TCU Outlasts SMU, 42-34; Returns Iron Skillet to Fort Worth

TCU 42, SMU 34

September 24, 2022
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Southern Methodist University
University Park, Texas
Attendance: 35, 969 (sellout; stadium record)
Midnite had predicted: TCU 38, SMU 31

Box score: here
Game highlights: here
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes discusses TCU's win: here
TCU quarterback Max Duggan discusses TCU's win: here
TCU receiver Derius Davis discusses TCU's win: here
TCU running back Kendre Miller discusses TCU's win: here
TCU cornerback Josh Newton discusses TCU's win: here

 

Dykes Wins Third Iron Skillet

By Tom C. "Midnite" Burke

The largest crowd in Gerald J. Ford Stadium history “welcomed” former SMU head football coach Sonny Dykes back to the SMU campus in Highland Park, Texas, on Saturday, September 24.

Dykes and his TCU football team turned the reception into a 42-34 Horned Frogs victory, enabling the Horned Frogs to return the coveted Iron Skillet to the TCU campus in Fort Worth for the first time since 2018.

Prior to being named TCU's head football coach in December 2021, Dykes had been SMU's head football coach since 2018.

Dykes was 30-18 as the Mustangs’ coach and was 25-10 over the final three seasons. He led the Mustangs to three consecutive winning records for the first time since the mid-1980s and their first back-to-back wins (2019 and 2021; the 2020 game was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic) over TCU since 1992-93.

Dykes has won three consecutive Iron Skillet games – Saturday’s game, and as SMU's head coach in the Mustangs' wins in 2021 and 2019.

The Horned Frogs now hold a 52-42-7 edge over the Mustangs in a series that began with a 43-0 TCU win in Fort Worth in 1915. 

TCU has won 12 of the last 15 games against SMU and 18 of the past 22.

The Horned Frogs are 24-22-2 versus the Mustangs in Dallas and 28-20-5 in Fort Worth.

TCU played at SMU for the first time since 2018. The Horned Frogs have won their last seven games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

SMU is TCU's second-most played series. The Horned Frogs' 101 meetings with the Mustangs trail only Baylor (117).

With the exception of four years, TCU and SMU have played every season since 1925. In two of those seasons (1987-88), the Mustangs did not field a team.

With the loss to TCU, SMU fell to 2-2 (0-0, American Athletic Conference). Prior to Saturday’s loss, the Ponies lost to Maryland, 34-37, on September 17, in Landover, Maryland. SMU opened the season on September 3 in Denton, Texas, with a 48-10 win over North Texas. In Dallas, on September 10, the Mustangs beat Lamar, 45-16.

TCU is 3-0 (0-0, Big 12). Prior to Saturday’s win, TCU demolished Tarleton State, 59-17, on Saturday, September 10. The Frogs opened the season on September 2, in Boulder, Colorado, with a 38-13 victory over the University of Colorado.

Dykes is the first TCU head football coach to win his opening three games since Francis Schmidt in 1929.

The Horned Frogs are 3-0 to start a season for the first time since 2017, when Dykes was an offensive analyst for the Horned Frogs and Gary Patterson was the head coach.

Of the 12 FBS programs in Texas, TCU is the only one that is undefeated.  

In TCU's win over SMU, an 80-yard scoring toss from quarterback Max Duggan to receiver Derius Davis was TCU’s longest touchdown pass since Kenny Hill connected with Jalen Reagor for a 93-yard strike against Stanford in the 2017 Alamo Bowl.  

Against the Mustangs, Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan made his 31st career start at TCU. He was 22-of-29 passing for 278 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He entered the game as the nation’s leader in completion percentage and passing efficiency. 

TCU running back Kendre Miller had a team-best 142 yards rushing on 17 carries for his fifth career 100-yard game. It was the most yards by a Horned Frog since Miller went for 185 at Texas Tech last season. 

Miller’s 28-yard first quarter touchdown run gave him a rushing score in all three games this season. 

Miller had a season-long 35-yard run on the game’s opening snap.

Against SMU, TCU running back Emari Demercado had fourth quarter touchdown runs of one yard and a career-long 63 yards, TCU’s longest rushing score since Miller went 75 yards at Texas Tech last season. Demercado has 1,054 caeer rushing yards. 

 

Horned Frogs receiver Derius Davis had a career-long 80-yard touchdown reception as part of three catches against the Mustangs.He also had a season-long 57-yard kickoff return. Davis has 13 career touchdowns via four different ways (six receiving, four punt returns, two rushing and one kickoff return). 

 

TCU receiver Savion Williams had a career-high three receptions for 44 yards, including a 19-yard score to cap the game’s opening series. It was his first career touchdown. 

 

TCU tight end Jared Wiley’s 8-yard touchdown catch gave him a receiving score in two straight games. He tied a TCU career-high with two receptions for 20 yards. 

 

Receiver Taye Barber had a team-best four receptions, giving him 130 in his career to top all active Horned Frogs. Barber, who was a high school quarterback, had an 18-yard completion to Jordan Hudson for his second career completion. 

 

TCU wide receiver Gunnar Henderson had a career-high three receptions for 31 yards.  

 

Alan Ali made his third consecutive start at center for the Horned Frogs. He started 39 games over the previous four seasons at SMU. 

 

Cornerback Josh Newton had an interception for the Frogs for the second straight game. He has a team-best two picks on the season. Newton also had two tackles, including one for a loss, and a pass breakup.

 

TCU safety Abe Camara had his first career interception and a career-best eight tackles in the win over SMU. 

 

Safety Mark Perry had a TCU career-high nine tackles, one shy of his personal-best of 10 while playing for Colorado versus USC last season.

 

Linebacker Johnny Hodges had seven tackles for the Horned Frogs against SMU, including two for loss and a sack. He had a career-high 14 tackles for Navy against SMU last season. 

 

Against SMU, defensive lineman Tymon Mitchell recorded his first sack as a Horned Frog. 

 

Linebackers Jamoi Hodge and Dee Winters combined on a sack in the SMU game. 

 

Against the Mustangs, defensive lineman Terrell Cooper had a tackle for loss.

 

TCU's next game is its Big 12 Conference-opener, against the University of Oklahoma, on Saturday, October 1, in Amon G. Carter Stadium, on the TCU campus in Fort Worth, Texas. Time and broadcast information to be announced.