they have ever played a game at home on December 21. The weather isn’t a significant deal, in my opinion.
Brashard Smith is getting closer to a noteworthy SMU record.This season, Penn State’s defense has faced some excellent backs, but the Mustangs’ main back presents a little different obstacle.
He was a wideout when he started his career at Miami. Smith also has the physique of a wideout (5-10, 196).
However, Smith has been outstanding in Lashlee’s offense. With four touchdown catches on 35 receptions, he is an impact player in the pass game. In 2024, he ran for 1,270 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Smith has 1,814 all-purpose yards this season when you include his return yards. Smith needs just 29 yards to break the previous SMU all-purpose yardage record for a single season.
Their strategy involves turnovers.A Drew Allar interception resulted in an easy Ducks touchdown, and Penn State lost to Oregon 45-37 in the Big Ten title game after turning the ball over twice.
The Lions cannot afford to give SMU a short field since the Mustangs are a disruptive squad. In 19 of its last 23 games, Lashlee’s club has forced at least one turnover.
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