How TCU easily beat Houston for its first Big 12 win of the season
TCU played spoiler on Saturday as the Horned Frogs delivered Houston its first Big 12 loss in program history.
The Cougars joined the conference this off-season and the matchup against TCU was a historic occasion, but the good vibes didn’t last long. TCU scored on its opening drive with ease and led wire-to-wire to pick up the Horned Frogs’ first conference win, 36-13 at TDCEU Stadium.
The defense was the difference for TCU as the starting unit kept its second straight opponent’s offense out of the end zone. The Horned Frogs sacked Houston quarterback Donovan Smith five times and held his completion percentage to 50% (18 of 36 with two interceptions).
“I think our ability to pressure the quarterback all night made a difference,” coach Sonny Dykes said. “It made him a little uncertain and a little less productive than he usually is.”
Savion Williams had the game-deciding touchdown as Chandler Morris connected with him for a 31-yard touchdown on a streak route. Williams’ first score of the year made it 26-13 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the third.
It wasn’t the cleanest performance, but TCU has to be encouraged by the 1-0 start in conference play.
Offense still seeking situational excellence
It was another uneven day for the TCU offense under offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.
The Horned Frogs piled up 564 yards of total offense and were efficient in the run and pass game. TCU averaged 4.9 yards per carry and more than 12 yards per completion.
Ten different receivers got their hands on the ball and Chandler Morris threw for more than 300 yards for the first time this season. It would be easy to assume that the Horned Frogs lit up the scoreboard, but that wasn’t quite the case. The 36 points are nothing to sneeze at, but this was another week it felt like TCU left double-digit points on the field.
“We’ve just got to execute better,” Dykes said. “If you say how have we been so far, I would say a little unsettled. I think we took a step in the right direction in getting more settled, but we’re still making a lot of mistakes.”
Morris had a strange interception on fourth down in the red zone as the ball bounced off Jared Wiley’s hands that wiped points off the board. The Horned Frogs also struggled on third down again, when the game was in the balance TCU was just 5-of-13 on third down and usually faced third-and-long because they shot themselves in the foot.
One instance came in the fourth quarter when a promising drive was knocked off track after TCU tried give Jack Bech a carry out of the backfield. He lost 13 yards and Griffin Kell missed a 50-yard field goal a few plays later. There were a few drops that also stalled out drives and TCU had seven penalties for 75 yards. In the end TCU scored more than enough to win. TCU has the potential to be a great offense, but has to get out of its own way.
Bailey’s the engine
With so many offensive stars off in the NFL, it was unclear entering the season who would emerge as the top weapon on TCU’s offense. After another 100-yard performance Emani Bailey (23 carries, 126 yards), has the early claim as the Horned Frogs’ top offensive player. When he’s on the field, the offense has more juice.
He’s the fastest in the running back room and has the best field vision. Whether it’s a designed inside zone play or halfback power, Bailey seems to be comfortable in any scheme. He also showcased his value as a receiver, picking up a crucial first down on a screen pass. He finished with three catchs for 23 yards.
Bailey is now averaging 145 yards per game against Power Five competition. Outside of Kansas star Devin Neal, there’s not a better back in the Big 12 right now. Dykes said he was worried that Bailey wouldn’t be able to play during the week, but there was never a doubt in Bailey’s mind he would be on the field.
“I wasn’t really in too much pain it was tolerable,” Bailey said. “Playing on an ankle sprain, but I had enough power to go out and do what I do.”
Defensive growth
The Horned Frogs defense took its fair share of lumps after a disappointing season-opening performance against Colorado. In the two weeks since allowing 45 points to the Buffaloes, TCU has looked like the defense Dykes expected to see this season.
Despite the offense giving Houston great field position with turnovers, TCU held Houston to just three offensive points. Mark Perry and Johnny Hodges led the effort defensively with strong individual nights. Perry set one of the fourth down stops up by flying into the box and bringing down the Cougars’ 6-foot-5, 240 pound Donovan Smith. Hodges combined for a sack in the first half and another in the second to get the offense the ball back. He nearly forced a safety midway through the third quarter with a hard hit on Smith.
Through three quarters, Houston had more points than rushing yards as TCU frustrated Houston offensively with a nice mixture of sending pressure and dropping back seven or eight defenders in coverage. Bud Clark had an interception and Paul Oyewale had two sacks of his own. It was a team effort across the board and another sign of improvement.
“We got off the field on third downs, which has been an issue for us. We didn’t do a great job at the beginning of the game, but as the game went on I think we got off the field more,” Dykes said. “We had the two big fourth down stops and they were huge for us, those two fourth and short plays. The turnovers were obviously big as well, Bud made a great play on the ball.
Houston finished with just 55 rushing yards. TCU had 250.
Hectic first half
Big plays and miscues defined the opening 30 minutes. There was a kickoff return for a touchdown, three turnovers and crucial drops that made the first half eventful and frustrating. The Horned Frogs kicked things off with an easy touchdown on their first drive as their offense went 75 yards in just over 90 seconds for a score.
The Horned Frogs managed only 28 yards on their next three drives due to costly turnovers. It’s a credit to the TCU defense that the Cougars were unable to turn turnovers into points as the Horned Frogs came up with two fourth-down stops.
After a pair of field goals gave the Horned Frogs a 13-3 lead, TCU seemed to be gaining momentum. But the Horned Frogs gave up Matthew Golden’s a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. TCU had a much needed response with another six play, 75-yard drive capped by a 16-yard touchdown run by Bailey. But Houston had another excellent return and was able to add a field goal after starting its drive at midfield.
The Horned Frogs tried to grab three points at the halftime buzzer, but Griffin Kell’s 60-plus yard attempt fell short into the hands of a Cougars returner. Were it not for DJ Rogers it would’ve been another special teams touchdown for Houston. Instead TCU was able to take a 20-13 lead into halftime.
This story was originally published September 16, 2023 at 10:44 PM.
