Patterson’s next move for TCU? Fix an offense that fell flat

As TCU walked off the field without a touchdown in its final home game, coach Gary Patterson realized the offense needed to get tougher.

He gave a big hint about his plans.

“We may not throw a football during bowl practices, if they’re not careful,” he said.

Patterson wants the Frogs to push back. They didn’t do it enough against the best defenses they faced in a 6-6 season, which ended in Saturday’s 30-6 loss to Kansas State.

The 15 practices between now and the Liberty Bowl matchup against Georgia on Dec. 30 are at Patterson’s disposal.

“But you’ve got to be careful,” he said. “You’ve got to get the guys to the bowl game.”

So Patterson will try to walk the line between toughening and preparing. But he’d just as soon find the missing element this season in an Air Raid offense that spent two years carving up the Big 12.

The quarterback from the last two years? Of course.

The receiver drafted in the first round? Yep.

But how about the center in Seattle? And the tackle in Philadelphia? And the running back in Los Angeles?

Trevone Boykin, Josh Doctson, Joey Hunt, Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Aaron Green formed the heart of the Frogs’ powerhouse offenses in 2014 and 2015. They were among seven TCU players who reached the NFL this year.

There was something about them beyond talent.

Did it leave with them?

Patterson quickly said, “No. Ever since the Rose Bowl, you’ve lost some good players.”

The problem was more specific.

“You’ve got some young players, guys that need to grow up,” Patterson said. “It’s not so much even the guys that played today as the guys behind them. You have to have competition.”

The Frogs stuck with Kenny Hill at quarterback for 11 games despite his league-leading 13 interceptions. But Foster Sawyer didn’t push him out for a start until the last game, and he produced two field goals in a half.

On the offensive line, offensive tackles Joseph Noteboom and Aviante Collins delivered inconsistent seasons with 11 holding penalties between them (of the 16 by TCU linemen) but started every game. After getting healthy, Trey Elliott replaced Patrick Morris at guard for two games. And then they switched roles.

TCU receivers dropped 37 passes from Hill, according to the play-tracking website ProFootballFocus.com. The receivers and tight ends combined for only 14 touchdown catches in 12 games.

At running back, Kyle Hicks — the team’s best player, according to Patterson — was the clear No. 1 option. But when he went out on the first series against Texas Tech and had only five carries, TCU managed 172 yards on the ground against the league’s worst defense — and 53 of those yards came from the quarterback and the punter.

It took until the last five games for freshmen Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua to make an impact.

Patterson warned in fall camp that he had questions about the offense. Then TCU finished seventh in the league in total offense and eighth in points after two years of setting school records for yards and points per game.

“I think we just have to get things together,” receiver Taj Williams said. “Coming into the season, one of the things he preached was we were a young team, only seven seniors — we have to grow up. We just have to take control, do what we have to do.”

By last week, the picture was so clear to Patterson about the offense that, facing fourth-and-inches at his own 37 and trailing 17-6 in the third quarter, he opted to punt. It meant a second straight three-and-out, and Kansas State had just scored and was picking up steam.

But Patterson wouldn’t go near it.

“I’m not a real big guy when they stuff you on third-and-short to go on fourth-and-short,” Patterson said. “Usually it comes with you’re feeling good about yourself and you can move people around and do things. We weren’t moving anybody.”

Next comes a hands-on approach. Patterson said it may be time for him to spend the bowl practices on the offensive side of the field.

“He’s the head coach,” Williams said. “If he wants to come over there with us, that’s what he’s going to do.”

Might be tough.

This story was originally published December 5, 2016 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Patterson’s next move for TCU? Fix an offense that fell flat."