TCU Football Suffers Egregious Loss to SMU

In the penultimate Iron Skillet matchup potentially for quite some time, the Horned Frogs get embarrassed in Dallas.

Sep. 21, 2024- TCU head coach Sonny Dykes arguing with a referee in a loss to SMU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. / Brian McLean, On Assignment Photo/TCU Horned Frogs On SI

It was a complete trainwreck for the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday in a 66-42 loss at the hands of SMU. In a game where the Frogs committed 14 penalties, head coach Sonny Dykes got ejected and allowed 24 points off turnovers, it was ugly from start to finish.

The Mustangs started off strong. A fumble recovery for a 51-yard score and a 69-yard punt return quickly made it 17-0. A Josh Hoover one-yard touchdown and a score from Cam Cook brought it within three.

Coming in, Hoover had the most pass attempts by an FBS player without an interception, with 143, but that streak came to an end in the first half. To make things worse, it resulted in a pick-six to make it 38-21. TCU trailed by 20 at the half.

The onslaught continued in the second half as the Frogs' defense couldn't get off the field. Early in the third quarter, Dykes was ejected for his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Running back Brashard Smith took over as he picked up two touchdowns in the second half. He finished with 18 carries for 127 yards and four total touchdowns. Kevin Jennings went 14-19 for 137 yards and two scores.

On the TCU side, it certainly wasn't the best game from Hoover. He went 28-43 for 396 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. However, he was far from the issue in this game. The lack of a running game continued as Cook carried it 14 times for a measly 24 yards. The run defense was torn apart for the second straight week, and the penalties were piling up.

On a positive individual note, Jack Bech continued his stellar season hauling in eight passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. He has been a consistent weapon for Hoover and has been one of the few bright spots this year.

One may argue that some penalties called on TCU were controversial, and while that may be true, it is no excuse for this performance. It is flat out embarrassing to lose to your cross town rival like this in the penultimate game of a rivalry that TCU themselves ended. This loss certainly has left fans with more questions than answers, and no one can be certain the Frogs have answers.

So what is next for TCU? They'll hit the road for a matchup with a reeling Kansas team. Another loss may quickly turn this season into a loss cause. Kickoff is at 2:30 on ESPN+.

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