SMU (4-5, 3-2 WAC) and TCU (6-4, 4-2 WAC) will battle for the Iron Skillet Friday at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. Last year, SMU defeated TCU, 10-6, on an emotional Doak Walker Day at the Cotton Bowl.

During the post-World War II college football boom, the SMU and TCU student bodies created a travelling trophy called the Iron Skillet that was presented to the winner of the annual football game between the two rivals. The tradition eventually died, and the original skillet was lost. In 1993, the tradition was revived. The skillet is given to the winning team immediately following the SMU-TCU game each season. Earlier this season, the Mustangs won their first trophy game by taking possession of the Mayor's Cup, given annually to the winner of the SMU-Rice game.

SMU leads the all-time series with TCU 38-34-7, including wins in two of the last three seasons. The SMU-TCU series dates back to 1915, when a group of SMU freshmen took the field for the very first time and lost the first football game in SMU history, 43-0, to TCU in Fort Worth.

At SMU's weekly press luncheon, Cavan and players Rodnick Phillips and Raymon Brown addressed the media:

Head Coach Mike Cavan

"The first three quarters we played at Tulsa were the best we've played in a long while."

"Josh (McCown) did some really good things on the field and had a record-setting performance. But as well as he played, me made some mistakes that cannot happen on the field -- he came and told me that after the game."

"What makes TCU so difficult to prepare for is that they have a two-headed quarterback and a running back in Tomlinson that is leading the nation."

"As good as their offense is, the real strength of their ball club is the defense. TCU is a complete football team. There are no weaknesses that our staff has seen -- they're athletic on both sides of the ball."

"The option they run is completely different than Rice. TCU gets outside to the corners to run theirs and Rice stays inside."

ABOUT SMU'S TURNAROUND
"The longer I've been with this team, the more impressed and astonished I am that we are where we at after the start we had -- we are playing for a championship Saturday."

"All I am concerned with is that we are playing TCU and we're playing for a championship."

"Of course we're playing our best football right now, what else can you say when you've won four straight football games after losing five in a row."

#4 Raymon Brown - Senior safety

"We've got to be a lot more disciplined. They have a lot more trick plays to fool the defense."

"It's all about beating TCU."

"It will be a lot of fun with lead changes. If we can keep the intensity up the whole game, we can hopefully keep it close. And if it's close, hopefully we'll be in a position to make the plays at the end that will win the game."

"They're a strong team and we have to respect them. We have to play at the top of our game to beat them."

"It's always fun to beat your rival -- to go into their place and win."

"We have to stay with our techniques and play fundamentally sound to shut them down."

"The receivers cut a lot so the corners will have their hands full."

"It's the biggest game of the season."

#28 Rodnick Phillips - Senior Running Back

"It's motivation to play. We've seen all that's been written in the media about TCU. It's time to play. We use that to add fuel to the fire. Personally, I don't think we get any respect for beating TCU, but we use that as motivation. It's a rivalry."

"The passing game was outstanding last week, so we just had to go with it. We're a different team than we were at the start of the season. Now when we go into a game, we have confidence. The offense is completely different."

"I think everyone on the team knows this is a big game. Every time we open up the papers, we read about TCU. LaDainian (Tomlinson) is a real good running back. He's having a great year and my hat's off to him. I'm going to congratulate him and shake his hand."