Frogs Tame Mustangs, Await Ohio State

Still drying out from the SMU game, while planning to fry some Buckeyes in the Iron Skillet Saturday night.

SMU and Mother Nature did their best last Friday (September 7) night to rain on TCU's parade, but the Horned Frogs eventually refused to have their September 15 marquis game against Ohio State in AT&T Stadium before a national television audience ruined by a bunch of Shetland ponies. As a result, TCU retained the Iron Skillet with a soggy 42-12 win over SMU.

With the Frogs having dispatched Southern at Amon G. Carter Stadium in their season-opener and the Ponies having been tamed, Horned Frog Nation now can turn its full attention to the real season-opener, against the Buckeyes in Jerry World.

Saturday morning, ESPN's College GameDay will be in Fort Worth, in the Commons area of the TCU campus. The show will air from 8 to 11 am Central. The 15th-ranked Frogs and the fourth-ranked Buckeyes will kickoff at 7 pm in AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The game will be aired on ABC.

This will mark TCU’s seventh appearance on GameDay and the third time hosting. The Frogs hosted the live show before the West Virginia game last season, and in 2009 when Utah came to town. The Frogs are 6-0 when being part of GameDay festivities. The appearance will mark the 41st for College GameDay ahead of an Ohio State game, putting the Buckeyes. Ohio State is  27-13 when being part of GameDay festivities.

After weathering a nearly two-hour weather delay that kept the game from starting until close to 9pm, early in the game against SMU, it appeared that the Frogs were either sleepy-eyed or already had their sights set on Ohio State, rather than the Ponies.

Less than two minutes into the game, which was played in a steady rain, SMU running back Braeden West slithered through the Horned Frogs' defense for a 51-yard touchdown run. That marked the third play of more than 40 yards the Frogs’ defense has given up this season. About eight minutes later, a botched TCU punt led to a safety for the Ponies, giving them a 9-0 lead and their few fans delusions that they might be enjoying a midnight snack of fried frog legs, even if they would be a bit soggy.

Fortunately, the Frogs refocused, their defense stiffened and their offense came to life. TCU outscored SMU the remainder of the game 42-3, for the runaway victory.

KaVontae Turpin ignited the Frogs with an electrifying 78-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter, Turpin caught a 42-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shawn Robinson.

Turpin was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance. His punt return for a touchdown was the fourth of his career, the most in TCU history. He broke a previous tie at three with Linzy Cole (1968-69) and Blanard Spearman (1930-32). Turpin's fifth career return (four punt, one kickoff) for a touchdown is also a TCU record. He shared the previous mark of four with LaTarence Dunbar (1999-02). Turpin finished the game with four receptions for 64 yards and three punt returns for 112, giving him 176 all-purpose yards.

Robinson followed up his five touchdown performance against Southern with two scores against SMU. In addition to the TD toss to Turpin, Robinson had an 18-yard touchdown run in the third quarter He had 67 yards rushing. He completed 16 of 29 passes for 154 yards, with one interception. He was not sacked. Robinson became the first TCU quarterback to win his first three starts since Jeff Ballard posted 11 straight victories from 2005-06.

Backup quarterbacks Michael Collins and Grayson Muehlstein saw action in their second consecutive game. Collins had a 10-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

The Frogs' other two touchdowns came via fumble recoveries. Wide receiver Jaelan Austin recovered a Sewo Olonilua fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. After defensive end Ben Banogu forced SMU quarterback Ben Hicks to fumble, linebacker Alec Dunham picked up the loose football and ran it in for a 25-yard touchdown.

The Frogs' offense accumulated 393 total yards; 154 through the air and 239 on the ground. Running back Darius Anderson led the rushing attack with 69 yards on nine carries.

The forced fumble and the return of it for a touchdown were two of many outstanding defensive plays by the Frogs. For most of the second half, SMU gained less than 10 yards of total offense, before getting 66 yards on its final two drives. The Mustangs punted five times in the second half. Through their first two games, the Frogs have not allowed a second-half point.

TCU allowed the Ponies to only gain 241 total yards. SMU completed only 18 of 39 passes. The Frogs recorded four sacks.

Defensive end Ty Summers, who made his 27th career start, most among current Horned Frogs, got his second sack of the season to give him 8.5 in his career, tying him with L. J. Collier for second-most among current Horned Frogs. Banogu leads with 9.5. Defensive tackle Corey Bethley had two sacks to give him three on the season. Linebacker Arico Evans led the Horned Frogs with a career-high nine tackles.

With its win over SMU, TCU opened its season with a 2-0 record for the 12th time in 18 seasons under head coach Gary Patterson. TCU is now 15-2 against SMU with Patterson as head coach. The Horned Frogs have defeated the Mustangs in 11 of the last 12 meetings and 17 of the past 19.

This Saturday, when the Frogs go up against the Buckeyes, TCU will be looking to go 3-0 for the 10th time with Patterson.

It's the Advocare Showdown in AT&T Stadium, and it's a clash between two of the best football programs in the country in recent years.

TCU and Ohio State are two of only five programs nationally to finish in the top 10 of the final polls at least three times in the last four seasons. The others are Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma.

In addition, TCU and Ohio State are two of only 21 schools that have won multiple national championships and produced a Heisman Trophy winner. The other schools are Alabama, Army, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.

At 38-12 on the road since 2009, TCU has the nation's fourth-best road record in that stretch.

Both teams have won multiple national championships and produced at least one Heisman Trophy winner. Both have at least one Rose Bowl win on their resume.

Saturday night's game against Ohio State arguably is TCU's biggest nonconference game since January 1, 2011, in Pasadena, California, when the Frogs dramatically beat Wisconsin 21-19.

In other words, opportunity knocks again for the Frogs and Patterson on their quest for a national championship.

Will everything come up roses, again?