QB play, O-line among things to watch in TCU’s opener vs. Arkansas- Pine Bluff
Football season is here. Finally.
“It’s been a long time,” TCU senior cornerback Julius Lewis said earlier this week. “We haven’t played for a very long time. I can’t wait.”
The Frogs open the season with a home game against Arkansas - Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. tonight. Here are five things to watch --
1. QB play. All eyes will be on Kansas State graduate transfer Alex Delton and true freshman Max Duggan. Both should look good against an overmatched UAPB squad.
But the performances could dictate how TCU approaches the Purdue game in two weeks. The Frogs would likely prefer a quarterback with more experience such as Delton going into a Big Ten road environment, but signs point toward Duggan being the kind of player who is unfazed by such circumstances.
Coach Gary Patterson reiterated on his radio show Thursday night that he likes what Delton and Duggan each bring to the table, as well as the other QBs in the room.
“They’re all great people,” Patterson said on 92.1 Hank FM. “They all process well. They all like each other and get along. They know how to push each other.
“We knew if they had competition, people are going to get better. If you take a rep, you better make it a good rep.”
Delton and Duggan will have the initial opportunities to string together “good reps” in game action. As Patterson likes to say, quarterbacks aren’t judged until Saturdays.
2. The playmakers. TCU boasts plenty of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, starting with standout receiver Jalen Reagor, and Patterson has said the quarterbacks are throwing the deep ball well.
How explosive TCU gets offensively is something to keep an eye on. UAPB was one of the worst defenses in the country last season, allowing an average of 43 points a game, so TCU should be able to score in bunches.
Reagor is TCU’s star player. He’s such a difference-maker that Patterson made sure every cornerback took reps against Reagor throughout fall camp.
TCU has more than just Reagor, too. Running back Darius Anderson is a home-run threat every time he touches the ball, as are other receivers. Unfortunately, Patterson said newcomer Mikel Barkley is likely out for the opener, and Taye Barber is questionable.
Barkley and Barber are speedsters who will make their presence felt throughout the season, just not on Day 1.
3. O-line watch. The biggest surprises of TCU’s depth chart came along the offensive line.
Sophomore Quazzel White beat out senior Anthony McKinney for the opening-day start at left tackle. McKinney is on NFL radars as a possible late-round, or priority free agent, in next year’s draft.
McKinney battled injuries for a couple weeks in fall camp, opening the door for White.
Another surprise is David Bolisomi winning the right guard job to start the season. Austin Myers and Wes Harris are listed as the backups.
At center, Coy McMillon won the job. He was ranked as the No. 10 tight end in the state coming out of high school, but has bulked up and transitioned nicely to center. Myers had been a candidate at center, as is backup Esteban Avila.
4. Turnover battle. The biggest determining factor between winning and losing usually comes down to turnover margin. And TCU struggled in that department early last season.
After getting off to a 2-0 start, TCU lost five of its next six games. The Frogs forced just two takeaways, while giving it away 16 times, in that stretch. That is not a formula for success.
TCU eventually righted the turnover ship, producing more takeaways than giveaways in three late-season wins over Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State to become bowl eligible.
TCU knows it has to take care of the ball better early on this time around, as well as producing more takeaways. The Frogs had four games last season without generating at least one takeaway (Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas).
5. Redshirt matters. Patterson and his staff are trying to be more strategic with how many true freshman participate in this type of game. Players remain eligible for a redshirt as long as they play in four or fewer games.
He pointed to redshirt freshman defensive end Ochaun Mathis playing approximately 14 snaps in last year’s opener, which hurt the team later on when Mathis wasn’t available for the regular-season finale against Oklahoma State or the Cheez-It Bowl.
Patterson has said they’ll likely use just one of two freshman running backs -- Darwin Barlow and Daimarqua Foster -- in this game. Ideally, TCU will be able to have either Barlow or Foster available in eight games this season.
Some freshmen enter the season where the redshirt likely isn’t an option. Duggan will remain in the mix for QB snaps as the season progresses. Defensive tackle Karter Johnson will likely be needed all season based on numbers, and offensive tackle Andrew Coker has impressed in fall camp.
