College Football Preview
Iron Skillets, Frog Legs and Boulevards: SMU and TCU battle it out on thefootball field
Coach Gary Patterson and TCU are looking for revenge against SMU Saturday afterbeing upset in overtime last season.Photo courtesy of TCU
The Mustangs want to keep the Iron Skillet in Dallas for a second consecutiveseason, but the no. 15 Horned Frogs are stiff competition.Photo by Jmcstrav/Wikipedia
It’s hard to believe the TCU Horned Frogs are the sole owners of the nation’s longest college football winning streak at 11 games. And yet, the real surprise is that the reason it isn’t longer is because SMU beat them last year in the Battle for the Iron Skillet with a 40-33 overtime win.
The rivalry comes back to Dallas this weekend at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, as no. 15 TCU (3-0) looks to avenge last season’s upset loss against the Mustangs. It’s expected to rain all day Saturday, but that shouldn’t stop the tailgating on the Boulevard. After all, we’re dealing with two schools that are seasoned pros at enjoying their downtime.
The Horned Frogs made the jump to the Big 12 this season and hope to go into the meat of their conference schedule with another win under their belt. They’ve already showed tenacious defense in their three wins, giving up only 4.3 points per game.
SMU could go a long way toward righting their season if they pull off another upset against TCU.
Meanwhile, the Ponies could go a long way toward righting their season if they pull off another upset. Their lone win came against FCS-opponent Stephen F. Austin, while they were blown out by Baylor and Texas A&M, 59-24 and 48-3 respectively.
They’ll have a tough time stopping TCU quarterback Casey Pachall (who is averaging a respectable 280.3 yards per game) with a pass defense that is giving up 388 yards per game.
Needless to say, the road to victory will be steep and difficult, but games don't always go the way the stats say they should.
SMU does have a few things to rely on. For one thing, rivalry games tend to defy logic, as evidenced by last year’s match. Teams get amped up for these kind of games regardless of the rest of the season.
The rain could help them out as well. Weather can be the great equalizer and, in front of a home crowd, the Ponies could capitalize on the wetness for turnovers.
Of course, they’re also playing a very good TCU team that should handle this game easily if they show up with the right mindset. After last season’s stunner, it’s hard to imagine the Frogs coming into town flat again.
Still, the Boulevard ought to be worth it alone. What’s the saying? “We may not win every game, but we’ve never lost a party." Sounds right. Just make sure to bring an umbrella. The game starts at 6 pm.
