A pack of Mustang defenders tackle a TCU running back in last year’s Battle for the Iron Skillet. STUART PALLEY/The Daily Campus

It was my first semester in college. President Bush was just starting his second term, Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” was the hottest song on the radio, the hot Batman movie was “Batman Begins,” New Orleans had just been ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, and one of the greatest moments of my college life was about to occur.

I had a prime time view of a real miracle. I remember every aspect, every detail of that warm September night in 2005 when SMU pulled off the upset over the vastly favored TCU in Ford, and for a night, SMU had reason to celebrate.

I came into college excited about my first college football experience. From my perspective in the band I was constantly fed lines of disappointment about SMU football, and any hopes I had were constantly kept in check by reminders of how the team always disappoints.

I was a naive freshman. I still believed. Coming off of our first game loss to Baylor at home, I was unfazed going into the second game against TCU. I think I had seen a few too many underdog movies.

I remember the Boulevard was packed with SMU fans side by side with a sea of purple tossing insults back and forth. The band did their normal parade into the stadium and I recall along the route having a plate thrown Frisbee style into my face from a drunken horned frog. The rivalry was real.

The stadium was even worse. The sea of purple on the visitors’ sideemitted a deafening anti-SMU roar when the team entered the field. The feeling of sheer domination began to creep into my mind as their fans drowned the entire home crowd.

The student section however, was impressive, and even to this day, might be the most committed I have seen students to an SMU game. A fight actually broke out between some SMU fraternity guys and a TCU fan. Who knew students cared so much.

After the first quarter, the entire stadium was buzzing. The TCU fans, fresh off their win over ranked Oklahoma in the first week, had been silenced when SMU had a 7-0 lead.The 14-3 lead that SMU took into the half was all that SMU faithful needed. They jumped into the drivers seat and overpowered the stunned sea of purple. SMU was beginning to believe, and it is almost as if it willed the players into believing too.

When TCU scored a touchdown late in the third quarter to bring the score to 14-10, SMU was unfazed. The Mustangs, led by the infamous Jared Romo, marched right back down the field to start the fourth quarter and scored, and never looked back.

I remember as the seconds ticked down I did not know how to feel. I had so much sheer excitement, I think I might have blacked out. The next thing I remember is jumping up and down while trying to play the fight song for the jubilant crowd of fans and students dancing on the field. It seemed like the entire school had poured onto the field that night. It was the Mustang’s night.

I remember the presentation of the Iron Skillet and the members of the team held it up proudly above their heads. Fans were screaming, players laughing, some even crying. It was a miracle, and I had witnessed it, never to forget. Every facebook status from SMU students the next day simply read: 21-10.

The feeling of the underdog rising up against all odds, especially when it is your team, against a hated rival, is something never to forget.

The stage seems to be set for another upset. An underrated SMU team has the ability to catch TCU by surprise. I will be in Ft. Worth Saturday to see it all happen again.