DALLAS (AP) — The longtime Dallas-Fort Worth rivalry known as the “Battle for the Iron Skillet” was apparently enough to prevent TCU from looking past beleaguered SMU on Saturday toward Big 12 play next week.
“They know what’s coming,” Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson said of his players, who will turn from Saturday’s 56-0 rout of the Mustangs to a home date next Saturday with No. 4 Oklahoma — followed by a visit to No. 7 Baylor. “We did what we needed to do.”
TCU (3-0) tuned up for the Sooners and Bears by running up 614 total yards with its new, up-tempo offense and holding SMU (0-4) without a touchdown for the third time this season. Trevone Boykin passed for four touchdowns and ran for two others.
“Coach says get ready for the games you’re supposed to win and the big games will take care of themselves,” Boykin said. “We will probably be up on the little things because we have a better opponent coming to town next week. No disrespect to SMU.”
The victory was the most lopsided in the series’ 94-game history dating to 1915. SMU has scored only one touchdown this season — a 33-yard hail Mary pass on the final play at North Texas on Sept. 6 — and two field goals. Last in the FBS in both scoring offense and scoring defense, the Mustang have been outscored 202-12.
“We can’t keep going like this,” said SMU interim head coach Tom Mason, who took over when June Jones resigned following the North Texas loss. “That’s my job tomorrow. We just have to believe in ourselves.”
The Mustangs have been shut out twice. They drove to TCU’s 3-yard line in the waning seconds, but reserve quarterback Matt Davis was sacked on the final play.
SMU appeared to score late in the half on a 36-yard reception by Daruis Joseph during which Joseph fell backward onto TCU cornerback Ranthony Texada at the Horned Frogs’ 30, rolled off and ran into the end zone. A review of the play revealed Joseph’s left elbow touched the turf after he rolled off Texada.
Boykin threw scoring passes of 28 and 7 yards to Deante Gray, 6 yards to Josh Doctson and 10 yards to Desmon White, and ran for touchdowns of 27 and 8 yards. He completed 23 of 36 passes for 280 yards and ran 67 yards, and left after three quarters.
B.J. Catalon added a 9-yard touchdown run, and backup quarterback Matt Joeckel threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Reid.
Gray set personal records with six catches and 96 yards, both which led the Horned Frogs, and Catalon ran for a career-high 114 yards.
TCU went into the game ranked second in the FBS in total defense, allowing 205.5 yards. SMU gained 245 yards.
SMU quarterback Garrett Krstich made his first career start, the team’s third starter at the position this season. Fourth-string when the season began, Krstich was 14 for 30 for 142 yards, one interception and was sacked seven times.
Bright moments for SMU were few. Punter Jackson Koonce looked up at unblocked Travin Howard of TCU, pulled the ball in and ran 7 yards for a first down. The Mustangs stopped TCU on fourth-and-goal at their own 2 and blocked a 26-yard field goal attempt by Jaden Oberkrom.
“We’re going to keep working,” Krstich said. “We still have eight games, and I have full confidence we can make it to a bowl game.”
The Mustangs will open American Athletic Conference play next Saturday at East Carolina.
TCU has won 13 of the last 15 meetings to build a 47-40-7 series lead.
“We had all the motivation we needed,” TCU defensive end James McFarland said. “It’s the Iron Skillet.”