This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Brashard Smith ran for 127 yards and three touchdowns and added a TD catch but it was SMU’s defense that made the difference in the Mustangs’ 66-42 win over TCU on Saturday in Dallas.
The Mustangs (3-1) scored two defensive touchdowns and returned a punt for a touchdown while snapping a two-game losing streak to their Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex rivals. Kevin Jennings passed for 137 yards and two scores for SMU.
TCU coach Sonny Dykes, who coached SMU from 2017-21, was not around for the ending. He was ejected for multiple unsportsmanlike penalties after the opening kickoff of the third quarter, marking the first time since 2021 that a coach had been ejected. Dykes was upset after Jordyn Bailey’s 93-yard kickoff return touchdown was nullified by a holding penalty.
TCU’s Josh Hoover threw for 381 yards and three TDs but also tossed two interceptions and fumbled two times. Jack Bech caught eight passes for 166 yards and two of those scores while Eric McAlister had six receptions for 114 yards and a TD for the Horned Frogs (2-2).
Collin Rogers had three field goals, SMU’s first and last points of the first half, on field goals of 51 and 49 yards, respectively, and a 45-yarder in the third quarter.
The Mustangs’ Brandon Crossley scooped up a fumble by Hoover at midfield and sprinted 51 yards for a touchdown at the 7:02 mark of the first quarter. Later in the quarter, Roderick Daniels Jr. dashed untouched 69 yards with a punt return for a score.
The Horned Frogs got back in the game with a Hoover 1-yard QB sneak for a score and Cam Cook’s 7-yard run, the latter with 11:24 to play in the second quarter. SMU answered with a 25-yard TD run by Smith, but TCU swung back with a 19-yard scoring pass from Hoover to McAlister.
The Mustangs took charge of the game by scoring 17 points in the final 1:28 of the first half. First, Jordan Hudson caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jennings. Then Ahmaad Moses intercepted a Hoover pass and turned it into a 60-yard pick six.
TCU got a 46-yard TD pass from Hoover to Bech on the possession after Dykes’ ejection. Smith answered with a 24-yard scoring catch from Jennings and — after another Hoover fumble — a 1-yard TD burst.
Hoover connected with Bech for a 15-yard TD pass with 12:15 to play. Smith countered with a 1-yard touchdown run with 8:23 before backup TCU quarterback Ken Seals hit Bailey with a 6-yard pass to end the scoring.
–Field Level Media
