It’s a wonder that the scoreboard at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas didn’t short-circuit Saturday night.
That’s because SMU and Houston combined to score 140 points as the Mustangs beat the Cougars, 77–63, setting an FBS record for total points in a regulation, non-overtime game. The previous record was 137, set in Pittsburgh’s 76–61 win over Syracuse on Nov. 26, 2016.
SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai set school and American Athletic Conference records with nine touchdown passes, throwing for 379 yards without an interception. Houston quarterback Clayton Tune threw for 527 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions. The teams combined to gain 1,352 yards, with the Cougars outgaining the Mustangs, 710–642.
The FBS record for combined points in a game is 146, set by Texas A&M and LSU in a seven-overtime tilt on Nov. 18, 2018. The Aggies won, 74–72.
SMU and Houston also set an FBS record for most total points in one half, 91, as the Mustangs led the Cougars, 56–35, at halftime. The previous record was 76, set by Houston and Tulsa on Nov. 23, 1968. The Cougars won that game 100–6.
Saturday’s game evoked memories of Houston’s 95–21 win over SMU on Oct. 21, 1989. The undermanned Mustangs were coming off the NCAA death penalty that season. Houston gained 1,021 yards from scrimmage in that game, a figure that remains an FBS record to this day.
This time, SMU got the last laugh.
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