Why was TCU coach Sonny Dykes ejected during the Battle for the Iron Skillet vs. SMU?

TCU coach Sonny Dykes was ejected during the second half of the Horned Frogs’ 66-42 defeat in the rivalry game at SMU on Saturday.

After falling behind 41-21 in an ugly first half, the Horned Frogs started the second half with a kickoff return from Jordyn Bailey. But TCU was flagged for holding, bringing the touchdown back and Dykes became livid with the officials on the sideline.

He was called for his first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and the Horned Frogs were forced to move back to the TCU 10. After a big gain by Savion Williams, Dykes was still going at the officials and was flagged for his second unsportsmanlike conduct, leading to his ejection from the gain with roughly 14 minutes left in the third quarter.

“I got kicked out of the game, that’s the first time that’s ever happened,” Dykes said during his postgame media session. “I apologize to our players and fans, that should never happen. I was disappointed it happened, I thought maybe it was unwarranted, but that’s my responsibility to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

Dykes said he received the two unsportsmanlike calls from two different officials with the second one being the one that he still had questions about after the game.

“I understood why I got the first one, I thought I deserved it,” Dykes said. “The second one, I don’t know where it came from. The first one I deserved.”

The Horned Frogs scored a touchdown on a 46-yard reception by Jack Bech a few plays after Dykes was escorted off the field as a brief window for a comeback began to open. However, the Mustangs went on a 18-0 run after the score to put TCU away.

Dykes had won four straight games in the Battle for the Iron Skillet before Saturday, winning two in a row with SMU and the last two with TCU. The rivalry will be indefinitely paused after the 2025 matchup at Amon G. Carter Stadium.