What to watch for as TCU football travels to Texas this weekend
TCU football didn’t get off to the most promising start in a 37-34 loss to Iowa State last Saturday. The Horned Frogs had issues in the trenches, struggling to establish their running game and contain the Cyclones.
But, as the Big 12 displayed last week, it’s hard to draw too many conclusions on season openers. That same Iowa State team lost to Louisiana in its opener. Kansas State lost to Arkansas State in its opener, and then the Wildcats knocked off Oklahoma in Norman.
TCU hopes to have similar success in its second game at Texas on Saturday. The Frogs have had the Longhorns’ number since joining the Big 12 in 2012, going 6-2 and outscoring UT 233-134 in that stretch. TCU has won five of the last six games with every victory coming by double digits.
Kickoff is at 11 a.m. in Austin. Here are five things to watch:
1. QB matters. TCU went with Matthew Downing as the opening day starter against Iowa State, and he held his own. But Max Duggan provided a different spark in the second half and showcased the strides he’s made.
Duggan had his best day from an accuracy standpoint (16 of 19) and rallied the Frogs to within a couple points multiple times in the second half. Duggan, assuming he’s healthy and able to play a full game, is expected to start.
As Gary Patterson said this week when asked about who starts at QB, “I think you play it by ear.”
2. Improved line play? Given how much turnover the Frogs had along their offensive line from last season, it’s understandable that they got off to a slow start. TCU’s O-line allowed six sacks and one QB hit against ISU. That must improve against Texas and it’ll be interesting to see what, if any, changes TCU has made up front this week.
The same can be said for the D-line. The Frogs missed Terrell Cooper last week, but it sounds as though he may be available against Texas. TCU has to find ways to create pressure on Texas QB Sam Ehlinger.
3. Limiting big plays. Iowa State had fewer yards of total offense than TCU in the opener, but the Cyclones had bigger impact plays. They scored TDs on runs of 75, 49 and 32 yards. ISU also had two passing plays of at least 40 yards on scoring drives.
The Frogs have to limit the big plays. The Longhorns have averaged 61 points in the first two games and have a number of players with home run potential.
“It came down to five plays,” TCU safety Trevon Moehrig said of the ISU game. “We’ve got to eliminate big plays and then I think from there we’ll be fine.”
4. Young guns. TCU has a number of highly touted freshmen on its roster. Receiver Quentin Johnston, who initially committed to Texas before flipping to TCU, had a nice 37-yard TD in the opener. Running back Kendre Miller also saw the field, rushing for 14 yards on three carries.
But one notable player missing was five-star RB Zach Evans. Patterson said Evans missed almost a month of training camp due to COVID-19 contact tracing, but is starting to pick up the offense and show his potential in practice.
Eyes will be on the young players this week to see what and how much action they receive. Johnston will surely be motivated to face the school he originally committed to and, if he plays, Evans will want to showcase why he was once considered the top prospect in the 2020 class.
5. What about? TCU landed a couple big-time transfers this offseason, but none of them had memorable debuts. JD Spielman had a nice punt return, but touched the ball only three times on offense (two receptions, one rush).
Spielman is a guy who had 800-plus yards receiving in each of the last three seasons at Nebraska. It’ll be interesting to see if the Frogs can incorporate his game more into the offense.
Defensively, LSU transfer Marcel Brooks was a former five-star recruit. Brooks finished with two tackles against Iowa State. Patterson hinted that Brooks’ defensive role could increase this week.
