SMU dominated early and held on late to defeat Arizona 24-19 in San Diego, racing to a 24-0 halftime lead behind three rushing touchdowns. Running back TJ Harden powered the Mustangs' first-half surge with a pair of short scoring runs, while the SMU defense shut down Arizona's offense completely through two quarters. The Wildcats mounted a furious second-half comeback with three Noah Fifita touchdown passes, but their rally fell short as SMU's early cushion proved just enough to secure the victory.