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However, when the Mustangs face 17th-ranked Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, they'll have one of the top offenses the Wildcats have faced all season. 

"We're really excited about the Holiday Bowl," Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said last week. "It's one of the best bowl games in America. We're going to have a big-time opponent in SMU. Our team has worked incredibly hard and they played some good football this season. ... It seemed like a home run to me."

Brennan said SMU (8-4), which went to the College Football Playoff last season, is a "program all of our players respect. That's a program that all of us know how good they are."

SMU is in its fourth season under head coach Rhett Lashlee, who is 37-16 since taking over in 2022. SMU went 6-2 in conference play in its second season in the ACC this year. Brennan said, "I know Rhett a little bit."

"He's a really good guy and obviously a really good football coach," Brennan said. "We have a ton of respect for him and that staff and what they've done in their time together. Really good guy." 

The 42-year-old Lashlee, who was a backup quarterback behind Matt Jones at Arkansas from 2002-04, is a first-time head coach after multiple offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach stints at Samford, Arkansas State, SMU, Auburn and Miami. 

The Lashlee-coached Mustangs have the best passing offense in the ACC this season, averaging 283.5 yards per game. SMU junior quarterback Kevin Jennings has the second-most passing yards (3,363) in the ACC to go along with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season. Jennings' passing yards ranks 10th in college football this season. 

SMU's leading receiver Jordan Hudson is sixth in the ACC with 749 yards and six touchdowns. SMU's second-leading receiver, Romello Brinson, is 17th in the ACC in receiving with 43 catches for 638 yards and three touchdowns. 

The Mustangs' top two rushers are T.J. Harden, who has 747 yards and seven touchdowns this season, and Chris Johnson Jr., the son of former NFL star and Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson. 

SMU ranks 30th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 32.9 points per game; Arizona is No. 32, averaging 32.6 points per contest this season. SMU ranks 36th in college football in total offense, averaging 419 yards per game; Baylor and Cincinnati are Arizona's only two opponents with better offensive numbers this season.

SMU's offense will clash with Arizona's passing defense, which ranks fourth nationally, allowing just 155.9 yards per game. The Wildcats have held eight straight opponents to fewer than 200 passing yards, which is tied for the longest streak in the Big 12 since Missouri in 2004.  

Arizona's 28 takeaways this season is tops in college football. It's the most takeaways by an Arizona team since 2000. Arizona has more takeaways (28) than touchdowns allowed (25). 

Defensively, SMU has the fourth-best rushing defense in the ACC, but is second-to-last in the conference in passing defense, surrendering 284.7 yards per game. SMU safety Ahmaad Moses is tied for the third-most interceptions (5) in college football this season; he also has 91 tackles.

The Holiday Bowl committee eyed the Arizona-SMU matchup between the end of the regular season and bowl selection day, but once Notre Dame was excluded from the College Football Playoff, "everything was thrown out the window," said SMU insider Billy Embody from .

"But SMU really wanted to get to the Holiday Bowl," Embody said. "It's a great bowl, in a great location, against a really good opponent and that was the push from SMUs side. The Holiday Bowl wanted SMU. That was the bowl, for the entire last month of the season, they were talking to SMU. That was the main bowl. That was it.

"This has been in the works. ACC was able to work it out once Notre Dame threw its tantrum and did its thing and once it declined the bowl, that cleared the way for SMU to get the Holiday Bowl instead of having the drama around it." 

SMU has played in the Holiday Bowl once, a 46-45 shootout loss to BYU in 1980. SMU's "Pony Express" offense was led by star running backs Eric Dickerson and Craig James in 1980. SMU hasn't won a bowl since the Hawaii Bowl in 2012. The Mustangs are 0-4 in bowl games since then. 

As SMU prepares to take on Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, Embody joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson to provide some insight on the Mustangs. 

For those that don't watch SMU football, they probably don't understand how good this team is. They're probably an overtime game and a missed field goal against Cal away from being in the College Football Playoff discussion, right? 

´¡:Ìý"You factor in the Wake Forest game, too. They needed one first down to ice it, they couldn't, they punt the ball and Wake wins on a walk-off field goal. ... The Baylor game was a meltdown in your own stadium, and that doesn't help your cause either, but it's an overtime loss.

"This team has lost three of its four games by a combined seven points, so they're really close, they just didn't get the bounces they got last year. ... When they're on, they're so much fun to watch and they play really hard defensively. They've got talent on all three levels of the defense and all over the place on offense.

"It'll be interesting to see what team shows up for SMU in the Holiday Bowl. They have not won a bowl game since 2012 back in the Hawaii, when they beat Fresno State. There's been a couple head coaches since then. They've gotta figure out this bowl game. But at the same time, the bowl game should be fun and allow young guys to get reps and build for next year, too." 

How does SMU's offense stack up against Arizona's defense?

´¡:Ìý"It is a really interesting offense to watch. They've figured all the different pieces this season. They went out and brought a few new running backs into the fold. They returned a guy in Derrick McFall, who has turned into this dynamic slot (receiver)-running back option for them, but he came into the year as the starting running back, then they get T.J. Harden from UCLA, he emerges. Chris Johnson Jr. has shown the speed and you saw that on that touchdown run against Cal. He's really explosive. When those three guys are healthy and rolling, it's fun to see.

"Kevin Jennings has played 90% of the season on a bum ankle-bone bruise situation. He'll get hit some games and you're like, 'Oh, man, that's it. He won't come back from that one.' It has allowed him to develop as a passer. He's Top 10 nationally in passing yards, he's cut down on some of the backbreaking interceptions and turnovers that have snowballed in the past.

"He hasn't had one of those games for SMU this year, and he's had to do it on this tough injury that has not allowed him to run the ball. ... He has developed as a passer and their overall group of pass catchers is unique and talented. They're going to be a challenge for Arizona.

"As Rhett Lashlee figures out the flow of the game, there will be that chess match between these two sides as they try to impose their will on each other." 

What's the key for the defense and what should Arizona's offense and quarterback Noah Fifita expect when they take the field?

A: "Noah has done a really good job of taking care of the football and that's something SMU is good at, taking away the football. If Noah can take care of the ball, that obviously plays into Arizona's hands. That's not rocket science, but it is a staple of SMU's defense. They're a little bit of bend but don't break.

"They'll give you 5, 6 or 7 yards on passing routes. It's just trying to limit the explosive (plays). ... SMU, what they do well, is take care of the football. Ahmaad Moses is one of the best safeties in the country. He'll be patrolling the secondary back there. The run defense has come together very well.

"If this secondary, which has been leaky at times, if they have their act together, it'll be a tall task for Arizona. If they don't tackle well, if they allow explosive plays, that'll make things difficult." 

Are there a lot of direct flights from Dallas to San Diego? Are SMU fans excited about the Holiday Bowl?

´¡:Ìý"I do expect a lot of people and SMU has a huge alumni base in California. That was another reason why (the Holiday Bowl was) championing this for SMU, to get out there and have a celebration.

"It should be fun and it'll be a great bowl game for SMU fans. A lot of people will be taking the 6 a.m. flight back to Dallas for SMU-North Carolina (men's basketball game). It'll be well attended.

"It's a great location for SMU and people should want to make the trip out there."