TopFrog
Lifelong Frog
TCU Powers Past SMU - TCU Athletics
DALLAS – Kendre Miller rushed for 142 yards and Max Duggan passed for three touchdowns to lead TCU to a 42-34 win over SMU on Saturday in Dallas.
GoFrogs: TCU Powers Past SMU
Box Score
DALLAS – Kendre Miller rushed for 142 yards and Max Duggan passed for three touchdowns to lead TCU to a 42-34 win over SMU on Saturday in Dallas.
TCU is 3-0 for the first time since 2017, when Head Coach Sonny Dykes was on staff as an offensive analyst. Dykes is the first TCU head coach to start 3-0 since Francis Schmidt in 1929. The Horned Frogs are also the lone undefeated FBS team in Texas.
TCU built a 28-7 second-quarter lead and held off a Mustang rally with big plays on both sides of the ball.
With TCU's lead down to 28-21 and SMU looking to tie the game, Josh Newton came up with an interception and 32-yard return to the Mustang 37. Six plays later, Emari Demercado scored from a yard out to build the TCU lead back to 35-21 with 8:14 to play.
Demercado found the end zone again when it was needed most. With the Horned Frogs facing a 2nd-and-13 at their 37, Demercado broke free up the middle for a career-long 63-yard touchdown run to give TCU a 42-27 lead with 2:31 remaining.
Duggan, who entered the game as the nation's leader in completion percentage and passing efficiency, was 22-of-29 in the air for 278 yards.
TCU started fast. After winning the coin toss and electing to receive, Miler took the first snap for a 35-yard carry. It sparked a 5-play, 74-yard scoring drive capped by a 19-yard scoring pass from Duggan to Savion Williams, the first career touchdown for Williams.
An Abe Camara interception at the TCU 19 set up the Horned Frogs' next score, a 28-yard run up the middle by Miller to cap a 9-play, 81-yard drive and make it a 14-0 game with 51 seconds left in the first quarter. Miller has a rushing score in all three games this season.
After SMU closed within 14-7, Derius Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards. Four plays later, Jared Wiley caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Duggan to extend TCU's lead to 21-7 with 9:16 remaining in the first half.
The Horned Frogs' lead grew to 28-7 with 6:39 left in the second quarter when Davis took a short pass from Duggan and outraced the SMU defense untouched around the corner and into the end zone. It was TCU's longest pass play since Kenny Hill connected with Jalen Reagor on a 93-yard scoring strike against Stanford in the 2017 Alamo Bowl.
TCU led 28-14 at the half.
Up Next
TCU returns home next Saturday to host Oklahoma. The kickoff time is 11:00.
++++++++++
TCU Football Postgame Notes
Team Notes
*TCU is 3-0 for the first time since 2017, when current head coach Sonny Dykes was on staff as an offensive analyst.
*Dykes became the first TCU head football coach to win his opening three games since Francis Schmidt in 1929. Dykes is the 12th head coach since Schmidt.
*TCU is the only undefeated FBS program, out of 12, in the state of Texas.
*TCU has won its last seven games at SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium and played there for the first time since 2018.
*TCU and SMU met for the 101st time. The Horned Frogs have won 12 of the last 15 meetings and 18 of the past 22. TCU leads the all-time series 52-42-7.
*An 80-yard scoring toss from Max Duggan to Derius Davis was TCU's longest touchdown pass since Kenny Hill connected with Jalen Reagor for a 93-yard strike against Stanford in the 2017 Alamo Bowl.
*TCU scored for the 370th consecutive game, the second-longest streak in NCAA history. No. 1 is Florida at 426 games (1988-present). The Horned Frogs haven't been blanked since Nov. 16, 1991, at Texas (32-0).
*TCU season captains Steve Avila, Dylan Horton, Quentin Johnston and Dee Winters took part in the coin toss.
*TCU wore a white helmet, white jersey and white pants.
Individual Notes
Offense
*Quarterback Max Duggan made his 31st career start at TCU and was 22-of-29 passing for 278 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He entered the game as the nation's leader in completion percentage and passing efficiency.
*Kendre Miller had a team-best 142 yards rushing on 17 carries for his fifth career 100-yard game. It was the most yards by a Horned Frog since Miller went for 185 at Texas Tech last season.
*Miller's 28-yard first quarter touchdown run gave him a rushing score in all three games this season.
*Miller had a season-long 35-yard run on the game's opening snap.
*Emari Demercado had fourth quarter touchdown runs of 1 yard and a career-long 63 yards, TCU's longest rushing score since Miller went 75 yards at Texas Tech last season.
*Demercado went over 1,000 career yards rushing. He is now at 1,054 yards.
*Derius Davis had a career-long 80-yard touchdown reception as part of three catches on the day.
*Davis has 13 career touchdowns via four different ways (six receiving, four punt returns, two rushing and one kickoff return).
*Savion Williams had a career-high three receptions for 44 yards, including a 19-yard score to cap the game's opening series. It marked his first career touchdown.
*Jared Wiley's 8-yard touchdown catch gave him a receiving score in two straight games. He tied a TCU career-high with two receptions for 20 yards.
*Taye Barber had a team-best four receptions, giving him 130 in his career to top all active Horned Frogs.
*Barber, a high school quarterback, had an 18-yard completion to Jordan Hudson for his second career completion.
*Gunnar Henderson had a career-high three receptions for 31 yards.
*Alan Ali made his third consecutive start at center. He started 39 games over the previous four seasons at SMU.
Defense
*Josh Newton had an interception for the second straight game. He has a team-best two picks on the season.
*Newton also had two tackles, including one for a loss, and a pass breakup.
*Abe Camara had his first career interception to go with a career-best eight tackles.
*Mark Perry had a TCU career-high nine tackles, one shy of his personal-best of 10 while playing for Colorado versus USC last season.
*Johnny Hodges had seven tackles, including two for loss with a sack. He had a career-high 14 tackles for Navy against SMU last season.
*Tymon Mitchell recorded his first sack as a Horned Frog.
*Jamoi Hodge and Dee Winters combined on a sack.
*Terrell Cooper had a tackle for loss.
Special Teams
*Derius Davis had a season-long 57-yard kickoff return.
*Jordy Sandy placed two punts inside the SMU 20. He is donating $20 to Fort Worth's Hope Center for Autism for every punt inside the 20-yard line and is now at $100 for the season.
