SMU shreds short-handed UNR

HONOLULU -- SMU is back from the dead.

Freshman Kyle Padron threw for a Southern Methodist-record 460 yards, leading the Mustangs to a 45-10 victory over UNR in the Hawaii Bowl on Thursday night -- SMU's first postseason appearance in 25 years.

It was a triumphant return to the postseason and paradise for the Mustangs and second-year coach June Jones, who left Hawaii after nine seasons and has revived a dreadful SMU program hit hard by the NCAA death penalty assessed for the 1987 season.

"It just feels good to be home," said Jones, 16-1 at Aloha Stadium since 2006 and 4-1 in the Hawaii Bowl.

The 18-year-old Padron, who was 32-for-41 with two touchdowns, was confident and composed on the biggest stage of his young career.

He earned the starting job after Bo Levi Mitchell was injured in the seventh game of the season and was largely unknown coming out of Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, which produced quarterbacks Chase Daniel and Greg McElroy.

The Mustangs (8-5), who were 1-11 the previous two years, have their most victories since their last postseason game -- also in Hawaii. SMU beat Notre Dame 27-20 in the 1984 Aloha Bowl to finish 10-2.

The 12-point underdogs built a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and led 38-0 in the third.

Padron had 303 yards passing in the first half. Shawnbrey McNeal had three TDs, including two in the first quarter.

The loss was the fourth straight in the postseason for the Wolf Pack (8-5), whose No. 1-ranked rushing offense was grounded.

While SMU totaled 534 yards of offense, UNR had just 314, including 137 yards rushing. The Wolf Pack averaged 362.3 yards rushing in the regular season and are the first NCAA team to have three 1,000-yard rushers. But UNR was without two of them in running backs Vai Taua and Luke Lippincott.

Taua was ruled academically ineligible, and Lippincott was sidelined with a toe injury.

UNR quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who rushed for 1,160 yards in the regular season, had 23 yards rushing on 13 carries.

He was 15-for-29 passing for 177 yards, with a 10-yard TD pass with a minute left.