TCU football again at early-season crossroads, but Horned Frogs showing ‘heart’
TCU football has been in this position before. It’s becoming a trend to see the Horned Frogs with a couple losses next to their name by early October.
TCU lost its second game in its Week 3 of last season, which came on Oct. 10 due to a delayed start amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Frogs had a couple losses by Oct. 5 in 2019, and started the 2018 season 2-2 with the second loss coming on Sept. 22.
Saturday saw TCU pick up its second loss of this young season with Texas riding Bijan Robinson to a 32-27 victory in Fort Worth.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves,” junior quarterback Max Duggan said. “Going in two weeks straight with a loss is going to suck, but nobody is going to feel bad for us. Texas Tech isn’t going to feel sorry for us.
“We can’t listen to the outside noise. We just need to focus on ourselves and get a win down in Lubbock.”
That’s the mindset coach Gary Patterson hopes his team takes the rest of the year. It’s been a frustrating start to a season with high expectations but the Frogs don’t seem too far off track.
Of course that’s been a common storyline the last three years as TCU is just 20-19 overall and 12-16 in Big 12 play since 2018.
But Patterson believes this year’s team showed “heart” during the Texas game. He pointed to the defense delivering a pivotal stop in the fourth quarter to keep the Frogs alive.
Texas, leading 32-20 at the time, went for a fourth-and-goal from the TCU 1 with 9:32 remaining. TCU stopped Robinson short of the goal line with defensive tackle Terrell Cooper and linebacker Jamoi Hodge being credited with the stop.
If UT scores there, TCU doesn’t have a chance. Instead, the Frogs responded with a 99-yard scoring drive and stayed within striking distance. UT and Robinson eventually put it away on the next possession.
“I was really proud of the guys stopping them on fourth-down on the goal line,” Patterson said in his postgame remarks. “If you want to know if kids have heart, there you go. “Outside of that, we’ve got to tackle and can’t turn the ball over. You can’t hurt yourself.”
Patterson has repeatedly pointed to his roster having plenty of youth and inexperience, and believes the team will continue to make strides as the season progresses. That’s what happened last season at least.
TCU started 1-3 before winning five of its final six games to become bowl eligible. The Frogs had to back out of the Texas Bowl, though, due to a COVID-19 outbreak throughout its program.
In 2019, the Frogs were 3-3 at the midway point, including two losses by one score or less. They finished 5-7, going 1-6 in one-score games and missing bowl eligibility for just the third time in the Patterson era.
TCU started 2-2 in 2018, which eventually snowballed into a 3-5 start, before closing out the regular-season by winning three of the final four games. The Frogs went on to win the Cheez-It Bowl.
Time will tell how this season plays out. Patterson still sees promise despite the losses.
“I told them downstairs that I was proud of them,” he said. “But you can’t turn the ball over, punt, give up sacks and fumble the ball. And you’ve got to tackle. I thought we tackled better today but we still didn’t tackle well enough — not like a TCU defense.
“I thought we played with more energy today and that’s going to give us the opportunity to win more ballgames.”
TCU has its first road game this week when it travels to Texas Tech on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Lubbock.
Poll watch
As disappointing as the losses have been, maybe TCU can take solace in those being against now-ranked teams.
Texas entered the AP Top 25 poll on Sunday, landing at No. 21 following its win over TCU. And SMU is now ranked at No. 24 as it is off to a 5-0 start. The Mustangs defeated South Florida on Saturday.
Oklahoma remains the top-ranked Big 12 team, checking in at No. 6. Oklahoma State moved up to No. 12 following its win over Baylor.
Baylor, Texas Tech and Kansas State are all receiving votes.
