SMU plants billboard in middle of Fort Worth, mocking TCU football days after victory
The TCU-SMU rivalry isn’t dying down anytime soon.
SMU knocked off TCU 42-34 in Fort Worth last weekend and celebrated by attempting to “plant its flag” on midfield of Amon G. Carter Stadium. Now it’s hung a billboard in the middle of Fort Worth commemorating its victory, saying “Pony Up Fort Worth” with three local players on it.
The rivalry heated up — and has stayed sizzling — once SMU players went forward with the flag-planting moment after the game. That started a scuffle between the teams and resulted in TCU special assistant Jerry Kill being concussed.
TCU coach Gary Patterson wasn’t pleased with the postgame antics and alleged that an SMU player might have used his helmet to injure Kill. That allegation couldn’t be substantiated, Patterson acknowledged during his Tuesday news conference. Multiple videos from the scuffle show that Kill had been unintentionally knocked over by his own guys.
But Patterson threw out another allegation, saying SMU staged the entire flag-planting incident. If the flag-planting incident hadn’t occurred, Patterson said, this entire situation that resulted in Kill being injured would’ve never come about.
SMU athletic director Rick Hart called Patterson’s claim “a complete fabrication” and strongly defended the program and coach Sonny Dykes.
The billboard has become the latest layer to the ongoing feud between the schools. It’s located going westbound on Interstate 30 between exits 7B (TX 183-N/Alta Mere Drive) and 8A (Green Oaks).
The Dallas Morning News, citing an anonymous source, said the billboard was designed on Thursday before the game and ordered moments after the Mustangs’ victory.
The billboard features three SMU players from the Fort Worth area, including Keller Timber Creek’s Alan Ali, Fort Worth All Saints’ Mike Williams and Richland’s Rashee Rice.
Rice created a stir before the game by trash talking TCU and Fort Worth.
Saturday was the 100th meeting of the Iron Skillet. TCU owns the all-time series record 51-42-7. Patterson lost consecutive games to SMU for the first time in his career, falling to 15-4 lifetime against SMU.
TCU (2-1) is preparing to open Big 12 play against Texas on Saturday in Fort Worth. SMU (4-0), meanwhile, is hosting South Florida.
This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 7:41 PM.
