TCU entered last Saturday’s Battle for the Iron Skillet with an all-time 53-42-7 advantage over SMU. The Mustangs pulled one closer, capturing a 66-42 win at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in the second-to-last scheduled meeting between rivals that have played almost every year since 1915. 

“Obviously a bad night tonight. Everything that could go wrong went wrong,” said coach Sonny Dykes, who was ejected from the game early in the third quarter after receiving consecutive unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.  

While the Horned Frogs put on yet another dynamic offensive display, totaling 34-plus points for a sixth consecutive game stretching back to last November, giveaways, penalties and struggles to run the ball consistently proved costly. 

We break down the good, the bad and the ugly from the Frogs’ second loss and look ahead to a matchup with 1-3 Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium. 

Quarterback Ken Seals completed all three passes he attempted during the Frogs’ final offensive possession, leading TCU on a 59-yard touchdown drive. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

Offense Finishes Strong

The Horned Frogs committed giveaways on three consecutive third-quarter possessions — fumble, interception, fumble — but rebounded with back-to-back touchdown drives to close the night. 

Boosted by a 45-yard catch from Eric McAlister, the offense went 64 yards in less than 80 seconds on its first fourth-quarter possession. Wideout Jack Bech bookended the drive with a 15-yard touchdown catch, his fourth of the season. 

Second-string quarterback Ken Seals stepped in to relieve Josh Hoover on the next possession, leading the offense on a 10-play, 59-yard scoring drive and finding Jordyn Bailey for a 6-yard TD on a 4th and 3. 

That offensive momentum might carry into Week 5. The Jayhawks surrendered 15 fourth-quarter points to West Virginia, all in the final four minutes of regulation, in a 32-28 Week 4 loss. 

Jack Bech’s 516 receiving yards are a career-high, with still eight games remaining in the regular season. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

Spreading the Wealth

Who predicted Bech would be atop the Big 12 with 516 receiving yards four games into the season? 

The senior had another huge game, corralling eight passes for 166 yards and a pair of TDs. He’s not the only one producing.  

McAlister posted six catches for 114 yards, tallying a touchdown for a second straight week. Savion Williams broke the 50-yard mark on three receptions, and 10 players recorded at least one catch. It’s anyone’s guess who Hoover will look to next. 

Among 134 FBS teams, only Miami has a more prolific passing attack through the first four weeks. 

Rushing Game Grounded

The explosiveness in the passing game has been offset by an inability to get things going on the ground. The Horned Frogs haven’t had a single rush of greater than 10 yards on 49 combined carries over the past two weeks. 

TCU’s 2.7 yards per carry are tied for 14th-fewest in the nation. Against SMU, the Frogs managed a shade over 2.0 yards per carry as a team, scoring two rushing TDs but manufacturing only 65 yards on 32 attempts.  

First-year running back Jeremy Payne provided a spark on the Frogs’ final possession, compiling 19 yards on his four fourth-quarter runs. 

Jeremy Payne, right, has posted 4.6 yards per touch this season, highest among TCU running backs. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

Penalties Picking Back Up 

The Horned Frogs had reined in the penalties after committing seven for 100 yards in the season opener at Stanford, totaling 10 for 105 yards against Long Island and UCF combined. 

Self-inflicted wounds were an issue again in Week 4, as the Frogs were flagged 14 times, conceding 135 penalty yards. 

Turnovers Turn Into Points

TCU did not give the ball away once in Weeks 2 and 3. Against SMU, the offense turned it over five times, its most in a game since Dec. 5, 2020.   

Two of SMU’s takeaways resulted in defensive touchdowns — first a 51-yard scoop-and-score and later a 60-yard pick-six. 

The Frogs’ flood of giveaways translated to 24 total points for the Mustangs — which happens to have been the margin of defeat. 

Upcoming opponent Kansas hasn’t been playing the cleanest football itself. The Jayhawks have committed eight giveaways in their past three games, all turning into losses. 

— Corey Smith