Patterson: TCU should have used backup QB late at West Virginia

Backup quarterback Foster Sawyer should have played the last two series of the West Virginia game, coach Gary Patterson said.

Instead, Kenny Hill finished out the 34-10 loss, TCU’s worst in the Big 12, ending with a season-low 148 yards passing.

Patterson said he should have told co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Sonny Cumbie during the game to use Sawyer but did not get a chance while coaching the defense.

“If you’re going to call defenses and do things, you can’t be the master of everything,” Patterson said Tuesday during his weekly news conference. “I don’t know whether to stop and make that decision. Sometimes I do. Usually when we’re ahead.”

Sawyer has played in two games, against Iowa State and SMU, and Patterson said he has been pleased with the backup quarterback’s performance both times.

But Patterson was also looking for a balance between giving Hill a chance to finish the game well and providing Sawyer with game action.

“There’s a double edge, where you want Kenny to get confidence, but the other part is, you needed Foster to get reps and get him in the middle of the scene and do things,” Patterson said.

Hill ranks 10th in the country in passing with 2,290 yards, but he has thrown a Big 12-leading nine interceptions.

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 7:09 PM with the headline "Patterson: TCU should have used backup QB late at West Virginia."