SMU tops TCU in highest-scoring Battle for the Iron Skillet in history

UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas — SMU really needed a victory.

After a frustrating performance against BYU, the Mustangs had to stew in the loss during an open week ahead of their rivalry game with TCU. The Horned Frogs have had a pretty strong record in the series, winning 19 of last 23 matchups.

With the rivalry set for a pause due to a decision by TCU , the Mustangs reclaimed the Iron Skillet rivalry trophy with a dominating 66-42 performance over the Horned Frogs Saturday night.

The 108 combined points between the two teams marked the highest-scoring rivalry game between the programs in history.

SMU had three non-offensive touchdowns coming off a pick six, a fumble return and punt return to help lead the Mustangs to a major win. The Mustangs' three non-offensive scores in a game was the most for the team since 2012, when they had four against Houston.

While it was Brandon Crossley's first-quarter 51-yard fumble return TD and Roderick Daniels Jr.'s 69-yard punt return that really got SMU going, its offense showed a lot of improvement behind new starting quarterback Kevin Jennings .

After earning the starting job over Preston Stone, Jennings got to take snaps as the undoubted No. 1 under center for the first time since the end of last season.

Making his first home start as a Mustang, Jennings was very consistent for SMU, going 14-for-19 for 137 yards and two touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback added 41 rushing yards.

The real star on offense was once again Brashard Smith . The Miami transfer has been excellent since arriving at SMU during the offseason while converting from a receiver to a running back.

The versatile back rushed for a game-high 127 yards with three touchdowns on the ground. He also had a pair of catches, one being a 24-yard touchdown reception.

Smith nearly added a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown but was ruled down at the 40-yard line with his foot just narrowly scraping the boundary.

Although the Horned Frogs ended up amassing 480 yards and 42 points, the SMU defense proved to be a major threat forcing five turnovers out of a typically clean TCU squad.

Before the matchup, quarterback Josh Hoover hadn't tossed any picks on the season. Defensive back Ahmaad Moses had his number, grabbing two on the night to go alongside three fumbles, all forced on Hoover.

The Mustangs held a 17-0 lead in the first quarter before the Horned Frogs scored their first touchdown on a 65-yard drive. A fumble out of Jennings gave TCU great field position and allowed back-to-back scores.

From there, the Mustangs rolled to six straight scoring drives, with four resulting in touchdowns.

Following a performance where SMU never crossed the goal line, it scored seven touchdowns and recorded a host of scoring records against its rivals.

The Mustangs needed and desired a performance like the one they put on Saturday night. SMU will head into its first ACC slate with a 3-1 record and the return of a treasured rivalry trophy.