Photo from GoFrogs.com.
It took about three quarters, but TCU eventually found its rhythm and beat SMU 56-36 last Saturday. The 20-point lead didn't come without a rally first, as the Frogs had to battle from being two scores down before taking the lead late in the second quarter. But, in the end, the Frogs pulled away, and the Iron Skillet stayed in Fort Worth once again.
So let's talk about it. Here are our five takeaways from the game.
1. That Hail Mary.
Hands down the play of the game. Jalen Reagor's 38-yard leaping catch -- a Hail Mary thrown by quarterback Kenny Hill in the final second of the first half -- was a major momentum swing for the Frogs. The freshman wide receiver leaped above a crowd of defenders to haul the ball into the end zone. Let's watch it again.
#TCU gets the HAIL MARY right before half!! pic.twitter.com/PEI0ASLzeX
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) September 16, 2017
2. Balance is key.
After three games, the Frogs' biggest strength appears to be its run game. Against SMU, however, TCU did fairly well in the air. Hill went 24-for-30 with four touchdown passes. While receiver Kavontae Turpin led the team with seven catches, Hill doesn't appear to have a clear "favorite" when it comes to receivers. To be a dangerous team, TCU will need to be balanced on all aspects of its offense.
3. When Kenny Hill is good, he's good.
Hill didn't throw any interecptions this week. He's shown that he can complete passes through tight windows, and the Hail Mary was amazing. All that to say, Hill might not be the spectacle that his predecessor Trevone Boykin was, but Hill does have potential to be very good. Now it's just a matter of being consistently good.
4. Snell and Anderson are up-and-coming stars.
TCU has a pair of young running backs that have had strong performances in the first three games of the season -- that is, freshman Kenedy Snell and sophomore Darius Anderson. Both had two touchdowns apiece against SMU, and if they keep this up, they could very well be impact players both this season and in future seasons.
5. SMU is definitely better.
The Mustangs made Frog fans pretty nervous early on, scoring on the opening drive and holding the lead for a good part of the first half -- and they weren't done scoring in the second. Regardless of the end result, SMU is certainly on the uptick, and TCU would be wise to circle this rivalry on the calendar next year.