With AAC on the Line, Nwokobia Comes Through

NEW ORLEANS – You knew it was coming. He's done it all year long.

Three times Isaiah Nwokobia has come up with a pick this season and twice he's taken it to the house. With Tulane looking to make it a game and SMU in need of making a strong statement for the College Football Playoff Committee, the sophomore safety jumped a route along the right sideline on 4th & 4, wrestling it away from the arms of arms of tight end Alex Bauman and along with it the AAC championship, 26-14.

Had he not stumbled as he ripped the ball free, Nwokobia would have scored his third touchdown of the season. Instead, he handed the ball over to the offense and back-up quarterback Kevin Jennings at the Tulane 37. It was one of 15 stops on either third or fourth down as the Mustangs' defense dominated all night long.

"In spring ball we had a good idea, but when we got into fall camp, and for so many years our offense has dominated in practice, and it was back and forth," SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee said. "We couldn't pass protect our d-line and we couldn't beat our corners one-on-one. We knew we had something different."

The Mustangs offense did just enough to get into field goal range while chewing clock. With just over three minutes left, Collin Rogers knocked down a 45-yard field goal to put the game out of reach at 26-14 and launched SMU into a heated discussion over whether an undefeated Liberty team with the worst strength of schedule of any FBS school should get in over an 11-win Mustangs team with a Top 25 win and much more difficult schedule.

"They're an uncommon team," Lashlee said. "It's hard in this day and age to have a true team and they did it for 12 straight weeks. We love the American. It's been great to us and we're really thankful we could go out winning it."

PONY EXPRESS:

DID STAR QB PRESTON STONE JUST HIT THE TRANSFER PORTAL?

JOURNEY FOR LASHLEE, SYMONS TO AAC TITLE GAME OVER DECADE IN THE MAKING

MESS AT TULANE PROVES HART HAD TIMING RIGHT ON LASHLEE EXTENSION

FANS NOW KNOW WHEN STONE WILL BE BACK FOR PONIES AT QUARTERBACK

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