TCU football falls to SMU

[DJRamFan]

Mustangs regain the Iron Skillet after a six-year drought

Sept. 11, 2005







DALLAS -- DeMyron Martin rushed for 118 yards and totaled three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, to lead SMU to a 21-10 victory over No. 22 TCU before a crowd of 22,416 tonight at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
The Mustangs (1-1) snap a six-game losing streak to the Frogs (1-1) in their battle for the Iron Skillet.

TCU was victimized by four turnovers, three missed field goals and going 2-of-13 on third-down conversions. The Frogs came away with just three points on four possessions in the red zone.

The special teams gave TCU a 3-0 lead. Steven Coleman blocked a Ryan Mentzel punt to give the Frogs possession at the SMU 24-yard line. Six plays later, Peter LoCoco converted a 24-yard field goal for the game's first points with 32 seconds left in the first quarter.

SMU took a 7-3 lead on a 9-yard scoring run by Martin with 6:57 left in the second quarter. The 11-play, 79-yard drive was kept alive by a roughing the punter penalty to give the Mustangs a first down at their own 47.

SMU extended its lead to 14-3 when it drove 77 yards in 11 plays with Jerad Romo connecting on a 22-yard scoring pass to Martin with 51 seconds remaining in the first half.

Cory Rodgers took the opening kickoff of the second half 87 yards for a touchdown to pull TCU within 14-10. It was his first score via a return as well as the longest return of his career. Rodgers also moved into second place on TCU's career list for kickoff return yards with 1,349.

A 2-yard scoring run by Martin with 10:43 left in the game built the SMU lead to 21-10. The 12-play, 69-yard drive consumed 6:10 off the clock.

"You have to give SMU credit for how they played," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "They beat us.

"We can't turn the ball over and we have to score when we get in the red zone. This just shows that if you don't come ready to play every week, you'll get beat."

Robert Merrill topped TCU on the ground with 99 yards on 20 carries. He was one yard shy of his ninth career 100-yard game.

Rodgers had a team-high six receptions for 41 yards. He extended his streak to 26 games with at least one catch. Derek Moore added four grabs for 42 yards.

SMU outgained TCU in total offense by a 273-to-253 margin. The Mustangs controlled the clock with a 35:02-to-24:58 edge in time of possession.

TCU starting tailback Lonta Hobbs left the game in the first quarter with a groin injury and did not return. He rushed for 40 yards on six carries.

The Frogs return to action Thursday when they make their Mountain West Conference debut with a 6:30 p.m. home game against defending league champion Utah. The contest will be televised on ESPN, marking TCU's third straight national television appearance.