Patterson: TCU’s November success depends on Boykin, Doctson

If TCU is going to get through November, quarterback Trevone Boykin and receiver Josh Doctson will be the main reason, coach Gary Patterson said.

“If they can play at the level they need to for us, then we’ll have a chance to win more of those games than we lose,” the Horned Frogs coach said Monday during the Big 12 coaches teleconference with reporters. “If they don’t, then we won’t. But if they do, I think a lot of people will get a chance to watch both of those guys play and understand and appreciate what kind of players they are. And what kind of people they are.”

Patterson was answering a question about whether Doctson can also be considered a Heisman Trophy candidate even in Boykin’s shadow. He said both players are having a year any player would want.

“It’s always hard to have two really good key players on your team and not have one kid talked about a little bit more than the other,” Patterson said. “Both of them have done a great job. Both of them are having years that everybody would wish for. Hopefully for us, I hope the people nationally recognize them, get a chance to in the next three or four weeks.”

The Frogs play three ranked teams in November, starting with No. 12 Oklahoma State on Saturday in Stillwater and closing with No. 14 Oklahoma on the road on Nov. 21 and No. 2 Baylor at home on Nov. 27.

Also in November, Oklahoma State plays Baylor, Baylor plays Oklahoma and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State play.

“Obviously that was planned,” Patterson said. “And everybody that you’re talking about, everybody’s got to play each other. You’ve got to find a way to play on the road. I think the advantage probably goes to Oklahoma State. Three out of the four ballgames, they’ve got at home.”

Boykin approach

Patterson said Boykin hasn’t worried about his standing in the Heisman race, and that it helped him to get a lot of media interviews out of the way in the off-season.

“He hasn’t been talking much to the media, because I think he feels like if he stays focused, he plays better, and that’s really what’s happened,” Patterson said. “He understands that for him to keep reaching higher in his goals, we have to keep reaching higher in our goals as a football team. That goes hand-in-hand.”

Patterson said Boykin and the team have improved each week.

“We’ve only allowed six sacks up front, he’s had good guys to throw it to, and we’ve had some running backs that have had good ballgames,” Patterson said. “So for us, the next four ballgames, to win more than we lose, all of the above are going to have to play well.”

Life in the Big 12

Of Oklahoma State’s 70 points last week against Texas Tech, Patterson said, “That’s life in the Big 12.”

He said TCU has played in the same kind of games this year.

“Both the Texas Tech and Kansas State games, we had to have the ball last,” Patterson said. “This is one of those games. Oklahoma State has done it the same way. They’ve found a way to go on the road and win, they’ve found ways to win in the overtime, which they did against West Virginia.”

Patterson predicted an emotional environment on Saturday in Stillwater.

“We understand they’re coming in 8-0, very emotional, big crowd,” he said. “If you want to win championships, then what you have to do is you have to find ways to do it yourself. Sometimes you do it with offense. We’ve gotten a little better and better on defense every week. And obviously, we’ll have to be even better this week for us to have a chance to go on somebody else’s turf and win.”

Again, not watching

Patterson said he didn’t watch the CFP rankings show last year, and he won’t watch it this year.

“We’ve just been in a dark room watching Oklahoma State and trying to get ready to go,” he said. “That’s the only thing I can control. Why worry about things you don’t have any control over? We’ve got control only over trying to win ballgames, and if we do, that’s all we can take care of.”

Patterson remembered the drop from No. 3 to No. 6 in the final rankings last season despite a 55-3 win.

“One thing I know is I don’t have control over all the rest of it,” he said. “All we can do is put the best football team we can possibly put on the football field and get ready to play. So that’s what we’re trying to get accomplished.”

Start times unannounced

The start time for TCU’s game against Kansas and three other Big 12 games on Nov. 14 will be announced after this week’s games. The possible game times are 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or FS1.

The other undetermined game times are for Oklahoma-Baylor, Oklahoma State-Iowa State and Texas-West Virginia.

Only Kansas State’s game at Texas Tech game was given a start time — 2:30 p.m. on FS1.

Award list

Boykin and Doctson are semifinalists for the Maxwell College Player of the Year Award, as voted on by writers and broadcasters across the country. Marcus Mariota of Oregon won it last season.

TCU is the only school with two players on the list of 20 semifinalists. Baylor’s Corey Coleman and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield also represent the Big 12.

Boykin was also on the list last year.

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Patterson: TCU’s November success depends on Boykin, Doctson."