TCU’s offensive line eager to get back on track — or shake-up could be coming
Coming off of its worst performance of the year, TCU’s offensive line is eager for a bounce-back opportunity against Colorado at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
The Horned Frogs allowed Josh Hoover to be sacked six times and only rushed for 10 yards in the 27-24 defeat to Arizona State.
It was a shocking performance by an offensive line that had performed well in the previous three games. So what went wrong against the Sun Devils?
“I think going into last weekend, that was a good defensive line, certainly the best we had faced,” head coach Sonny Dykes said Tuesday. “[SMU] was a challenge from a scheme standpoint; last week was more of a challenge from a personnel standpoint. They committed to taking away the run game.”
One veteran on the offensive line also said crowd noise at Arizona State’s stadium had an impact.
“It was a mentality thing. I think the environment got to a lot of guys,” senior offensive lineman Cade Bennett said. “We just got to be able to come together better as a group and finish a full 60-minute game. The momentum swung one, and we couldn’t get it back.”
The Horned Frogs (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) won’t have to worry about crowd noise or a defensive line as talented as Arizona State when Colorado (2-3, 0-2) rolls into town.
The Buffaloes rank 15th in rushing defense and sacks in the Big 12. While Colorado held its own against BYU in a 24-21 loss Saturday, this is still a prime opportunity for an offensive line that’s in need of some confidence.
Despite Colorado’s underwhelming numbers, Bennett and the TCU offensive line aren’t overlooking the talent of the Buffaloes. They can’t afford to after last week.
“They’re going to be tough. They’re going to play hard,” Bennett said. “I think [Colorado head coach Deion Sanders] is a great motivator. They’ve got a lot of talent. They brought in some boys from the SEC. We got our work cut out for us, but this is a great opportunity for us to bounce back.”
Senior defensive linemen Arden Walker and Keaten Wade are two standouts for Colorado. They’re talented, but still not up to par with what Arizona State had up front defensively.
It’s a pivotal moment for the TCU offensive line, which could see a shake-up if things don’t turn around against the Buffaloes.
“We’re trying to get some of those young guys ready,” Dykes said. “We think that maybe that can help us. We’re going to create some competition and see. We’re definitely going to play the best guys. We don’t care about playing a true freshman or replacing a guy with a younger player if they’re better and ready to play. That’s one thing we’ll always do.
“As a coach you owe it your players and the program to play the best people regardless of the circumstances. We don’t worry too much about hurting somebody’s feelings.”
The pressure is officially on the offensive line as TCU dives deeper into Big 12 play.
