Maybe it was just Oklahoma State "turning up the knob," as TCU coach Gary Patterson called it, that made the Horned Frogs look like a slower team than they are in the second half Saturday.
It could be that the Frogs (5-3, 2-3 in the Big 12) ran out of gas while the Cowboys refueled and motored on past, outscoring TCU 27-0 in the second half for a 36-14 win.
To that end, the Frogs did not practice Sunday evening. Last week Patterson cut Wednesday's practice short.
TCU plays at No. 21 West Virginia (5-2, 2-2), at 2 p.m. Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Mountaineers had a bye week after losing to Kansas State 55-14 on Oct. 20.
"We're a tired football team," Patterson said Sunday. "We were tired [Saturday] and I think we're still tired."
Patterson wasn't sure if fatigue hit in the second half, but dismissed the idea that his team quit after OSU had clawed back to take a 16-14 lead in the third quarter.
"I don't know what happened in the second half," he said. "There's not always an answer for why somebody wins or why they lose. I don't think they quit. I watched the film. We were still throwing bodies around on defense the whole fourth quarter.
"I think there are guys who screwed up, guys got tired, and I think guys don't know how to fight through, but I don't think they quit. Offensively, we need to learn how to fight back. But the defense did not quit yesterday."
Injury update
Trevone Boykin's status for West Virginia is unknown after he sustained a knee injury late against Oklahoma State.
Gary Patterson declined to give any information on the extent of the freshman's injury or whether he'll be available against the Mountaineers.
Patterson said offensive lineman Blaize Foltz is likely to start Saturday. Foltz sprained an ankle in the first half last week against Texas Tech and played about 15 plays against Oklahoma State.
Running back Matthew Tucker did not play much in the second half Saturday because of an injury, and may not play at West Virginia, Patterson said.
Brandon Carter, who was injured a month ago, did not play at Oklahoma State and Patterson said Carter is doubtful for this Saturday. There's no update on the status of defensive end Stansly Maponga, who dressed Saturday but did not play.
Sandy contingency
Hurricane Sandy, which is due to hit the eastern seaboard today, could affect TCU's travel to West Virginia for Saturday's game.
The Horned Frogs hope to fly into Clarksburg, W.Va., on Friday afternoon and make the 40-mile bus trip north to Morgantown for their usual Friday evening walk-through of the Mountaineers' stadium.
But if power outages or other weather-related issues arise, TCU may fly into Pittsburgh, which is about an hour north of Morgantown.
Gary Patterson said he'd prefer to reschedule the game Dec. 8, at the end of the season, if the weather is a safety factor.
"I'd rather play the game at the end of the season so kids aren't missing school," he said. "I also don't want to put 200 lives at risk."
Stefan Stevenson
817-390-7760
Twitter: @FollowtheFrogs
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