TCU football: Five things to watch as Horned Frogs take on Louisiana Tech
The TCU football team is playing its best as the season winds down. The Horned Frogs are looking to close the season off right with a rare December nonconference game against Louisiana Tech on Saturday.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Here’s five storylines going into it.
1. Ground game
It’s hard to argue with the numbers. The Frogs are 5-0 this season when reaching the 200-yard rushing mark. That’s been a strength for the offense whether it’s quarterback Max Duggan using his legs or one of the highly-touted running backs.
La Tech’s defense has been susceptible to the run, allowing 166 yards per game.
Of course, TCU’s RB corps must take better care of the ball than they did against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys forced four fumbles.
As TCU coach Gary Patterson said this week, “The bottom line is when you get in a crowd you’ve got to get both hands on it. It’s very simple. It’s like College Football 101.”
2. Duggan’s development
As well as TCU has been able to run the ball during this stretch of winning four of the last five games, the passing game has left more to be desired. Duggan has completed less than half his passes the past two games.
There’s a number of factors that go into breaking down the passing game, but Duggan surely wants to finish this season off strong and go into the offseason with a couple strong performances.
La Tech has allowed 250.4 yards passing per game this season. TCU has averaged just 200 yards per game through the air with Duggan’s season-best being 276 yards passing against Oklahoma.
3. Pass rush improvement
TCU has gotten more pressure on the opposing quarterback as the season has progressed. The Frogs have 17 sacks in their last five games after having just five in the first four games.
The good news for TCU is that its top pass rushers this season are underclassmen. Sophomore Ochaun Mathis has a team-leading seven sacks, while true freshman Khari Coleman has three sacks. Coleman leads all freshmen nationally with 13.5 tackles for loss.
4. Shutdown corner?
TCU sophomore Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson leads the Big 12 with 13 pass breakups. He has taken significant strides in his second year and has the makings of being another shutdown corner in the Patterson era.
Tomlinson’s growth is among the bright spots for the Frogs this year.
5. Going bowling
The NCAA has waived its bowl eligibility requirements this year. Still, TCU wants to play in the best bowl possible and will become a more attractive team with a win. If the Frogs win, the Texas Bowl in Houston could be the reward. A loss could mean a trip to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix.
