TCU coach Gary Patterson deflects when asked about Sonny Cumbie, offense
TCU coach Gary Patterson deflected a question when asked about his team’s offense and co-offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie during Monday’s Big 12 football coaches teleconference.
The Frogs’ offense has been subject to outside criticism much of the season, and it heated up even more following a 29-23 triple-overtime loss to Baylor on Saturday. TCU scored a season-low nine points in regulation.
Asked about Cumbie and how he’s handled the offense with true freshman Max Duggan at quarterback, Patterson said: “The bottom line is, our rule around our place is to hold them to one less, so we didn’t do that, and to score one more. We’re 4-5 so obviously we haven’t done as good of job of scoring one more point than we have, or holding to one less than what we need to.
“We’ve got three more games to be able to prove that.”
TCU ranks seventh in total offense (426.9 yards per game) and scoring offense (32.2 points) in the Big 12. The Frogs have had the third-best rushing attack and the ninth-best passing attack.
One of TCU’s offensive strengths has been in the red zone, converting a league-best 39-of-41 trips (24 touchdowns, 15 field goals). But the Frogs failed to punch it in and extend the game during the third overtime with a first-and-goal from the 1.
Following Saturday’s game, Patterson pointed to Baylor having the Big 12’s top scoring defense more than TCU’s offensive struggles.
“How about we give Baylor credit?” Patterson said. “They’re a good football team. That’s how they’ve won all their ballgames up to this point, they found a way to make one more play than the other team.
“If you want to stay in this profession, you have to be able to call it how it is, and the bottom line is they have a good football team.They made one more play than we did. We needed one more touchdown, really we needed two more plays. A touchdown and a two point. But I think you’ve got to give Baylor a little bit of credit when it comes to that stuff. They’ve been like that, they’ve been that way the whole year. It’s not been one or two times.
“It’s two good defenses out on the field today and two offenses that you’re going to find out who can make one more play, and they ended up making one more play. It’s as simple as that. That’s the storyline, as far as I’m concerned.”
Playing to win
TCU has close to 50 freshmen (redshirt or true) on its roster. As far as true freshman, six have found their way into the starting lineup at some point (Duggan on offense, and five on defense: DE Colt Ellison, CBs Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson and Kee’yon Stewart, and LBs Dee Winters and Wyatt Harris).
But Patterson isn’t using that as an excuse for being a sub-.500 team.
“You play games to win. That’s the bottom line to it,” Patterson said. “I always thought it was funny — went to the national convention and guys would say we have 18 starters back, we’re really looking forward to the season, we’re going to be really good. And when they say we’re missing 18 starters, we’re not going to be any good, that’s how you stay only three or four years at an institution.
“It’s my job and our job to find a way to win more than we lose when you have such a young football team. That’s what we’re trying to get accomplished here in the last three ballgames. If you want to stay somewhere for a while, and you want to win and you want to build a team that can play for championships and do that, you’ve got to be able to do more when you’re not dealt as good a hand as what you’d like to have during the season. That’s where we are right now with all of our young players, but that’s OK. I really like the group and we just need to keep progressing.”
Briefly
▪ Patterson described the energy and morale during the Frogs’ practice on Sunday as “great.” He believes staying engaged won’t be an issue for his players despite consecutive losses by one score or less.
▪ Patterson raved about the future of the safety corps with underclassmen such as Trevon Moehrig, Ar’Darius Washington, La’Kendrick Van Zandt, Deshawn McCuin, Josh Foster and Nook Bradford. Said Patterson: “Our overall safety group is going to be a really good group as they grow older. We’re excited about that part of our defense.”
▪ TCU’s game at Oklahoma on Nov. 23 will have either a 2:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. kickoff, the Big 12 announced. The start time will be finalized following this weekend’s games.
TCU travels to Texas Tech on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.
