TCU faces physical challenge against Iowa State’s playmaking receivers

The biggest thing that jumps out at Gary Patterson when he watches Iowa State?

The big guys that jump.

“Looks like a basketball team,” the TCU coach said Monday during the Big 12 coaches conference call.

The Cyclones boast four receivers who go 6-foot-1 or better, including their top pass-catcher, 6-6 Hakeem Butler. Their leading touchdown receiver is 6-5 Allen Lazard, who has five.

Next is 6-1 Marchie Murdock with four touchdowns.

Then 6-4 Matthew Eaton with three.

The four 6-footers have combined for 15 touchdown catches. And it’s not all in the red zone. Butler has a 74-yard touchdown reception, and Murdock has a 43-yard score.

“These guys do a great job of creating space because of their size and what they do,” Patterson said. “They require a different type of coverage. They do a great job of that. Two years ago, we really struggled a lot with Lazard and the group.”

Lazard is Iowa State’s all-time receptions leader, and he leads the nation with a 42-game receptions streak. Two years ago in Ames, he caught five passes for 147 yards against TCU, including a 74-yard touchdown. Last year in Fort Worth, he was limited to one catch for eight yards.

Patterson called the Iowa State receivers one of the top skill groups in the Big 12 and praised their work in Iowa State’s 5-2 start under second-year coach Matt Campbell.

“Coach Campbell has put them in situations where they can do what they do best,” Patterson said.

The Horned Frogs have only one 6-foot corner. That’s starter Jeff Gladney, a sophomore who is 6-foot. The other starter, Ranthony Texada, is listed at 5-10.

Prime time for Texas

Make it another prime-time game for TCU.

ESPN chose a 6:15 p.m. kickoff for the Horned Frogs’ game against Texas on Nov. 4 at Amon G. Carter Stadium. It will be the second consecutive night game in Fort Worth for TCU. Last week, the Frogs blanked Kansas 43-0 to remain undefeated.

TCU has won three consecutive games in the series against Texas for the first time since winning four straight from 1935 to ’38.

Two game times remain to be announced for TCU — the Oklahoma game in Norman on Nov. 11 and the Texas Tech game in Lubbock on Nov. 18.

The regular season finale against Baylor on Black Friday, Nov. 24, has an 11 a.m. kickoff.

This story was originally published October 23, 2017 at 4:04 PM with the headline "TCU faces physical challenge against Iowa State’s playmaking receivers."