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Game Week- TCU

Wulaw Horn

By Wulaw Horn
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TornACL
TornACL

1990 UH vibes for this upcoming Saturday night. There is nothing Texas fans love more than stomping on some in state program that's getting a little too big for their britches.

hornian
hornian

Gary Patterson better earn his salary this week. 

Wulaw Horn
Wulaw Horn

So, this is what a road victory looks like?  Huh. Doesn’t seem like it should be that hard. Glad it happened.  In the part of the season now where I don’t really care how it looks, just care if we win

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Hookem2147

Hookem2147 21348

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4 minutes ago, TheMailBox357 said:

Anybody with a The Athletic sub, can you post this article?:

 

 

Spoiler

The season’s trends

Texas has developed a habit of starting fast and fading in the second half in the first two seasons of the Steve Sarkisian era, particularly in road games. Having this one at home, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town to fire up a raucous crowd, could ease some of that. This season, the Longhorns have fallen just once at home, a 20-19 loss to Alabama that Texas endured with two injured quarterbacks.

TCU has been the opposite. The Horned Frogs’ slow starts led to second-half deficits in three of their past four games, but they’ve survived each time. How will those trends play into Saturday?

“It’ll be interesting to see TCU at the beginning of the game and how they handle the crowd and handle Texas the first two or three series, because I think Sark will have some stuff really schemed up,” a staffer said.

TCU coach Sonny Dykes acknowledged after his team’s most recent win, over Texas Tech, that he sensed tension. His team played tight, he said, concerned with not making mistakes instead of playing loose and free.

“Can they handle that stage being 9-0?” the staffer said. “It’s gonna come on really fast really early in the game.”

Said a head coach: “Being undefeated (this late in the season), it gets tough. You deal with that question every single week. (Texas’) crowd is going to be as loud as it’s ever been. The noise they create, the lighting, they’ve done a fantastic job.”

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Texas’ defense has worn down at times in the second half, but typically that has been because of how long the Longhorns have been on the field. In road losses to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, each opponent ran more than 95 offensive plays. TCU’s season highs are 83 snaps in its double-overtime win against Oklahoma State and 82 in a regulation win over Kansas State.

But Kansas State, which trailed Texas by 21 last week at halftime, nearly completed a comeback before the Longhorns forced a late turnover to seal the win. The Wildcats had just 71 snaps, but the Texas offense didn’t reach the end zone in the second half.

Two top-20 rushing teams

Fans of running the ball, this game is for you. TCU and Texas are two of the most productive rushing teams in the country, with each ranking in the top 20 averaging more than five yards per carry.

Texas’ Bijan Robinson and TCU’s Kendre Miller lead the way, with Miller only 120 yards behind Robinson for the Big 12 rushing lead. And both teams are committed to the run.

“(Robinson) is unbelievable,” a coordinator said. “He’s like an adult out there playing with kids. I’m glad that he’s taking his Lamborghini and he’s leaving (for the NFL Draft), because he’s continually a challenge.”

TCU didn’t offer Miller a scholarship until late in the 2020 recruiting cycle and landed him as an 11th-hour commitment. He had a part-time and spot-starting role in 2021 behind Zach Evans, who transferred to Ole Miss earlier this year. But he has quietly become a valuable piece to the Horned Frogs offense with six 100-yard rushing games in the past seven weeks.

“We were impressed with the size and strength of Kendre, but until you saw him in person, you didn’t realize how difficult he is to tackle,” a staffer said. “And he has legit burst.”

Both teams have capable additional options in TCU’s Emari Demercado and Texas’ Roschon Johnson. But Johnson, a senior and one of the Longhorns’ leaders, has stood out to opponents for the variety of roles he plays.

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“I’m a huge fan of him,” a staffer said. “From wildcat (formation) to special teams to being the second back, to catching the ball out of the backfield, he does everything.”

Said a coordinator: “Roschon comes in and he runs just as angrily (as Robinson).”

Multiple coaches remarked on the run blocking of Texas’ offensive line.

“They’re probably more physical than they’ve been in the last couple of years,” a coordinator said. “They’re big dudes … and strong at the point of attack.”

Big-time QBs

The quarterback matchup pits a seasoned veteran in TCU’s Max Duggan against a young star in Texas’ Quinn Ewers.

Opposing coaches gush over Ewers’ pure throwing ability.

“Big-time arm,” a head coach said. “Unbelievable touch on the ball, can throw at different arm angles. There’s no throw he can’t make. Dude is special.”

Duggan didn’t begin the season as TCU’s QB1 — Chandler Morris won the job in preseason camp but suffered a Week 1 injury — but is having a career year as a passer and is a significant running threat.

“He’s big and strong,” a coordinator said. “You can’t necessarily spy him with just a D-lineman because he’ll run by those guys. And you can’t have him in the open field trying to get tackled by a small DB because he’ll run over those guys.”

The coordinator called Duggan’s running ability an “X-factor” in this game. Conversely, Ewers rarely runs it himself, which is one less thing for opposing defenses to worry about. “They’re not afraid of Quinn taking off with it,” a coordinator said.

Duggan has been more accurate (66 percent completion rate) than Ewers (57.8 percent), but Duggan had similarly lower accuracy in his first year. A head coach attributes Duggan’s success this season in part to TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

“Max is playing his best football, and that’s because of Garrett,” he said, noting that when Duggan was a freshman he was “very inaccurate, but still tough. Garrett’s got him to where they’re throwing the ball a lot better.”

