When Zach Evans went down, TCU football turned to Kendre Miller. He didn’t disappoint.
Zach Evans is the headliner for TCU football. He’s the five-star prospect. He’s the running back who generates the most hype. Rightly so, too, as he became the Frogs’ first running back since 2002 to post four straight 100-yard games on Saturday night.
But the Horned Frogs have more than just Evans in their backfield.
Kendre Miller continues to establish himself, finishing with a career night in TCU’s 52-31 victory over Texas Tech.
Miller rushed for team-leading 185 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. His touchdowns were on runs of 33, 75 and 45 yards. Miller found himself with an increased workload with Evans sidelined in the second half with an injury.
“With Zach being down, this is college and it’s the next man up,” said Miller, who had 129 yards and two TDs in the second half. “I knew that I was going to have to step up and contribute.
“Really for me, it was just getting my head right. Having a game like this, you’ve just got to build on it and keep making plays.”
TCU finished with 394 yards rushing on 47 carries, the most since the 2016 season. Along with Miller, Evans had 143 yards and two TDs on 17 carries — all coming in the first half. Emari Demercado and Daimarqua Foster were other running backs who contributed to the totals.
Evans didn’t speak to reporters after the game, but TCU football posted a social media video where Evans spoke highly of the RB corps.
“The best running back duo,” Evans said, “really trio, really quadruple. Me, 6, 3 (Demercado), 33 (Miller), 21 (Foster). Quadruple running backs.”
TCU junior cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson echoed those thoughts, saying the RB corps is a “load” to go against every day in practice.
“We know whoever is back there is going to make something happen,” Tomlinson said.
Coach Gary Patterson talked about the depth at the position, saying it was part of the reason he felt comfortable sidelining Evans in the second half. Evans was battling a foot injury, Patterson said, and the Jones AT&T Stadium artificial turf isn’t worth risking it on.
So Miller stepped in and TCU’s rushing attack didn’t miss a beat.
Texas Tech never made a second-half push because TCU and Miller answered each time. After the Red Raiders scored a touchdown in the third quarter, Miller sprinted 75 yards for a score on the next offensive play.
The same thing happened in the fourth quarter. Tech scored a TD and went for an onside kick. TCU recovered on its own 45, and Miller took it to the end zone on the next play.
In the first half, Miller helped set the tone with a 33-yard TD run on a third-and-8 from the Tech 33.
“Kendre Miller got an opportunity to stick up and do the things we needed to do,” Patterson said.
Miller opened his postgame comments by thanking his offensive line and coaching staff. The O-line created those running lanes despite missing starting offensive guards Wes Harris and John Lanz.
“It just shows you how hard the work we’ve been putting in and that the line had to push even with the backups in,” Miller said.
Miller has put in the work too.
This is a guy who joined TCU as a three-star prospect out of Mount Enterprise. He was a star quarterback in high school, rushing for 2,508 yards and 34 TDs as a senior in 2019, but most colleges viewed him as a running back or linebacker at the next level.
He opted for running back and TCU over schools such as Southern Miss, UTSA and Wyoming.
Miller put together a solid freshman season, closing with his first career 100-yard game against Louisiana Tech in the finale. He’s now emerging as a sophomore, serving as a complementary back to Evans. But Miller knows it’s easy to stay in Evans’ shadow.
“I knew with Zach coming that it was going to be hype for him because he was a five-star,” Miller said. “You’ve just got to look past that and play your game and that’s what I’ve been doing since I got here. I know my time is going to come.”
TCU (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) travels to No. 4 Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. in Norman.
This story was originally published October 10, 2021 at 2:24 PM.
