Friday, September 7, 2001

Rivals collide
Frogs ready for Metroplex-foe SMU
By Kelly Morris
Skiff Staff

Head TCU football coach Gary Patterson said Saturday’s game against cross-town rival Southern Methodist at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas will be nothing like last year.

David Dunai/ SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Junior cornerback Jason Goss runs back an interception against North Texas Saturday. Goss and the Frog’s secondary are ranked No.10 against the pass.

“Last year’s game was really out of context to what the games are usually like against SMU,” Patterson said. “Three years ago they beat us 10-6, and two years ago it was a hard fought game over here and was pretty tight all the way through it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Saturday’s game came down to the fourth quarter.”

The Frogs blew out the Mustangs 62-7 when the two teams met Nov. 24 in Dallas last season. It was the largest margin of victory in the series between the two schools, which dates back to 1915. While TCU has won two straight meetings, SMU still leads the all-time series 38-36-7.

But it is last year’s score that will still be on the minds of the Mustang players, Patterson said.

“I’m sure they’ve had that score posted on their bulletin board all summer long.”
The Mustangs (0-1) are coming off a 36-6 loss against Louisiana Tech Saturday in Shreveport, La.

SMU grabbed 286 total offensive yards compared to the Bulldogs’ 245 yards, but still managed just two field goals in the game. SMU also had nine penalties and three turnovers in the game, two of which resulted in 14 Bulldog points.

Even though the Frogs won their first game of the season Saturday 19-5 against North Texas, senior left guard Victor Payne said the game was still an emotional let down.

“We seem to be playing to the level of our competition,” Payne said. “We played a pretty good game against Nebraska and didn’t play up to our level against North Texas. It is a trend we don’t want to continue.”

But Patterson said the team is ready to play against SMU.

“Clear back in history, this is the game that people have the most feelings about,” Patterson said. “I’m not sure if the younger generation has it as much, but the older generation has a lot stronger feelings about how this game turns out.”

With only three games until TCU opens up conference play, Patterson said he hopes the SMU game will spring board the team into C-USA.

“It’s big because we have to find a way in these first six ball games to win more than we lose,” Patterson said. “The next six ball games we’re without a break, and you need to keep moving forward and getting better. You need to a little momentum going into the conference schedule, and you don’t get that if you don’t win ball games.”

But Patterson said the Frogs are going to have to look out for SMU’s defense.
“Ever since they’ve been SMU, the strength of its football team has been special teams and defense,” Patterson said. “Their defense right now is really decent. It’s always given us trouble.”

In the first game of their season, the Mustangs held the Bulldogs to just 56 rushing yards and 189 passing yards.

Payne said while the score might be closer than last year, he hopes this year’s game has the same outcome.

“It’s fun when you win, but when you lose it’s a long bus ride back. It’s a long thirty minutes.”

Kelly Morris
k.l.morris@student.tcu.edu