Three SMU Mustangs that should frighten Clemson football fans

Tonight, the SMU Mustangs stand between the Clemson football team and a spot in the College Football Playoff. But how much do Tiger fans know about the surprising opponent in the ACC Championship game?

After all, this is the first season that the Mustangs have been an ACC member. Thus, head coach Rhett Lashlee's team might still be a bit of an enigma to a huge portion of the Clemson populace.

This is the third year for Lashlee to be at the helm in Dallas. In that time, he's guided his program to 29 wins including 11 in each of the past two seasons.

That marks the first time since 1983-84 that SMU has won double-digit games in consecutive seasons. It certainly has been quite the resurrection on the Hilltop for the Mustangs who enter this game as slight favorites to take the conference crown.

So because this is an unfamiliar opponent, one that Clemson has never faced before, let's get to know some of the stars that power the Mustangs. Here is a look at three players that Tiger fans should fear tonight because they could stand in the way of a Clemson playoff birth.

Clemson will have its hands full with SMU QB Kevin Jennings

The turning point of SMU's season came early on. The Mustangs entered the season with Preston Stone leading the offense at QB but he and the offense struggled out of the gates leading to a change at QB1.

Since the fourth game of the season, a 66-42 win over rival TCU that wasn't as close as that score would indicate, Kevin Jennings has run the show for the Mustangs and he's been fantastic.

The Dallas native has gone undefeated as the starter. What's more, since taking over at the helm, he's thrown for 2,404 yards and 18 TDs while rushing for 248 yards and three more scores in the last nine games. In that time, he's been picked off only six times while completing 68.7% of his passes.

What truly makes Jennings dangerous is his ability to make plays with his legs. Though his rushing stats aren't gaudy, he will remind Clemson fans of South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers who ran for 166 yards and two huge touchdowns against the Tigers in last weekend's Palmetto Bowl.

Jennings doesn't run the ball as often as Sellers but when he does, he can be almost as dangerous. So the Tigers must be fully aware of his ability to make plays with his legs as well as with his arm.

Clemson must slow down SMU running back Brashard Smith

While Jennings can carry the ball effectively, the Mustangs lean most heavily on Miami transfer Brashard Smith to power their ground attack. If he has a huge night against the Tigers, it will be tough for Clemson to capture the ACC crown.

This year, Smith has run for 1,157 yards and 14 touchdowns. He's averaging 96.4 yards per game on the ground.

A former receiver, he's also a threat in the passing game where he's hauled in 29 passes for for 269 yards and three more scores. However, it is on the ground where he'll be asked to do the bulk of his work.

Six times this year, Smith has topped 100 yards in a game. That included 161 yards and two touchdowns against a Pitt defense that held Clemson's star running back Phil Mafah to 17 yards on 17 carries earlier this year.

This year, Clemson's rush defense hasn't been great. Ranking just 75th nationally, the Tigers have allowed 150.3 yards per game on the ground. That's good for just 14th out of 17 teams in the ACC. That's why Clemson fans should fear what Smith is capable of doing with the ball in his hands.

Clemson's thin offensive line must deal with SMU pass rusher Jahfari Harvey

SMU features a talented and deep defensive line. However, the one player who is the most disruptive is another Miami transfer, Jahfari Harvey.

This year, the defensive end has made only 26 total tackles. However, he's racked up 6.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.

What is frightening is that Clemson's pass protection remains suspect given all of the injuries to the offensive line this season. In the first seven games of the season, Clemson QB Cade Klubnik was sacked just seven times. But in the last five games, he's been sacked 13 times as the pass protection unit in front of him has suffered losses.

SMU averages just over three sacks per game this year, 11th-most in the nation. And given SMU's ability to stop the run, Clemson might have to go to the air to move the ball. That's when Harvey and his defensive linemates could feast on a reworked Clemson O-line.