TCU Football: SMU Players to Watch
The TCU Horned Frogs take on the SMU Mustangs in the Battle of the Iron Skillet on Saturday, September 24. Here are some key players on the SMU team that TCU fans should know before the game.
QB #8 Tanner Mordecai
Four-star Quarterback from Waco, Texas. Senior
Tanner Mordecai is a 6-3 214 lb. quarterback transfer from Oklahoma, playing his second season at SMU. Mordecai has proven he has an arm and can destroy defenses. Currently, he is third in total passing yards at 1,013 and fourth in passing touchdowns with ten touchdown throws. He has thrown three interceptions, which is typical for a quarterback who throws the ball as much as he does. These are some impressive numbers. Mordecai is on watch lists for many awards this season, and his starting numbers tell you why. TCU should look for Mordecai to throw a lot. The Frogs' defense will have to stay on his receivers and put a lot of pressure on him to succeed in this game.
| Tanner Mordecai | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Attempts | 4 | 26 | 40 | 454 | 117 |
Completions | 2 | 16 | 32 | 308 | 70 |
Completion % | 50% | 61.5% | 80% | 67.8% | 59.8% |
Yards | 37 | 207 | 395 | 3,628 | 1,013 |
Average | 9.3 | 8.0 | 9.9 | 8.0 | 8.7 |
Touchdowns | 0 | 2 | 2 | 39 | 10 |
Interceptions | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 3 |
Long | 33 | 40 | 33 | 68 | 75 |
Sacks | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 3 |
Ratings | 127.7 | 153.8 | 174.4 | 158.0 | 155.6 |
RB #25 TJ McDaniel
Three-star Running Back from Southlake, Texas. Sophomore
McDaniel is coming off a season-ending injury last season and has started his season off pretty strong, recording 156 yards on 24 attempts with two touchdowns. Even though SMU is a pass-heavy offense, McDaniel and Tre Siggers still play a vital part in their offense, keeping defenses on their heels. The Frogs need to be very careful and keep McDaniel running up the middle and not let him escape to the outside lanes because his speed kills defenses on the outside.
| TJ McDaniel | 2019 | 2020 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
Rushing Attempts | 41 | 60 | 24 |
Rushing Yards | 236 | 297 | 156 |
Rushing Average | 5.8 | 4.9 | 6.5 |
Rushing Touchdowns | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Rushing Long | 48 | 23 | 57 |
RB #4 Tre Siggers
Three-star Running Back from Duncanville, Texas. Senior
Siggers is a 5-9 204 lb. running back who provides a much different running style from his teammate TJ McDaniel. Tre Siggers prefers to bulldoze up the middle picking up needed yards, likely near the end zone or on third downs. He has rushed for 140 yards on 31 carries with a touchdown this season. TCU needs to be prepared for both running styles, or the SMU duo could be problematic for them.
| Tre Siggers | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rushing Attempts | 152 | 85 | 147 | 31 |
Rushing Yards | 853 | 458 | 727 | 140 |
Rushing Average | 5.6 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.5 |
Rushing Touchdowns | 6 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
Rushing Long | 53 | 26 | 46 | 13 |
WR #11 Rashee Rice
Three-star Wide Receiver from North Richland Hills, Texas. Senior
The 6-2 203 lb. receiver has significantly impacted this pass-heavy SMU offense. Rice has a good connection with his quarterback Tanner Mordecai. Rice has caught 28 catches for 491 yards and three touchdowns. Rice is good at finding the end zone and is a perfect route runner. TCU's secondary needs to keep a sharp eye on where he is on the field and who he is matched against to slow SMU's pass game down. He is also the nations leading receiver currently.
| Rashee Rice | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Receptions | 25 | 48 | 64 | 28 |
Yards | 403 | 683 | 670 | 491 |
Average | 16.1 | 14.2 | 10.5 | 17.5 |
Touchdowns | 1 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
Long | 61 | 55 | 62 | 54 |
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