SMU football returned to the national title picture for the first time since 1982 Saturday. However, the Mustangs' debut in the College Football Playoffs ended in lopsided fashion against Penn State. The kind Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee admitted came with wasted opportunities.

The Nittany Lions dismantled SMU 38-10 to open the first round of the new 12-team postseason. Lashlee's team came out competitive out the gate. However, quarterback Kevin Jennings watched two of his own passes become pick sixes. The SMU QB got roasted by fans after the rough first half. Even Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin called out SMU on social media.

The SMU head coach first shared where the game got out of hand, per Jacob Richman of LoneStarLive.com

“Second quarter got away from us,” Lashlee bluntly said. “You just can't do that stuff.”

Dominic DeLuca of Penn State scored first by taking back a 23-yard interception into the end zone. Penn State later turned an early 7-0 lead into an astonishing 28-0 halftime lead. The host team outscored SMU 21-0 in the second quarter.

Lashlee still believed that the Mustangs were doing enough to stay competitive through defense.

“We wasted a defensive performance that was good enough to win with,” Lashlee said.

How the second quarter unraveled for SMU vs. Penn State

Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee prepares to lead the Mustangs on to the field before the game between the SMU Mustangs and the California Golden Bears at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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Tony Rojas sparked the scoring spree for Penn State. Rojas stepped in front of an errant Jennings pass and returned it 59 yards for the touchdown.

SMU's defense managed to force a crucial turnover on downs inside the Penn State 19. Jennings and the Mustangs earned new life on offense.

However, DeLuca snatched his second interception of the afternoon. The Atlantic Coast Conference representative watched PSU turn that pick into one more offensive score. Kaytron Allen gashed the defense with his 25-yard run, putting PSU up 21-0.

Lashlee's offense struggled on the subsequent drive. SMU held the ball for six plays, but mustered just 13 yards and turned the ball over on downs. Nicholas Singleton scored from one-yard to cap off the scoring drive.

Jennings didn't fire a touchdown pass until the 7:31 mark of the fourth — hitting Roderick Daniels Jr. for 28-yards. SMU's normally high-powered offense got bottled to 253 total yards, including just 195 through the air.

The Big 10 Conference representative will now move on in the CFP postseason. The Lions will trek to Glendale, Arizona, to take on the No. 3 seed Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl set for New Year's Eve.