For the second time this season, the TCU Horned Frogs head on the road to face an ACC foe. TCU will travel east across the metroplex to face the SMU Mustangs in the 103rd Battle for the Iron Skillet.

Both squads enter the contest with a 2-1 record, each having fallen at home to a Big 12 opponent. The Mustangs enter the game off a bye week, following its home loss to BYU in Week 2 and will host its first ACC Conference game next week against the fledgling Florida State Seminoles.

Bucking tradition, the Ponies have been stronger defensively to open the 2024 campaign while its offense has struggled to kick into top gear. SMU has created five sacks and six turnovers through three games. Watch for the pair of junior safeties Isaiah Nwokobia & Ahmaad Moses to play a key role in slowing the TCU passing game as Frogs QB Josh Hoover has been prolific to open the season, often targeting the deep middle of the field. The Mustangs rush defense has been stout as well, holding opponents to just 3.04 yards per carry and only two total rushing scores this season.

The Horned Frogs offense has greatly struggled running the ball in 2024. Cam Cook has shown flashes of greatness and has found the endzone four times, but the team has been highly inefficient on the ground, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and has not been able to control the trenches to support the rushing efforts. The TCU defense got gashed by the UCF Knights a week ago as the QB-RB-WR trio of KJ Jefferson, RJ Harvey, and Kobe Hudson each had massive games to deliver the come-from-behind victory for UCF in the Big 12 opener, showing a blueprint to take advantage of the TCU weaknesses.

Will the Iron Skillet remain in the hands of the Horned Frogs and return to Fort Worth or will the Mustangs bring it to Dallas for the fifth time in the last 25 years? We’ll see how it plays out this afternoon at 4:00 PM from Gerald J. Ford Stadium, broadcast on The CW. Join the conversation in the comment section below as we ride the game day rollercoaster together. Go Frogs!