TCU going back to basics in pursuit of bowl berth

The secret to becoming bowl-eligible for TCU (5-5, 3-4 in Big 12) boils down to a back-to-the-basics approach leading into Friday’s game at Texas (5-6, 3-5). A pair of team leaders made that clear following last week’s 31-6 loss to No. 10 Oklahoma State, marking the Horned Frogs’ most lopsided home defeat in 16 seasons under coach Gary Patterson.

“It’s that simple,” said running back Kyle Hicks, an Arlington Martin graduate who is the team’s leading rusher (836 yards, 12 TDs). “You have to pay attention to the details and go out and make routine plays. We’re not doing that right now. But that’s what it takes for this team to be successful on offense and for us to keep the ball moving.”

Hicks, a fourth-year junior, said veteran players who joined him on the TCU team that failed to qualify for a bowl in 2013 understand what is at stake over the final two games of the regular season.

“My freshman year, we didn’t make it to a bowl game and it was probably the worst feeling ever,” Hicks said. “So it definitely motivates us to not only get a win and make it to a bowl game but to send the seniors out the right way.”

TCU safety Denzel Johnson said: “We can still win two more games and go to a bowl and get seven wins. That’s all we’re trying to do.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2016 at 11:08 AM with the headline "TCU going back to basics in pursuit of bowl berth."