The big purple caravan from Fort Worth will be rolling down the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike (that’s what they used to call I-30 before 1978 – you actually had to pay a toll to drive between Dallas and Fort Worth, and you handed the attendant at the toll gate 35 cents – no toll tags!!)

Frog fans need to get there early to beat the traffic and be loud once you get there.

This is the 96th meeting between the two schools. It would be the 99th time, except the Frogs and Mustangs didn’t play in 1987 and 1988 due to the now-infamous “Death Penalty” that the NCAA handed down to SMU.

I always enjoyed playing against SMU. In the games I had the privilege to tee it up in from 1981-1984, the four TCU-SMU games were decided by a total of 24 points. A three-point loss in ’82 and a four point loss in ’83 were the toughest. In 1983, late in the game, the Frogs had it first-and-goal at the SMU 4-yard-line to win it. SMU’s great defense, led by All-America nose tackle Michael Carter, held us out of the north end zone of Amon G. Carter Stadium for four consecutive plays to seal a 21-17 win.  Talk about tears in the locker room.

Gerald J. Ford Stadium is a very nice venue for watching college football. Can you name all the homes of SMU football since 1970?

I mentioned that the Frogs will have to do some fancy trick-riding to stay on the horse tonight – SMU has improved. They’re gaining on it.

Head Coach Chad Morris has committed to signing players from Texas, and through two recruiting classes, he’s just about done that. He’s added tons of Texans to the SMU roster, which is an about-face from the June Jones era. Still haven’t figured that one out – what football coach doesn’t want to recruit the state of Texas?

SMU’s defense is more athletic than any you’ve seen in awhile. One defensive end, #99 Justin Lawler, is playing the best football of his career and has 4.5 sacks on the season. The best linebacker is #11 Kyran Mitchell, a hitting machine. In the secondary, #9 Horace Richardson has three interceptions on the year (SMU is No. 1 in the nation in interceptions with nine).

On offense, SMU took a hit early when star quarterback Matt Davis injured a knee against North Texas; he’s done for the year. Ben Hicks has stepped in and done an admirable job, leading the Mustangs to a 2-1 record, but he’s thrown five interceptions. The Ponies are struggling in the red zone. Many of those struggles are attributable to an offensive line that will get another lineup shuffle tonight.

Running Back Braeden West ran for 220 yards against Liberty last week, and keep an eye on the wide receivers. Courtland Sutton, #16, is a big and tall receiver who had nine touchdown catches last year; he has four already this year. He’s a nightmare for cover men. Redshirt freshman James Proche, #3, is another threat who leads SMU in catches with 16. SMU is improved on offense. Even without Davis under center, the Mustangs are averaging 491 yards per game.

Make no mistake. The Frogs will get SMU’s best shot, and TCU will have to be ready from the start to avoid another one of “those games in Dallas.” Speaking of Dallas, here’s a stat that got my attention: In the last 10 TCU-SMU games played in Dallas, the Frogs are 6-4 — almost even.

OK, back to that question about SMU’s football homes since 1970.  The Mustangs have certainly moved around. SMU called the Cotton Bowl home from 1948-1978, then moved to Texas Stadium (the “old” Cowboys’ stadium in Irving for those under 30) in 1979 and played there until the Death Penalty took SMU out of football in 1987 and 1988. Back at it in 1989, SMU decided to play on campus at old Ownby Stadium, which sat on the site of the current Gerald J. Ford Stadium. In the late ’90s, the Ponies went back to the Cotton Bowl for a few years while the new stadium was being built and then, finally, moved into Ford Stadium in 2000, where they’ve been ever since.

See you in Dallas for pizza at Campisi’s at 2:30!

Kick ‘Em High!