SMU and TCU’s Battle for the Iron Skillet is entering its 94th meeting and both teams are below .500 and could use a big win for team morale as both are coming off of losses to Texas A&M; and Texas Tech respectively.
“I think the best thing about what they do is they do what they do and do it well,” SMU Head Coach June Jones said. “They don’t try to do anything else, but physically beat you and know their schemes and they do a good job of that.”
There are revenge games for SMU and other smaller rivalries like Houston, but it doesn’t get much bigger for SMU when they face TCU and while the players try not to treat it as a bigger game, they know what is at stake.
“It’s bragging rights. Alumni love this game. I bet they wouldn’t care if we won another game. It’s just a lot of emotion and passion,” SMU linebacker Randall Joyner said. “To be able to win two years was an amazing feeling and we’re looking to do that again.”
SMU is about as close to a 0-3 start as you can get, but avoided it with their last-second comeback over Montana State. Last week, SMU had trouble with Texas A&M;’s high-tempo offense and TCU has had a bye week to prepare and that could mean some new wrinkles to their offense.
“He’ll [TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson] have some new wrinkles in there I’m sure,” Jones said. “You always do. As the season goes on you add things and I’m sure he’ll be no different offensively and defensively for them.”
TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin replaced Casey Pachall after Pachall went down with an injury. His dual-threat ability will be a tough challenge for the SMU defense this week.
“Boykin can certainly run around. I think when he gets into the open field, you’ve got real problems because he can run,” Jones said. “Not only can he move, but he’s fast and can shake you.”
Look for TCU to get back to the running game more this week after using Boykin as the main running game against Texas Tech, but Patterson would like to use their running backs to settle Boykin down a little bit.
For the SMU offense, the concern has to be in the redzone, where SMU has consistently had trouble putting the ball in the endzone and settling for field goals.
“That’s been a big focus of ours during practice this week and last week has been finishing drives and turning field goals into touchdowns,” SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert said. “We’ve had a lot of yards, but we’ve just got to do a better job of finishing.”
Another concern for SMU is if last year’s Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields plays. Fields racked up two and a half sacks against SMU and will be a tough player to stop for the offensive line.
If SMU can force turnovers and score in the redzone, the Mustangs may be able to steal a win in Fort Worth for the second meeting in a row, but it will be a tall order for SMU given their recent struggles.
