TCU not overlooking Abilene Christian with SMU rivalry game looming
It would be easy for TCU to overlook Abilene Christian with the Battle for the Iron Skillet with SMU looming, but the Horned Frogs are focused on the task at hand.
TCU can thank Texas Tech for the extra assistance after Abilene Christian nearly stunned the Red Raiders in Lubbock last season, falling 52-51 in overtime.
While this is a different Wildcats team, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said Abilene Christian still has an impressive roster this season.
“When you turn the tape on, you can see that they’re a good football team,” Dykes said Tuesday. “They’re the 13th-ranked FCS team. It’s a winning program that I think won a playoff game last season. You see what kind of players they have and the way that they play. It’s not hard to see that they’re a really good football team.”
If last year’s scare against Texas Tech wasn’t enough, then surely the results from across the country in Week 2 will send the message that no opponent can be overlooked.
South Florida upset No. 13 Florida, and an Army team that lost to Tarleton State turned around and beat Kansas State. Defending Big 12 champion and No. 12-ranked Arizona State was also upset by Mississippi State.
Any team is beatable if it’s not on its A game, and the Horned Frogs will be determined to use the same effort that helped them blow out North Carolina 48-14 on Labor Day.
“I’ve been on teams where guys around me have not taken it serious, and the game’s gotten real close, like that Tech game,” TCU senior offensive lineman Cade Bennett said. “They’re here, they’re on a scholarship, they’re excited to play us. This is the biggest game of the year for them, so we cannot underestimate them whatsoever. FCS games, they got nothing to lose. They’re coming with their head on fire for you.”
Much of TCU’s focus has centered on the Wildcats’ offense, which is led by Fort Worth native and Birdville High School alum Stone Earle and skill position players who all started their careers at Power Four schools.
“They’ve got a great quarterback,” Dykes said. “Got some really fast receivers, a big running back and offensive line that I think was really athletic, and so it’s a good group.”
Wide receivers Javon Gipson and J.J. Henry were key cogs in leading Abilene Christian to the program’s first FCS conference championship and playoff appearance. Six-foot-7 tight end Jed Castles was an all-conference selection, and 6-3 running back Jordon Vaughn has rushed for 137 yards in two games.
Defensively, the Wildcats are led by two preseason All-Americans, linebacker Will Shaffer and defensive lineman Kaghen Roach. Shaffer was named the preseason United Athletic Conference defensive player of the year.
While the Horned Frogs know that quarterback Josh Hoover and his receivers could have a big day against the Abilene Christian secondary, the goal will be to establish the run game after TCU bulldozed to 258 yards against North Carolina.
Not only would an effective run game neutralize the Abilene Christian pass rush, it would also help the offensive line continue to build confidence before the schedule becomes much more difficult starting, with SMU on Sept. 20.
The Wildcats “do a lot of good things, cause a lot of havoc defensively,” Dykes said. “They come after you with a very aggressive mentality. On defense, they show you a lot of different looks, chop the front up, do some things to make it hard for you to identify and get you guys in the right spot. So that’ll be a big challenge for us.”
