Max Duggan is 2-0 against Texas, but TCU’s QB says ‘it doesn’t mean anything’ now
Texas seems to bring out the best of TCU quarterback Max Duggan.
Duggan is 2-0 against the Longhorns so far in his college career, combining for more than 650 yards of total offense with two passing touchdowns and three rushing.
TCU hopes that he can continue his hot streak against UT on Saturday. The Frogs are coming off a disappointing loss to SMU, but they’ve always gone into the Texas game with a loss during Duggan’s tenure.
“We’ve just been fortunate enough to play well against them the last two years,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean anything to help us win this week. They’re a different team. We’re a different team. We’ve just got to go out and have a good week of practice and be ready.”
Duggan also downplayed the notion that the team is more focused coming off a loss. TCU opened with a loss against Iowa State last season and then went down to Austin and defeated Texas.
Duggan was 20 of 30 passing for 231 yards and rushed for 79 yards with two TDs on 17 carries in a 33-31 victory.
In 2019, TCU had a two-game losing streak going into Texas week. That served as Duggan’s breakout game as a true freshman as he threw for 273 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for another 72 yards with one TD.
Asked about the success against Texas coming off a loss, Duggan said: “We treat every opponent the same. We obviously know it’s a big game and Texas is a great opponent and it means a lot because it’s the first Big 12 game. We better be ready because they’re going to come in and be ready to go.”
Duggan provided a similar answer when asked about facing a Texas team that is headed to the SEC in the near future. This is the Longhorns’ first Big 12 game on the road since making the announcement they’d be leaving the league by the summer of 2025, at the latest.
“We’re not really focused about what’s going on behind it,” he said. “We’re going out there to play a football game. It’s conference play, first game coming off a loss. It’s a big game. We better be ready to show because they’re a great opponent.”
A great opponent that Duggan has gotten the best of since joining TCU as a four-star recruit out of Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
As far as this season is concerned, Duggan would like to improve on the deep ball. That remains an issue for an offense that is averaging 254.3 yards passing per game.
He has missed open receivers down the field, or has seen receivers drop passes. At the end of the day, it’s something the offense continues to work on.
“Hitting the deep ball, it’s so contagious once you hit one,” Duggan said. “Everyone relaxes a little bit. We’re all kind of pressing right now. I’ve got to be able to throw the deep ball better and give our guys a chance.”
That’s something that coach Gary Patterson echoed when asked about Duggan during his weekly news conference Tuesday. Yes, Patterson talked about more than just the postgame scuffle with SMU.
“He’s got to quit trying to be perfect,” Patterson said. “He just needs to throw it up there where they can catch it. We’ve got to help him out a little bit and he’s got to quit trying so hard.
“It’s still about winning ballgames. It’s not about how many yards you throw for and how many yards you get on the ground. We’ve just got to go find a way to win.”
