It's the second full season for SMU coach Sonny Dykes, and the team has done a lot in a short amount of time. The 3-0 start is the best in 35 years, and there's a buzz around The Hilltop.

For Dykes, there's very little room for complacency. In fact, in a game where the Mustangs had 639 yards of total offense against Texas State, Dykes on Monday chose to discuss the flaws.

"We struggled a little on offense. We just didn't execute some things well enough in the first half to sustain drives," he said. "We had 639 yards of offense -- the third-most yards in school history -- and I felt like we didn't play great on that side of the ball.

"Our kids are playing harder, but we're still making a lot of mistakes. We turned the ball over three times. We have some issues in our kicking game we're still trying to work through."

There is an aura that spews perfection surrounding the SMU locker room. It's a welcomed addition to the daily routine.

It's even more important to have for this week, as the Mustangs prepare for a huge clash with rival TCU. The Horned Frogs are ranked No. 25 in the latest AP Poll, and the last time the two teams played, TCU cruised to an easy 42-12 victory.

SMU is undefeated, but to Dykes, TCU is something of a standard as this young Mustangs team continues to flourish.

"We've got 65 first-year players in our program, bewteen transfers, freshmen and walk- ons," Dykes said. "It's kind of a new team for us with a lot of new faces. We're trying to get them all on the same page."

He continued: "We're going to play the best football we've played against. It's pretty obvious when you turn the film on. The way they performed against Purdue was really impressive. Our players will see that, and that's where trying to get as a program."

TCU beat Purdue, 34-13, on Saturday and held the Boilermakers to only 204 total yards. Purdue also managed only eight first downs.

With both teams entering the game as undefeated rivals, Amon G. Carter Stadium should bring an electric atmosphere. Consider the game a test for an SMU team looking to not only get a statement win but also looking to play the kind of near-perfect football Dykes knows his team has in it.

"I think our guys will be excited to measure ourselves against a very good program, a consensus top-25 program," Dykes said. "It's a big challenge."

Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday.