TCU shifts focus to BYU after drubbing New Mexico 69-0

The scoreboard at Amon G. Carter Stadium was probably still warm Saturday when coach Gary Patterson started to analyze game film.

But he likely wasn't looking at the Horned Frogs' 69-0 win over New Mexico. By the time he arrived at his postgame news conference he had moved on to BYU, the Frogs' opponent Friday at Cowboys Stadium.

In fact, he was probably tempted to start planning for BYU by halftime, when the Frogs led the winless Lobos 41-0. TCU was playing reserves in the second quarter, and in the third, third-teamers filled every spot.

Before a homecoming crowd of 33,833, the Horned Frogs broke the school record for most points in a game and recorded their first shutout since October 2010 in holding New Mexico to a season-low 85 yards.

TCU (5-2, 3-0 in the Mountain West) racked up 515 yards and picked up 22 first downs while holding New Mexico to five, with one coming courtesy of a TCU penalty and three others in the fourth quarter. New Mexico dropped to 0-7, 0-2.

"This defense we're going to face Friday is a whole lot better than we faced today, so we better get ourselves ready to go," Patterson said early in his postgame remarks. "As you can see I've already turned."

TCU turned three New Mexico fumbles and a blocked punt into scores. The first two fumbles came on the Lobos' first and fifth plays from scrimmage. Johnny Fobbs got credit for forcing both, which gave TCU the ball inside the Lobos' 25-yard line. Short runs by Matt Brown and Luke Shivers put the Frogs up 14-0 six minutes into the game.

TCU made it 20-0 with Casey Pachall's 6-yard touchdown pass to Logan Brock after the Frogs took over at the Lobos 43 on their third possession. TCU began the second quarter with a six-play, 86-yard scoring drive for a 27-0 lead. A 43-yard reception by Shivers and 20-yard run by Matthew Tucker set up Antoine Hicks' 2-yard scoring run.

"Coaches harped on getting the ball out in space and executing each play and not taking plays off," said Pachall, who completed 13 of 17 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first half. "That's what we did and that's what we need to carry over to next week, especially against that good BYU defense."

Waymon James and Skye Dawson added touchdowns before the half to make it 41-0. Ed Wesley, who led the Frogs with 74 yards rushing on six carries, made it 48-0 with a 4-yard run to cap TCU's 61-yard, five-play drive opening the second half. On the Lobos' ensuing possession, Antonio Graves recovered Deryck Gildon's blocked punt in the end zone to stretch the lead to 55-0.

Quarterback keepers in the fourth quarter by Brown and junior Rick Settle, enjoying his first snaps under center at TCU, completed the scoring.

By then, Patterson had seen enough. He was on to BYU, which TCU has beaten by a combined score of 101-17 in three consecutive MWC wins. This year the Cougars are playing as an independent.

"I won't watch this much at all," Patterson said. "I'm taking my laptop home and I'll have BYU on by 6:30. You guys get to rest, I ain't resting. I may turn the baseball game on while I do it. Maybe I'll get a bite to eat, but I'll be a lot happier if I can some way get to 6-2."

Stefan Stevenson

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This story was originally published October 23, 2011 at 12:11 AM with the headline "TCU shifts focus to BYU after drubbing New Mexico 69-0."