‘It’s on me.’ Gary Patterson vows to fix TCU defense after it was torched again in loss
Gary Patterson is regarded as one of the top defensive minds in college football, but his unit is stumbling out of the gates this season.
SMU ran all over TCU’s defense in a 42-34 victory on Saturday, piling up 350 yards on the ground with two running backs — Ulysses Bentley IV and Tre Siggers — topping the 100-yard mark. SMU finished with 595 yards of total offense and didn’t allow one sack.
SMU’s strong performance on the ground comes two weeks after Cal had a successful passing attack. Yes, TCU held on for a 34-32 victory over Cal, but the Bears threw for more than 300 yards and connected on big plays.
“There’s only one person in charge who takes blame on that. That’s me right now,” Patterson said following the SMU game. “I’m the one that’s supposed to fix it.”
Former TCU defensive players chimed in on social media, ripping the team’s performance against SMU.
“Worst effort in TCU history if you ask me,” former safety Derrick Kindred said.
Added former defensive end Josh Carraway: “Tackling drill on Sunday please.”
Patterson placed blame on himself and vowed to correct it. He didn’t divulge much details on how he’ll go about it.
Asked how the team can improve tackling at this point, Patterson simply said: “We will.”
Asked how the pass rush, which had zero sacks on the day, can improve, Patterson said: “We’ve started slow the last three years then we come on. One of the things you’ve got to be able to do is rotate guys when they get tired.”
SMU had its way all day. The Mustangs had 15 rushes that went for at least 10 yards, including three on the final drive to run out the clock. The Frogs pulled to within one score with four minutes left.
TCU’s final chance to get the ball back was to stop SMU on a third-and-6 from the SMU 43. Mustangs quarterback Tanner Mordecai gained 12 yards on the play to seal the victory.
“I called the last play,” Patterson said. “I told them the QB was going to run. The guy blocked down on the guy who had the quarterback. He came off and made the play. At the end of the day, if I tell you exactly what they’re going to do and you still don’t stop it, I don’t know what else to tell you guys.
“They’d been running stretch out of two backs and I said on this final play the quarterback is going to keep it. The quarterback kept it.”
The last time TCU allowed a team to gain 600 yards of total offense was Texas Tech in 2015. SMU fell just short of the 600-yard mark but left a lasting impression. TCU’s defense has plenty of work to do if it wants to contend for a Big 12 title.
The Frogs were without defensive tackle Corey Bethley, which didn’t help matters. They’re also still waiting for defensive end Khari Coleman and cornerback Noah Daniels to return.
At the end of the day, though, that doesn’t excuse the poor tackling or lack of effort. This isn’t the type of defense that fans are accustomed to under Patterson.
“The bottom line to it is that SMU wanted it more than we did today. It’s pretty simple,” Patterson said. “You’ve got to come ready to play.”
TCU now shifts its attention to the Big 12 opener against Texas on Saturday. The Longhorns are coming off a 70-35 victory over Texas Tech in which they rushed for 336 yards.
Similar to Patterson’s statement on fixing the defense, linebacker Dee Winters said the players will be determined to respond.
“The loss hurts to SMU, but we’ve just got to bounce back and come back harder next week,” said Winters, who had his first career interception against SMU.
“Let that be our reason to play hard in our next game.”
This story was originally published September 27, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
