Rival ACC head coach took an awkward dig at Miami Hurricanes QB Darian Mensah, and it was a laughable attempt
The Canes’ QB has gotten a lot of praise after a strong start, and it’s gotten under the skin of another ACC head coach a tad, it seems.
There wasn’t much at all to complain about regarding the first start for new Miami Hurricanes starting QB Darian Mensah. The veteran signal caller had a masterful first game in orange and green on the West Coast, helping to engineer a 45-6 blowout of Stanford.
Mensah was as close to perfect as you could be. He was 27/30 for 401 yards with five touchdowns. He wasn’t sacked a single time. He also laid in some of the most impressive individual throws you’ll see from a college quarterback.
Naturally, Mensah received a large amount of praise from fans and media across the country for his strong start. And with just three incompletions, no near turnovers, 400+ yards, and five touchdowns in less than three full quarters of work against a Power Four team, what is there to knock?
Apparently, for SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, it’s a sore spot that too many people were talking about Mensah and not enough about his QB, Kevin Jennings.
Lashlee went on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, one day after his team’s narrow 27-24 win over Florida State, and he had some eyebrow-raising comments that involved Jennings and Mensah (1:15 video mark).
SMU coach Rhett Lashlee downplays Miami QB Darian Mensah’s performance in favor of Kevin Jennings
“We have to tell his Heisman story, or nobody will,” Lashlee said. “Look, Darian Mensah is great. He goes out and throws for four hundred. That’s all anybody talks about. Kevin goes out against a much better opponent and throws for four (hundred) thirty.”
Huh? Say what? When did Florida State become a “much better opponent” than Stanford? Last time I checked, FSU went 5-7 and Stanford went 4-8 in 2025. Florida State lost dozens of players in the portal, and their outlook going into the year was never good.
And Jennings threw two interceptions and 430 yards over four stressful quarters. Mensah’s helmet was not necessary late in the third quarter with the game a laugher by that point.
And, given FSU had played just 12 hours or so before his television appearance, there hadn’t even been time for people to generate as much buzz as Mensah, who played on Friday.
I get that Lashlee is trying to use McAfee’s massive platform to stump for his guy, but pulling in Mensah and discounting what he did to prop Jennings up feels a little bit cheap.
