Battle For the Iron Skillet Football Game - SMU Mustangs Versus Texas Christian University (TCU)

The Battle for the Iron Skillet is the moniker givenspeculation. College football historians date the
to the annual football game that pits the Southernorigin of the Battle for the Iron Skillet name to
Methodist University (SMU for short) Mustangsthe 1950s (even though these two schools have
against the Texas Christian University (TCU forbeen playing each other in football since 1915).
short) Horned Frogs. The rivalry for these collegesRumor has it that before a 1950s head to head
is a natural one considering that the twomeeting between Texas Christian University and
campuses are a mere 40 miles apart in the stateSouthern Methodist University a fan of the SMU
of Texas.program was frying up frog legs as a method of
Since 1915 SMU and TCU have played each othermocking the Horned Frogs team that his school
in all but six football seasons despite not being inwas playing that day. The story continues that a
the same conference for noticeable portions ofproud TCU fan approached the SMU supporter
that time. Today Texas Christian University playswith the skillet of frog legs and the TCU fan
in the Mountain West Conference alongside toughstated that frying up the frog legs was too
competition in schools like the University of Utahextreme and that the two opposing fans should
and Brigham Young University (BYU) while SMUlet the final score of the game decide who gets
plays in Conference USA which boasts theto go home with the frog legs and the skillet.
University of Houston and Central Florida amongstToday the legendary story of the initial
the top football schools in the conference.confrontation over the skillet of frog legs has
Despite being in different football conferencesevolved into a full-fledged traveling trophy. The
TCU and SMU are have a few things in common.modern day Iron Skillet Trophy looks like a large
Chief among these similarities is that both schoolsgolden frying pan with a short handle. On the
are located in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth areainside of the trophy is a black plaque that reads,
and both colleges are private Christian schools."THE SKILLET - SMU vs. TCU - A Tradition Since
Furthermore both universities have similar sized1915."
student bodies with total enrollments of aboutEven though the Southern Methodist University
8,700 and 10,700 for TCU and SMU respectively.Mustangs rallied off a fifteen game winning streak
Interestingly, there is no official record of exactlyin the head to head competition from 1972
why this annual grid iron matchup is referred tothrough 1986 the Horned Frogs still hold a narrow
as the Battle for the Iron Skillet. As is often the41-39-7 series lead.
case with folklore in the absence of fact there is