Preston Stone tossed a go-ahead 34-yard touchdown pass to RJ Maryland with 1:18 left as SMU scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to rally for a 29-24 victory over Nevada in the season opener for both teams on Saturday night at Reno, Nev.
Maryland had career bests of eight catches and 162 receiving yards for the Mustangs, who never led until the late scoring connection. Stone completed 17 of 30 passes for 254 yards, the TD and one interception for SMU.
LJ Johnson Jr. and Brashard Smith each rushed for a score for the Mustangs, who were playing their first game as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Brendon Lewis passed for 132 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 77 yards for the Wolf Pack, who were 27 1/2-point underdogs after going 2-10 in each of the past two seasons.
Cortez Braham and Jace Henry caught touchdown passes and Savion Red rushed for a score for Nevada, which played its first game under new coach Jeff Choate.
SMU traveled 83 yards on nine plays for the game-winning score. Maryland had three catches for 67 yards on the drive.
Nevada’s advantage was 24-13 after Red ran into the end zone from the Mustangs 1 with 3:23 left in the third quarter.
SMU moved within 24-21 on Smith’s 4-yard TD run and Johnson’s two-point conversion run with 8:01 left in the game.
The Wolf Pack muffed the ensuing kickoff and were backed up at their own 1. On second down, SMU’s Jahfari Harvey dropped Red in the end zone for a safety to bring the Mustangs within one with 7:19 to play.
Earlier, SMU set up the Wolf Pack’s first touchdown with a high punt snap that ended up being a 30-yard loss. It was eventually fallen on by the Mustangs’ Jaden Milliner-Jones at his own 9-yard line with 2:25 left in the first quarter.
Three plays later, Nevada cashed in with Lewis’ 5-yard scoring pass to Henry with 1:07 remaining.
The Mustangs tied the score on Johnson’s 1-yard TD run with 12:57 left in the second quarter. Matthew Killam kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Wolf Pack a 10-7 lead with 8:38 left in the first half before SMU’s Collin Rogers booted a career-long 52-yard field goal to knot the score with 4:12 remaining.
Lewis then threw a 10-yard scoring pass to Braham with nine seconds left in the half to give Nevada a 17-10 lead.
SMU moved within 17-13 after a 43-yard field goal by Rogers with 12:18 left in the third quarter.
