Saturday will mark the 99th time SMU and TCU compete against each on the football field. The Battle for the Iron Skillet has always been an intriguing matchup, but in the past few years, it's been a one-sided battle.
Led by coach Gary Patterson, TCU has won the last seven games and 11 of the last 12, but Sonny Dykes and SMU will come to Fort Worth with its first 3-0 record in 35 years and a lot of confidence after a 47-17 win over Texas State last Saturday. TCU is 2-0 after beating Purdue last Saturday and currently ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll.
What should we look for with the Horned Frogs? Here are five things SMU fans should keep an eye on regarding the Tarrant County rival.
The 1-2 punch in the backfield
The Horned Frogs rushed for 346 yards against Purdue. The tag team of Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua have emerged into a nice backfield tandem -- a modern-day Thunder and Lightning, if you will. Anderson is the speed guy, while Olonilua -- at 6-3 and 240 pounds -- is the muscle.
Anderson rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the win, and at 5-11 and 212 pounds, he has a solid blend of acceleration, shiftiness and power. Olonilua, a bruiser at 6-3 and 240 pounds, rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown. He is the classic north-south runner who will take on battles with linebackers and defensive backs head to head.
Who will play quarterback?
TCU's two wins have seen two quarterbacks take snaps. The Horned Frogs have graduate transfer Alex Delton and true freshman Max Duggan competing for the position full-time. In the Purdue win, Duggan took the majority of the snaps.
So who is TCU's quarterback? If you ask Patterson, the answer is ... "yes."
"We're still going to have two guys play," Patterson told PurpleMenace.com. "We're going to do this all year."
In two games, Duggan has put up the better passing numbers, throwing for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Delton, however, is third on the team in rushing behind running backs Anderson and Olonilua.
Watch the linebacker ... closely
Containing Garrett Wallow needs to be a priority if SMU's offense wants to excel. The junior linebacker already has 23 tackles (15 solo) and two sacks in two games played.
Wallow had a solid first half against Purdue, recording a sack and finding himself in the middle of several plays. For the game, three of his 10 tackles were made behind the line of scrimmage.
Want to know exactly how disruptive Wallow has been this season? In two games, he already has a quarter of the tackles he had in 13 games last season. He needs one sack to match last year's total, and he already has one more tackle for loss than last season.
Defense wins ...
In a Gary Patterson system, expect defense to be the bread and butter. This year's team is no exception.
In two victories against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Purdue, TCU's defense has allowed a total of 17 first downs. The Horned Frogs are giving up only 209.5 yards per game, including a paltry 62 rushing yards per contest.
"He's got a really solid foundation. He knows exactly what he wants to do defensively," Dykes said of Patterson. "He knows you're going to attack him, and he can make an in-game adjustment as well as anybody. He's been running this for so long. He does a great job of staying one step ahead of you.
"They're always going to play really hard; they're always going to have a lot of speed on defense. They've got two very impressive defensive tackles [Ross Blacklock and Corey Bethley], and everybody else can really run. They're just an impressive bunch."
In two games, the Horned Frogs already have four interceptions. Trevon Moehrig leads the team with two picks, while Ar'Darius Washington and Jeff Gladney each have one.
Home-field advantage is real
Since 2014, TCU has only lost seven home games. Five of those came during the 2016 season, where the Horned Frogs finished 6-7.
Playing at Amon G. Carter Stadium is a tough task for any team. It's been extremely tough for SMU in the past 25 years.
Since 1994, the Mustangs have only beaten the Horned Frogs twice in Fort Worth -- once in 2005 and again in 2011. The 40-33 overtime win for the Mustangs on Oct. 1, 2011, was the last time the Mustangs were victorious in the matchup.
SMU (3-0) vs. No. 25 TCU (2-0)
2:30 p.m. Saturday, Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth
