TCU ‘kind of blah’ in scrimmage, not handling heat, Patterson says

TCU coach Gary Patterson said his team’s first scrimmage was “kind of blah,” but he was clearly more disappointed in how the Horned Frogs are handling the heat during the first week of fall camp.

“We’re not very good on offense, and we don’t know how to fight through the heat,” he said. “It’s the first team I’ve had in 10 years that doesn’t know how to do that. We’ve had some kids banged up, but the bottom line is, we’re not very good right now. Either side of the ball.”

Patterson uses the August heat to gauge his teams’ concentration and mental toughness. But it’s common for some practices to end inside in the Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility.

“We’ve come in more right now than we ever have,” Patterson said. “We’ve got to because they can’t handle what we’re doing. .... We’re not fighting through the heat. No attention to detail. We’re not very good. Either side. Right now, I’m not happy with it.”

Another 100-degree day is forecast for Friday, but temperatures will drop Saturday, according to weather.com.

Scrimmage details

Wednesday night’s scrimmage did not have many highlights. Patterson has said the scrimmages will go a long way in deciding the quarterback competition.

“Not anything real great happened,” Patterson said. “To be honest with you, I think we threw for 48 yards with the 1s on 18 plays. We had six goal-lines. We didn’t go very many plays. We went 24 with each team, the 1s, the 2s and 3s.”

Patterson hinted about some of the offensive problems when he was asked about the performance of the quarterbacks. Patterson said he doesn’t watch them or the offense in practice, only on film afterward.

But some things are noticeable on the field.

“When I watch us drop balls and I watch us turn people loose in the backfield, and they go the wrong way as a running back, we throw picks deep — those things I see,” Patterson said.

Defensive line flux

Patterson said Joseph Broadnax and L.J. Collier were the starting defensive tackles in practice Thursday, and that freshmen defensive ends Brandon Bowen, Isaiah Chambers and Gary Overshown got extended time while veterans James McFarland and Tipa Galeai sat out.

Patterson said Broadnax and Collier are pushing senior starter Aaron Curry and have already passed veteran Chris Bradley.

“And to be honest with you, Ross Blacklock has shown signs,” Patterson said of the four-star freshman defensive tackle. “But they’re just signs.”

Briefly

-- Patterson said the six cornerbacks faced 35 vertical passes Thursday. “We’re running a lot,” he said. “Our guys are tired. They’re doing a lot.”

-- Patterson said the punters are performing well. “The one bright spot, our punters, both of them have punted unbelievable the last four days.”

-- Patterson said Taj Williams ended the ‘mayday situation’ with a big catch at the end of practice. Asked who threw the ball, Patterson shrugged.

This story was originally published August 11, 2016 at 9:43 PM with the headline "TCU ‘kind of blah’ in scrimmage, not handling heat, Patterson says."