Gary Patterson is working ‘harder than anyone’ to get TCU football back on track
There does not appear to be an easy fix when it comes to solving TCU’s issues on the football field this season.
But, as one high-ranking TCU official put it, coach Gary Patterson is working “harder than anyone” to get the Horned Frogs back on track. The school has no plans to fire Patterson during the season as Texas Tech did with its football coach Matt Wells on Monday.
Instead, Patterson and his staff continue to search for answers for a team that has lost four of its last five games. TCU (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) is hoping to take a step in the right direction at Kansas State (4-3, 1-3) on Saturday, but that’s easier said than done. The Wildcats coach Chris Klieman is 2-0 against the Frogs.
For TCU and Patterson, though, it starts on the defensive end. That unit is in the midst of one of its worst seasons in decades.
After Saturday’s loss to West Virginia, Patterson said he emptied the playbook on defense. Still, it wasn’t enough in a 29-17 loss. That was the fewest points the defense had given up outside of the season-opening 45-3 victory over Duquesne, but West Virginia still had 487 yards of total offense and controlled the ball for 11 minutes longer than TCU.
“You have to make plays,” Patterson said. “You went from two guys in the NFL [safeties Trevon Moehrig and Ar’Darius Washington] to now some guys that are growing up. Guys have got to grow up and make plays. It’s not rocket science in this whole thing.
“You’ve got to tackle. You’ve got to keep leverage,” he said. “Leverage means you don’t let them throw over your head.”
Making plays is something that TCU defenders simply haven’t done on a consistent basis. Against West Virginia, TCU had just one sack and no takeaways.
On the season, TCU ranks ninth in the 10-team Big 12 with nine sacks and is tied for last with seven takeaways. Also the Frogs don’t have a player ranked in the top 20 for tackles for loss in the league.
Patterson said the team doesn’t have many other options right now given the depth issues with injuries.
“There’s not many people left,” said Patterson, who later added, “You guys want a surefire answer and there’s not a surefire answer on how you do things. Our job is, ‘How to fix it?’ Beat Kansas State.”
The good news for the Frogs is that the Wildcats have the Big 12’s ninth-ranked offense. But Kansas State is coming off a victory at Texas Tech last weekend, courtesy of a three-touchdown game by Deuce Vaughn.
Will Patterson’s latest adjustments work out? His players don’t sound like a unit who has given up on him even if fans might have.
“Coach P has good schemes for each team we’ve played against. We just have to use them to our best ability,” said linebacker Dee Winters, who leads the team with 47 tackles. “If we go out there and do that, we should be all right.”
TCU and Kansas State are set for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday in Manhattan.
Baylor time TBD
The Big 12 announced that the six-day window for kickoff times is being used for the Nov. 6 games. That weekend includes Baylor at TCU.
Much will likely hinge on how No. 16 Baylor fares against Texas this Saturday in Waco.
