SMU football opened American Athletic Conference play with a 45-24 loss to 22nd-ranked East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. The 24 points is double the amount SMU scored in its first four games combined.

In his second career start, quarterback Garrett Krstich threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns, providing the Mustangs (0-5, 0-1 AAC) the offensive burst they had been lacking all season. SMU Interim Head Coach Tom Mason is pleased with his whole team’s progress since the season started.

“Those kids went out there and played hard,” Mason said. “They gave us a chance to win the game. From where we were at to where we are now is night and day…Going back to that North Texas game and I walked off that field; I didn’t feel too good. Now we have a chance. We just have to continue to go another week.”

While the final score does not indicate a close game, SMU gave the Pirates (4-1, 1-0 AAC) a scare. Three touchdown passes from Shane Carden to Justin Hardy gave the Pirates a 28-7 halftime lead, but the Mustangs did not go away. With seven seconds left in the third quarter, kicker Cody Rademacher drilled a 27-yard field goal to pull the Mustangs within 11 points, 35-24.

ECU kick returner Quay Johnson fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and SMU recovered at the ECU 26-yard line with a chance to make it a one-possession game. The Mustangs could not move the ball and had to settle for a 40-yard field goal attempt, which Rademacher missed. He missed two field goals on the day.

“If we kick that field goal, it’s an eight-point game in the fourth quarter, and you never know what would happen,” Mason said.

Following the missed field goal, Carden led the Pirates down to the SMU 5-yard line, but SMU held them to a field goal that made it 38-24 with just under eight minutes left in the game. The Mustangs went three-and-out on their next drive. East Carolina running back Chris Hairston ran for an eight-yard touchdown on the next possession to put the game away.

SMU’s defense struggled early, but got some key stops in the second half that allowed SMU to pull within 11. But Mason was not pleased with the defense’s play.

“I am disappointed in the way we played defense today and that’s on me,” Mason said. “I have been spending my time on doing other things and not focusing on defense…We had too many individual breakdowns and you can’t play that way, especially against a quarterback like that. We are going to get better at that.”

Carden completed 31 of 41 passes for 410 yards and four touchdowns. Hardy had 120 receiving yards to go along with his three touchdowns catches, and sophomore receiver Isaiah Jones had 130 receiving yards.

But SMU’s receivers showed well too. Darius Joseph reeled in 13 catches for 100 yards and caught both of Krstich’s touchdowns. He also caught three passes on fourth down to set up SMU’s first touchdown, a 2-yard run by Prescott Line. SMU converted five of six fourth down attempts.

The Mustangs have a bye week before taking on Cincinnati on Oct. 18 at Ford Stadium.