Officiating did not bury TCU at Arizona State. Its offense (and QB) did that | Opinion
Blaming the officials is always easy and fun, but TCU’s first loss of the season can’t be put on the referees.
Even if the refs had “their moments.”
An offense that could not run the ball at all asked too much of its quarterback; it asked too much from a defense that eventually was going to give up points to an All-American-caliber quarterback and his NFL-caliber wide receiver.
No. 24 TCU wasted a 17-0 second-quarter lead and lost 27-24 at Arizona State on Friday night. TCU should have been blown out, but instead it blew it.
TCU could have won what was an entertaining game for all 60 minutes, but Arizona State was the better team.
If TCU was going to win that game, the quarterback had to play not perfect, but he couldn’t be the human turnover.
Instead, with less than two minutes remaining in the game, TCU QB Josh Hoover lost a fumble and threw an interception. He was in a position to potentially win the game on either drive, but instead coughed up the ball twice.
This loss is not on the quarterback, but since he is TCU’s big-money “name” all-conference quarterback, he must carry the offense when it can’t run the ball. And he can’t commit three turnovers.
Loss of Kevorian Barnes, Eric McAlister hurt
TCU had time to potentially set up a game-tying field goal, but Hoover’s game-ending INT was a bad idea; he forced his pass into a tight window where multiple Arizona State defenders were waiting to either pick it off, or bat it away.
A veteran passer, no matter how confident, can’t make that throw.
It didn’t help that Hoover had little help from his offensive line, and zero from his running backs. TCU’s offensive line was not good, and the continued absence of starting running back Kevorian Barnes to injury was a problem as the game wore on.
It didn’t help that top receiver Eric McAlister missed most of the game with a lower-body injury.
The biggest concern for TCU coming into this season was the running back room. Through the first three games, it wasn’t much of a concern.
Arizona State’s defensive front seven manhandled TCU’s offensive line, and the running backs aren’t good enough to create their own yardage.
TCU had a total of 10 net yards rushing after losing 53 yards on six sacks. It averaged 0.4 yards per rush.
Arizona State dominated stats
That TCU led 24-17 with less than two minutes remaining in the game was one of those instances when the math didn’t add up. Arizona State was crushing TCU on the stat sheet, but routinely the TCU defense came up with point-saving stops.
TCU only generated 269 yards total yards to ASU’s 498. That sort of differential normally means a double-digit defeat.
When TCU forced Arizona State into a fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line with 1:50 remaining in the game, it was the final ask of a defense that had pushed its luck all night against quarterback Sam Leavitt and receiver Jordyn Tyson.
Leavitt found Tyson in the back of the end zone for a game-tying touchdown when it appeared that there was a miscommunication between the TCU defensive backs. Tyson was the one guy TCU could not lose, and he sprung free.
There were some questionable calls by the refs in there, but that’s the game. The refs didn’t lose this game for TCU.
This was not a game TCU was expected to win, but this is one of those that it simply squandered. The top of the Big 12 routinely play one-score games against the other, and TCU can’t afford to lose but maybe one more of these if expects to reach the Big 12 title game.
During TCU’s run to the national title in 2022, it won all of its close games in the regular season.
The loss does not end TCU’s chances at winning the Big 12, or reaching the College Football Playoff, but it pretty much eliminates any margin for error.
The loss does not end Hoover’s chances at winning some national awards, but ... actually, it may. The resumes to win those awards are nearly perfect, and Hoover’s performance on Friday night needed to be superhero-ish.
Even though it was only a three-point defeat, and will push TCU out of the Top 25, Friday night will be one of those games that haunts/annoys the Horned Frogs for the rest of the season as a game they blew, even if they were effectively blown out.
