Getting the passing game going among things to watch as TCU takes on West Virginia
Everyone associated with TCU football understands what’s at stake against West Virginia on Friday.
If the Horned Frogs win, they’re going to a bowl game for the 17th time in Gary Patterson’s 19 seasons. If they lose, they’ll be home for the holidays and become just the fourth team to finish with a sub-.500 record in the Patterson era.
“Energy level is going to be high,” sophomore center Coy McMillon said. “We’re excited to get another opportunity to go to a bowl game for the seniors.”
Here are five things to watch going into the game. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Mad Max
True freshman quarterback Max Duggan appears to be the face of TCU football in the coming years. He hasn’t put up dazzling numbers, but Duggan has showed poise beyond his years and an ability to keep the team in games.
Duggan helped rally the Frogs back from a 21-0 deficit last week at Oklahoma, delivering a memorable 11-yard TD run early in the third quarter.
Patterson has raved about Duggan’s intangibles all season and liked how he turned up the dial in Norman. That intensity rubs off on his teammates.
“He’s a competitor,” McMillon said. “He puts it all on the line every week. From an offensive line standpoint, that’s easy to get behind.”
But, for as much positive as Duggan has brought to the team, the passing game must improve compared to last week. TCU threw for just 65 yards at OU, the fewest passing yards in a game by a Big 12 offense this season.
“West Virginia is very physical, so you’re going to have to throw the football to move the football,” Patterson said. “So we’ve got some work to do.”
Running game matters
Duggan led the Frogs’ in rushing yards at OU, finishing with 92 yards on 12 carries. It’s the fourth game Duggan has led the team in rushing yards.
That’s not necessarily a positive for a team with NFL-caliber running backs in seniors Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua. Anderson and Olonilua combined for only 10 carries and 27 yards at Oklahoma.
Both had just five carries, which were season lows. Patterson pointed to the Frogs falling into an early 21-0 hole and having only 45 offensive plays for the uninspiring rushing totals.
“They weren’t giving us much upfront and you start the ballgame off 21-0, so you need to do something a little bit different,” Patterson said. “But you know what? They were giving us the quarterback. And the front they had, they were taking away the tailbacks. You had to force them out of the front that they had so that you could actually get your tailbacks going.”
Based on the statistics, TCU should be able to get back on track with the ground game against WVU. The Mountaineers rank seventh in run defense among Big 12 teams, allowing 160 yards a game, while the Frogs still have the third-best rushing attack (208.6 yards per game).
Starting fast
TCU has started slow, not fast, this season. The Frogs have scored a touchdown on their opening drive just twice this season.
Finding more consistency early in games has been a priority. The hope is it happens on Friday, although there’s no easy answer.
“If I knew that, I would have already fixed it,” Patterson said. “Why did your girlfriend like you, or why did one of the girlfriends not like you? You did the same things, right? We’ve all tried to learn from it.”
Finishing fast
Much like the slow starts, TCU has struggled to win close games. The Frogs are 1-5 in one-score games this season.
If that storyline is reversed, TCU is playing for more than bowl eligibility in the regular-season finale.
Patterson compared this season to the 4-8 year in 2013 when TCU lost four games by a field goal or less.
The good news? The 2014 team went 12-1 and won the Peach Bowl.
“It means that you have enough ability to be close, but we’re either screwing things up or we’re not making the right calls, or we’re not right there yet to be able to make those plays,” Patterson said.
Farewell seniors
Senior Day is always special. It’s the last home game for a number of players.
This year’s class features several players who may go on to the next level, such as Anderson, Olonilua, right tackle Lucas Niang, cornerback Jeff Gladney and left tackle Anthony McKinney.
Kicker Jonathan Song is having a terrific senior season, too, and others have been staples, such as left guard Cordel Iwuagwu, offensive tackle David Bolisomi and safety Vernon Scott.
For Patterson, though, a game week isn’t the time to become sentimental.
“Right now, I’m trying to beat West Virginia,” Patterson said. “When I get done with this season, I’ll probably think more about what they are and how they are. But ... if it’s not a Mountaineer and it’s not about a vertical route, or how they run the stretch, then probably I’m not. I haven’t thought about it much.
“You’ve got to be careful. It’s Senior Day, but you’ve got to be careful because some of our worst games have been played on Senior Day. So what you have to understand is the emotion of everything needs to come at about 7 o’clock, when you go out to dinner with your family afterward.
“Before that, we need to all get ready to play and enjoy that one experience with each other one last time.”
This story was originally published November 28, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
