The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs football team brought the Iron Skillet home to Fort Worth, wresting it from the grasp of a Southern Methodist University program that has held the coveted trophy for two seasons. TCU head coach Sonny Dykes, who spent the last five seasons at SMU, is 3-0 since taking the reins of the Horned Frogs program.
Dykes returned to the campus that had jeered him off the field in his final game with the Mustangs last season to the chant of TCU fans showing love, something that Dykes said after the game made him feel “uncomfortable.”
“I’m not gonna lie, it was a little embarrassing for me,” Dykes said after the victory. “I don’t like that kind of attention. I’m appreciative of it, but I was more embarrassed than appreciative.”
When Dykes left SMU for cross-town rival TCU at the end of the 2021 season, many Mustangs fans were seriously upset about the decision. According to Sports Illustrated, Dykes is the first head coach in modern history to jump from one college to a cross-town rival.
The Horned Frogs opened the game with Max Duggan under center. Duggan got his second start of the season after Chandler Morris suffered a knee injury in Week 1. Morris had beaten Duggan out for the starting spot in the offseason. The first TCU drive of the game saw power running from Kendre Miller, who galloped for 54 yards on two runs, including a 35-yarder on the first play of the game. Duggan capped the drive with a 19-yard completion to Savion Williams to earn the early 7-0 lead.
SMU’s Tanner Mordecai came out throwing, hitting Rashee Rice for 16 yards on the first play of the series, but the TCU defense forced a punt after three more plays. The TCU offense would sputter through its second opportunity, punting after gaining only 12 yards.
Then, the Horned Frogs’ defense stepped up to the plate. Mordecai made an ill-advised cross-field pass attempt that fell woefully short and was picked by TCU’s Abe Camara to end the Mustangs’ first promising drive of the day.
Miller would collect a 28-yard touchdown on the ensuing TCU drive to go up by two scores before SMU countered with a scoring drive of its own. Then, the Derius Davis show began. Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards and set up TCU for the squad’s third score of the first half, this one coming on a short pass from Duggan to Jared Wiley.
After forcing a punt that set the Horned Frogs up at their own 20-yard line, Duggan pitched to Davis on a jet sweep, and Davis turned on the afterburners, racing 80 yards untouched for the fourth touchdown in five drives for the TCU offense and establishing a 28-7 lead. SMU would add a touchdown inside of the two-minute warning, but the first half was dominated by TCU.
Mordecai hit Jake Bailey for a huge 45-yard gain late in the third on a fourth-and-10 play that set up Tre Siggers for his second TD of the game on a 1-yard rush. SMU narrowed the TCU lead to 28-21, but it would be the closest the score would be for the remainder of the game.
Another interception by Mordecai set up the Horned Frogs with a short field, and Duggan capitalized, rushing for 9 yards and feeding Miller to move the ball. Emari Demercado found pay dirt on a 1-yard run that put TCU up 35-21.
Down the stretch, both offenses began to take advantage of defenses that were showing wear and tear from the high on-field temperatures. SMU added two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the first a 2-yarder on the ground by Siggers and the second on a 35-yard strike from Mordecai to Bailey.
TCU would add just one more score for the day, and it proved to be the clincher. Demercado broke loose on a hand-off and rumbled 63 yards to give the Frogs a two-score lead. Following the 35-yard SMU touchdown, TCU was able to bleed the clock and ended the game on fourth down in victory formation.
TCU now has a 52-47-2 record in 101 contests against SMU dating back to 1915. The Horned Frogs will face an angry Oklahoma team that lost to underdog Kansas State in Week 4. SMU will lick its wounds and prepare to face the 3-1 University of Central Florida on October 1.
