TCU football doesn’t want anyone to ‘fall off the ship’ after worst loss in decades
TCU interim coach Jerry Kill doesn’t like making excuses, but there’s no other way for him to explain what’s going on with the Horned Frogs.
They rallied together in the aftermath of the school and longtime coach Gary Patterson parting ways to upset No. 12 Baylor on Nov. 6. But then they looked nothing like that team in a 63-17 loss at No. 10 Oklahoma State on Saturday night. The 46-point loss is the worst loss in program history since 1993.
TCU gave up eight rushing touchdowns for just the second time in program history. The only other team to rush for eight touchdowns was Texas in 1974, a team that featured future Pro Football Hall of Famer Earl Campbell (who rushed for 64 yards that day but didn’t have one of the eight TDs).
Quite simply, as Kill put it, TCU is “beat up.” The young players are playing hard, but they’re young. The veterans are trying to keep the team together and engaged.
TCU is like a non-contending baseball team in September. The rookie call-ups are looking to make their mark. The pending free agents want to boost their market value. But others don’t have much motivation other than playing out the string.
Asked about keeping the team engaged, senior running back Emari Demercado said: “We all have to just have each other’s backs, hold each other accountable and we can’t let anybody fall off the ship. We have to keep everybody looking forward.”
Easier said than done, but Demercado provided one of the few bright spots at OSU with a career-high 90 yards rushing.
TCU’s running back corps was among those “beat up” and depleted, as Kill referenced, with Zach Evans (toe), Kendre Miller (ribs) and Daimarqua Foster (knee) all sidelined. But Demercado delivered and freshman cornerback Ahmonte Watkins contributed to the rushing attack. Watkins was a standout running back in high school but hadn’t taken any practice reps at the position since arriving on campus until last week.
“We’ve just been beat up,” Kill said. “We played a running back (Watkins) that hasn’t played running back. He played it in high school but he had to learn what we did in about three or four days. It’s been that kind of season for TCU but it happens. Those are all called excuses but that’s why we’re struggling.”
Asked about having to carry more of the workload than expected, Demercado said: “I’m not going to sit here and say it’s easy. Obviously it’s not, but you had to do what you have to do at the end of the day.”
Along with the running back issues, TCU quarterback Chandler Morris didn’t play at the same level as he did against Baylor. Morris finished 11 of 20 passing for 103 yards against OSU. True freshman Sam Jackson saw his first extended action of the season, entering in the fourth quarter.
Kill felt Jackson flashed potential in his limited snaps, including completing a 62-yard pass to Taye Barber on his only attempt.
“Sam is going to be a great player,” Kill said. “You got a little example. He can really run and he just needs the growth and so forth. This is his redshirt year. He can run and throw it. He can do a lot of things. He doesn’t know all of our offense right now but we felt we needed to get Chandler out of there. We’ve been depleted there a little bit and we didn’t want to play Max (Duggan). Sam got in there and did some good things.”
Outside of the offensive issues, which included OSU racking up seven sacks, TCU’s defense was torched for 682 yards of total offense by OSU. That is the seventh-most total yards allowed by TCU in program history.
TCU hosts Kansas in the home finale next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
