DALLAS — David Johnson threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns, A.J. Whitmore had the go-ahead score and Tulsa improved to 6-0 for the first time since 1942 with a 37-31 victory over SMU tonight.

Tulsa (3-0 Conference USA) trailed 31-24 heading into the fourth quarter before scoring twice in just over a minute to take the lead for good.

Johnson hit Trae Johnson, who hauled in the pass over SMU defensive back Keith Robinson, for a 33-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-21 to tie the game at 31 with 9:53 remaining.

Tulsa's DeAundre Brown intercepted Bo Levi Mitchell on the first play of the ensuing drive to give the Golden Hurricane the ball at the Mustangs' 26.

Whitmore scored on an 8-yard run three plays later to put Tulsa on top 37-31 with 8:40 left.

The Golden Hurricane, who came in leading the nation in scoring and total offense, had 602 yards of total offense to snap a six-game losing streak at SMU (1-6, 0-4) that dates back to 1991.

Tulsa's Tarrion Adams rushed for 121 yards, and Slick Shelley had 105 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns.

Mitchell, who was 19-of-34, passed for 318 yards and four touchdowns. His 77-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders gave the Mustangs a 31-24 lead.

Sanders had six catches for 132 yards.

SMU, whose only win is against FCS team Texas State, has lost 16 straight to FBS schools. The Mustangs have also dropped 13 consecutive games to conference opponents.

The Mustangs drove to the Tulsa 26 in the final minute. Mitchell threw toward an open Cole Beasley in the end zone. But Beasley dropped the pass that could have given SMU the lead.

Mitchell's fourth-and-2 pass was just beyond the outstretched hands of Sanders, and Tulsa got the ball back on downs and ran out the final seconds.

Mitchell threw two touchdowns in the first half to help the Mustangs take a 17-13 lead.

After Jarod Tracy's field goal brought Tulsa within a point, the teams combined to score three times in 68 seconds.

Mitchell tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to Terrance Wilkerson with 8:57 left in the third.

The Golden Hurricane, who came into the weekend as one of two undefeated teams that were unranked, quickly answered on David Johnson's 40-yard TD pass to Shelley.

Mitchell then found a wide open Sanders for a 77-yard touchdown to cap the scoring frenzy with 7:49 remaining in the third. Sanders tied a school record with his ninth 100-yard receiving game.

Before Mitchell's 26-yard touchdown pass to Beasley put the Mustangs ahead 7-3 late in the first quarter, Tulsa had scored 50 in four straight games and hadn't trailed since its opening game.

After Bryan McCann intercepted Johnson in the end zone to stop a Tulsa threat, the Mustangs went up 14-3 on Mitchell's 18-yard TD to Aldrick Robinson.

Tulsa fought within 17-13 on Tracy's 34-yard field goal as the first half ended.