Inside Eric McAlister’s historic performance in TCU football’s win over SMU
After setting lofty goals in the offseason like being an All-American and a 1,000-yard receiver, TCU’s Eric McAlister didn’t start the season the way he anticipated.
He entered Saturday’s game against SMU with just five receptions for 66 yards as North Carolina double-teamed him in the season opener and he didn’t play much in the blowout win over Abilene Christian.
But great players often rise to the occasion in the biggest moment, and that held true for McAlister, who erupted for eight receptions for 254 yards and three touchdowns in TCU’s 35-24 win over the Mustangs.
McAlister had to watch his teammates Jordan Dwyer and Joseph Manjack have 100-yard games in TCU’s first two outings, but Saturday was finally his moment to dominate.
“I think it’s a big moment because I blocked my ass off the first game, did the same thing the second game, and today it was my turn,” McAlister said.
It was the second-most receiving yards in a game by a Horned Frog, 13 yards short of Josh Doctson’s program record at Texas Tech in 2015.
Big day could have been ever bigger
Oddly enough, McAlister could’ve had an even bigger day, as he dealt with a few drops and a questionable replay call.
After scoring TCU’s first touchdown, the Horned Frogs had an opportunity to extend their lead going into halftime. They went back to McAlister on a jump ball, but the SMU defender was able to rip the ball away in the end zone and take points off the board.
It was a momentum-shifting play that almost turned the game. It was a bad moment, but it sparked something in McAlister that allowed him to carry the offense in the second half.
“I just knew that plays like that could turn the game,” McAlister said. “I told myself I was going to try and not allow another play like that. That changed the game, the energy just went to their sideline. I told myself I wouldn’t allow that to happen again.”
McAlister made good on his promise, as he had 215 yards and two touchdowns after that interception.
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes has coached some masterful wide receiver performances in his career like Quentin Johnston’s 163-yard game in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl and Reggie Roberson going off for 243 yards against Memphis when Dykes was at SMU.
Dykes said McAlister’s performance was right up there with the best of them.
“He was kind of quiet the first two ballgames,” Dykes said. “We talked about it through the week, and we kind of felt like that this was his type of game. I think, No. 1, he was really disappointed that guy wrestled the ball away from him in the end zone. I just think he took over. That’s what great players do. They find a way to make a play when you really need them to make a play.”
No play was bigger than McAlister’s 70-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Horned Frogs were reeling as SMU took its first lead of the game at 24-21 with 10:30 remaining.
Was TCU about to crumble in the final Battle for the Iron Skillet after controlling the game? McAlister made sure the answer was no, as he caught a slant on third-and-5, shed two tackles and raced to the end zone to take all the momentum away from the Mustangs.
“He just did amazing things after the catch,” quarterback Josh Hoover said. “He did what he had to do to get open, I was able to put it near him, and he made plays. He could’ve even had more touchdowns, I’m proud of him and what he did today.”
Inspired by his big-play touchdown, the defense forced a three-and-out in their biggest drive of the season to get the ball back, which would lead to two more highlight plays by McAlister.
On a third-and-15, SMU pressured Hoover, desperate to get the ball back to its offense with over eight minutes remaining. Hoover was rocked on the pass and threw up a prayer that McAlister somehow caught in traffic for a 30-yard gain.
“I mean that was just the favor of the lord on the Horned Frogs,” Hoover said with a smile.
A few moments later, McAlister put the game away, taking a slant 44 yards to the house after SMU tried to single-cover him on third down.
McAlister said people often underestimate how athletic he is because of his 6-foot-4 frame, but the SMU game was a reminder of how dynamic he can be with the ball in his hands.
“I’m not the fastest guy out there, but I’m not slow,” McAlister said. “I think when guys see 6-4, they don’t see [yards after catch], they see a possession receiver. I’m not a possession guy, I’m trying to score a touchdown every time I get the ball.”
Among the best in the country
McAlister reminded scouts and the rest of the country why he earned preseason All-Big 12 honors and why he deserves to be in the conversation for best receiver in the country.
That wasn’t the only message McAlister has sent this season. As he alluded to earlier, he made sure to be fully engaged and excel at a blocker in the earlier games despite not getting the touches he may have desired.
No play this season showed more leadership than McAlister running down field and making key blocks for Kevorian Barnes on his 75-yard touchdown against the Tar Heels. McAlister felt that was a true show of his football character.
“A lot of guys were expecting me to come back to the sidelines and say, ‘Why am I not touching the ball?’” McAlister said. “But that’s not the type of guy I am. I’m here to win, no matter what the score is, no matter how many times I touched the ball. I think it shows the type of person I am and the type of teammate I am.”
It was a glorious day for McAlister that could’ve been made sweeter if he didn’t have a touchdown wiped off the board. In the third quarter it appeared McAlister made one of the catches on the year after he snagged a desperate heave over a defender and got one foot inbounds for a touchdown.
But the officials ruled it incomplete, and according to Dykes, they conducted a quick review and didn’t see enough to overturn it. Photos provided by fans after the game from a number of angles seemingly show McAlister inbounds.
In the end it didn’t matter. TCU won the game, and McAlister still had a monster day. But McAlister definitely believes his touchdown should have counted, even under NFL rules.
“I was in, I saw the video, two feet, that’s good in the league,” McAlister said.
