Frog Report Card

Passing offense: B+
Senior Sean Stilley completed 61 percent of his passes, an impressive statistic considering SMU’s defense shutdown the Frog running attack. Stilley threw two long passes for touchdowns to senior LaTarence Dunbar, the Frogs’ leading receiver. Dunbar now has 11 catches for 263 yards on the season. The only negative for the receiving corps was that on three third downs, receivers did not run long enough routes to make first downs.

Running offense: C
Averaging just 2.5 yards a carry, TCU constantly faced second and long situations. Junior Ricky Madison was the most successful of the three TCU halfbacks, carrying the ball 10 times for 48 yards. Kenny Hayter, a junior, ran strong between the tackles and was not stopped behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of yardage. TCU still needs to find a breakaway threat out of the backfield. The longest run against SMU was just 10 yards. The delayed handoffs from deep in the backfield did not fool SMU’s starting three linebackers, who combined for 29 tackles.

Passing defense: A
Redshirt freshman Tate Wallis only mustered 10 yards passing in the first half. Most of his passing yards occurred during garbage time after TCU built a 17-0 lead. Senior cornerback Jason Goss picked off a pass to thwart any potential comeback by the Mustangs. The secondary has improved immensely in the two weeks since the Cincinnati debacle.

Rushing defense: A-
SMU Head Coach Phil Bennett devised a conservative rushing attack to coincide with his offensive strengths. The plan worked for the first half, as junior Keylon Kincade rushed for 88 yards. TCU’s D zeroed in on Kincade in the second half, forcing the Mustangs to use their rusty air attack.

Special teams: C+
Junior kicker Nick Browne is making a case for postseason honors. He nailed a 48-yard field goal, keeping his 100 percent field-goal accuracy intact for the season. Senior punter Joey Biasatti nailed three punts inside the 20, but allowed SMU punt returner Cody Cardwell to return five punts for 54 yards. The kickoff return unit continued to struggle, allowing two long returns by Jonas Rutledge. LaTarence Dunbar, who always is in the middle of an electrifying play, broke a 48 yard kick return.

— Jay Zuckerman