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Happy Campus
SMU’s 40-33 Overtime Win At TCU Boosts Mustangs and Their Fans
By Rick Atkinson for cusa-fans.com
http://cusa-fans.com/



DALLAS – As practice wrapped up on Tuesday, a woman poked her head inside the training field gate to say, “The way you guys beat TCU just made my day!”

The woman, on her morning walk when Mustang Mania evidently struck, was Dr. Chanda Monga, a campus neighbor since 1969. Her two children and a grandchild graduated from The Hilltop.

“It was the most awesome game,” she said.

Indeed it was. SMU (4-1, 2-0) ended No. 20 TCU’s 22-game home winning streak in dramatic fashion Saturday before 35,000 fans at Amon Carter Stadium -- in overtime, after losing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead.

It was the Mustangs’ first win over a ranked road opponent in 25 years.

Jeremy Johnson, who caught the game-winning pass from J.J. McDermott on the OT period’s first possession, said he’s seen some effects of the win on campus.

“We’re getting a lot of high fives out there,” he said. “It’s just great to have that feeling, bringing winning pride back to SMU.”

C-USA’s leading rusher, Zach Line, who hung 100-plus yards on TCU for a second straight year, said he’s noticed a post-Frog Fry change too.

“It’s been pretty cool [around campus],” he said. “You’re sitting in class and you hear students talking about the game. That’s something that hasn’t happened around here for a while – since I’ve been here as a freshman.”

“You get some [notice], when you’re sitting in class,” added Terrance Wilkerson, whose 71-yard touchdown catch gave SMU a 14-0 first-quarter lead. “But everything is pretty much the same, other than a few ‘good jobs,’ ‘good games,’ here and there.”

Delayed Reaction

“That was a route I’ve been working on a lot,” Jeremy said of the game-winner. … Once [head coach June Jones] called it, I knew it was going to be a big play.”

But when TCU quarterback Casey Pachall’s 4th-down pass hit the turf, ending the Frogs’ hopes, Jeremy said it took him a moment to process the scene.

“I had to realize that the game was over. I was thinking, ‘So what happens next? Oh, the game’s over!’ I ran to the sidelines, ran back on the field. I didn’t know what to do, I was so happy.”

Wilkerson had one-word for SMU’s post-game celebration with fans on the field and elsewhere: “Priceless.”

Said Line, “From the field to the [fan] gauntlet to the locker room … just a good high. … It was awesome,” he said. “[Alumni were saying,] ‘Guys, thank you for beating them.’”

SMU quarterback J.J. McDermott threw for 349 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, earning rivals.com C-USA Player of the Week. Darius Johnson ripped the Frogs for 12 catches, 152 yards, and two touchdowns, and was named C-USA and ESPN.com Offensive Player of the Week.

Darius’ fourth-quarter leaping grab near the back of the end zone pushed SMU’s lead to 33-17, momentarily denting TCU’s late charge.

“It was a play designed for me for man[-to-man] coverage and they just happened to be in man that play,” Darius said. “J.J. made an awesome throw in the back of the end zone. I just went up to get it. And I’m just glad I got it.”

Darius also killed Frog momentum minutes earlier with a sideline grab for 32 yards on 3rd-and- 17.

“That was a man-to-man route too,” he said. “When they’re in man, it’s hard to play against our offense. In man coverage, you run so many pick routes and switches. It was another good throw by J.J.”

Halftime Strategy

After trailing 17-0, the Frogs had seized momentum by halftime, with ten second-quarter points.

“We just knew it was on us now,” Jeremy said of halftime discussions. … “We just stepped up. Darius told us, ‘Let’s go, man. It’s going to be on us.’”

Said Line, “We made a couple of offensive adjustments on some things, like we always do.… We can normally figure out what’s going on and what we need to fix. … The defense came out and played a great second half, just like they have all year. We just had to continue putting up points.”

To open the second half, Line made perhaps the biggest play of the game, stripping return man Greg McCoy of the ball, which SMU’s Chris Parks promptly pounced on in the end zone.

Just like that, 24-10, SMU.

“My normal philosophy on kickoffs is just ‘beat with speed,’” Line said. “Even if you’re a 4.7 guy, if you run 4.7 the whole field, you’re probably going to beat everyone down. Reading while running, you’ve got to do quick.”

“I got down there and beat my guy,” Line said, “then [McCoy] just kind of came outside. … The ball came out real easy when I made the wrap. Watching that film, he was switching the ball.”

Wilkerson’s touchdown grab gave SMU an early 14-0 lead.

“On my side, we had a switch route,” Wilkerson said. “Jeremy Johnson kind of took the corner[back] out of the way and the safety went to the front side. So there wasn’t anybody there.”

“I knew it was a touchdown if I just caught it.”

For the first time this season, SMU didn’t lose the turnover battle. Each team posted one – a pick of McDermott in the second-quarter and McCoy’s fumble. Both led to touchdowns.

Mustang receivers, who’ve had problems hanging onto the ball, were perfect this time out. “We went out there and took care of the ball, wrapped it up real tight,” Jeremy said. “And J.J. did a terrific job of taking care of the ball.”

Said Wilkerson, “We were stressing all week, we’ve got to take care of the ball.”

Hostile Foes

Jeremy Johnson, a sophomore making his first start, said the game was an eye-opener.

“TCU was hitting real hard,” he said. “Every play they were bringing it. It was a great experience for me to know how hostile that [game] would be in the future.”

“Everybody was high-intensity,” Wilkerson said. “You could tell everybody was pretty much taking it personal. … That’s what you expect out of an SMU-TCU
game.”

The game featured 20 penalties, including several personal fouls.

Added Line, “That’s going to happen in a game like that, a big rivalry game. The fog of war kicks in and you’re going to start doing things you don’t normally do. It’s a violent game. You’d better be strapped up tight.”

Wilkerson said team appreciates having some time off.

“We needed this bye week,” he said. “It couldn’t have come at a better week: after the TCU game.”

And after a win --- that made Dr. Monga’s day.

Prediction
No game this week; SMU hosts Central Florida on October 15 at 2:30 p.m. CST; last week, predicted SMU over TCU, 34-30. Record: 4-1 (same as the Mustangs!)

Notes

*SMU is 4-1 for the first time since 1986, the same year the Mustangs last beat a ranked road foe: No. 13 Baylor at Waco.
*SMU is the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week.

[Stallion]

great article-interesting quotes

[NickSMU17]

Line is a stud...

Added Line, “That’s going to happen in a game like that, a big rivalry game. The fog of war kicks in and you’re going to start doing things you don’t normally do. It’s a violent game. You’d better be strapped up tight.”

This kid will get a shot in the NFL, could be a special teams standout for years...

[cutter]

great write-up.
thanks.