WATCH: SMU-TCU fight breaks out after SMU plants flag at midfield
The SMU Mustangs pulled off a potential season-defining upset over in-state rival TCU on Saturday, bringing the Mustangs’ record to 4-0. The Mustangs beat the Horned Frogs in their own home stadium, 42-34, after SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice ignited the rivalry to a second degree earlier this week.
SMU and TCU already provided a heated in-state matchup, but Rice on Tuesday took it a step further, suggesting that TCU was scared to play SMU last season.
“Freshman year, I didn’t get to play them,” Rice said. “Sophomore year, after we won that [Iron] Skillet, they were scared to play us. I’m going to say that again: they were scared to play us. And now, junior year, I get to come out and I get to ball back in Fort Worth, where I went to high school. You know I can’t wait for that.”
After SMU pulled off the upset, Rice again ignited the TCU benches. The junior wideout, who had four receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown in the win, ran to midfield with the SMU flag and attempted to plant it at midfield, directly in the center of the TCU logo.
TCU quickly responded en masse, as the bench cleared, ran to midfield and began by ripping the flag out of the ground. What ensued was a bit of a skirmish between the two sides, as SMU backup quickly came to Rice’s defense at midfield.
SMU’s offense poured it on TCU Saturday, despite committing three turnovers. While junior quarterback Tanner Mordecai threw three interceptions, he also completed 17 of his 28 passing attempts for 245 yards and four touchdowns. The Mustangs had two halfbacks tally over 100 yards on the ground; sophomore running back Ulysses Bentley IV had 20 carries for 153 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, and senior running back Tre Siggers took 18 carries for 110 yards, including a long of 46 yards. Danny Gray, SMU’s most efficient receiver on the day, needed just four receptions to tally 130 yards and a touchdown.
In what could be described as an offensive shootout, the SMU Mustangs won after tallying 595 yards of total offense — not all that much more than TCU, which managed 446 yards of total offense.