With a loss to rival TCU, the SMU Mustangs (1-3) will enter American Athletic Conference play owning a losing record following a 48-17 blowout on Saturday afternoon.

As the game entered the fourth quarter, the Mustangs had survived numerous mistakes and turnovers only to be down by seven, but needed a critical stop in order to get their offense back on the field.

That stop never came, as the Horned Frogs extended their lead with a quick pass to Ja’Juan Story; the Mustangs missed two critical tackles on the wide out’s 56-yard gallop to pay dirt and a 14-point lead.

SMU, once again, got in its own way all game and was outscored in the final frame by 24 points. Senior quarterback Garrett Gilbert forced several passes and had four of them picked off by Horned Frog defenders, while the team fumbled once and committed six penalties.

The Mustangs were able to drive down and score on an 11-yard pass from Gilbert to Darius Joseph, but the ensuing onside kick attempt embodied the Mustangs poor performance. TCU’s LaDarius Brown ran kick back for a score, leaving SMU behind for good.

Following an early exchange of turnovers by both teams as the game began, SMU pounced first after a Horned Frogs fumble.

The Mustangs drove 67 yards in 13 plays, including two catches to receiver Jeremy Johnson and a 1-yard touchdown catch to the senior, giving them the very important lead in the first quarter. In the last 31 games coming into Saturday’s match up, SMU was 16-0 when scoring first.

TCU answered on the following drive with 70 yards of its own, capped off by a 2-yard run from the Horned Frogs running back Waymon James. The Mustangs didn’t do much to help themselves on the drive, allowing 21 yards from penalties, including a pass interference call in the end zone that set up TCU on the 2-yard line.

A blocked punt by Mustang linebacker Jackson Mitchell set up his team with a first-and-goal from the TCU one, but SMU was held to a 34-yard field goal by kicker Chase Hover with less than a minute remaining in the first half. The Mustangs led at that point 10-7.

After TCU tied the game with a field goal, Gilbert threw his second interception of the game. The turnover was quickly turned into seven points for the Frogs on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Trevone Boykin to Ty Slanina, and TCU took its first lead of the game, 17-10.

SMU will return home for the first time in four weeks as the team enters AAC play next Saturday against Rutgers.