Ewers is an asset in the downfield passing game because of his talent, but it can be hit-or-miss.

“The vertical balls, he just throws ‘em up and lets his guys run under them,” a coordinator said. “There’s not any precision in his passing. The kid has a really strong arm but his accuracy is not what (Duggan’s) is down the field.”

Don’t be surprised if either quarterback faces a good bit of defensive heat. A coordinator said both offensive lines have shown themselves to be susceptible to creativity from defensive fronts.

“I don’t think either one of those offensive lines handles movement well,” a coordinator said. “When you start moving the front, from communication to passing things off, they all struggle with it.”

Star receivers

Texas and TCU each boast a top-flight No. 1 receiver. Longhorns sophomore Xavier Worthy leads the Big 12 with nine touchdown catches and Horned Frogs junior Quentin Johnston looks like a future NFL Draft pick.

Johnston’s health is in question: He missed virtually the entire Texas Tech game with an ankle injury and didn’t practice until midweek. Worthy, whose speed makes him an elite deep threat, can cause problems for opposing secondaries.

“The advantage for Texas is they’re going to get some single coverage, and if that’s (against) Worthy, (TCU) is going to have a hard time covering him,” a head coach said. “He can flat out fly.”

Devote too much attention to Worthy, though, and the Longhorns can make opponents pay with other options. Multiple coaches praised junior receiver Jordan Whittington for his polish as a receiver and his blocking ability in the run game. Sophomore tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, a former five-star, is what one head coach termed “an absolute freak.”

“Sanders plays with a chip on his shoulder,” a head coach said. “He’s got some nastiness to him. I think he’s the guy that really brings an edge to that offense.”

If Johnston can’t go, TCU will miss his size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) and ability on the outside. But TCU is not lacking for perimeter weapons with Derius Davis, Taye Barber and Savion Williams.

“(Davis) has got damn jets attached to his shoes,” a coordinator said. “He continuously runs by people.”

Davis is also a major special teams factor. He returned a punt for a touchdown in the win against Texas Tech and is the school’s all-time leader in the category. “He’s a difference-maker,” a head coach said.

“They have the best collection of speed in the five skill positions on offense of anybody in the league,” a staffer said.

Tight end Jared Wiley, a 6-foot-7 Texas transfer, is seeing increased playing time. In the Horned Frogs’ first three games, he had 26 or fewer snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He has had 30 or more snaps in five of their past six games.

New-look defenses

Coaches see Texas’ defensive line as its strength. The depth is significant — “they’re able to roll about eight dudes through there,” a staffer said — and opponents have noticed their size and strength.

Improved linebacker play, led by the emergence of junior Jaylan Ford, has made a difference for the Longhorns. Ford leads the Big 12 with 82 tackles and has made multiple key plays this season, particularly an end zone interception against Iowa State that shifted momentum.

“Ford has played beyond expectations,” a staffer said. “He’s really talented.”

The secondary garnered less praise, with multiple coaches calling it an area to exploit.

“Secondary-wise, we didn’t think they were world beaters,” a head coach said. “We felt like we could throw the ball on them.”

Said a staffer: “They’re OK. They can get exposed a little bit there. I think they play not to get beat at times.”

Overall, a head coach called them “definitely better” on defense, attributing some of that improvement to being in the second year of the same scheme under defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.

TCU has a first-year coordinator in Joe Gillespie, who moved to a 3-3-5 alignment, a fresh look after years in a 4-2-5 under former coach Gary Patterson, who is now a special assistant to Sarkisian at Texas.

Adapting the personnel can be a challenge, especially up front, but finding an emerging star at nose tackle in freshman Damonic Williams has helped. Williams, a 2022 recruit from California, is 6-2, 320 pounds, has started every game this season and turned 18 on Sept. 4.

“Holy hell, that guy is a true freshman?” a staffer said. “He’s mauling dudes. … For a guy that young to be able to step in as early as he did is impressive.”

Senior defensive lineman Dylan Horton is someone who “can give you trouble,” a head coach said. “You have to make sure you know where he is.”

TCU’s linebacker play has been solid, coaches said, but the Horned Frogs will be without starter Dee Winters for the first half because of a targeting call in the second half of their win against Texas Tech. Sophomore Shadrach Banks, who signed with Texas A&M as a receiver before transferring and transitioning to linebacker at TCU, is likely to start in his place.

A staffer called Banks “super athletic, but very green at the position.”

Like Texas, coaches see the TCU secondary as potentially vulnerable. Senior corner Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, the nephew of LaDainian Tomlinson and a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, is athletic and skilled, but his 5-9 stature makes him a target.

“He’s a good player, twitchy, sticky in coverage, but if you have any length or bulk on the outside, you can (throw) on him,” a staffer said.

Multiple coaches complimented Josh Newton, the junior corner who starts opposite Hodges-Tomlinson. “He’s better than we thought,” a staffer said.

Under Gillespie, TCU’s defense has done a solid job of attacking the edges and fitting gaps in run defense, a staffer said.

“They know who they are,” a staffer said. “You can get some matchups on them out of empty (formations) especially. But they play together, they play hard and they run to the football.”

Gary Patterson’s impact?

Patterson’s presence on the Longhorns sideline is a storyline because he spent 22 years leading the Horned Frogs before he was fired a year ago.

How much will it factor on game day, and is it an advantage for Texas?

“No, because the scheme is totally different from whenever he was there,” a head coach said.

One staffer said that Patterson’s biggest value is during the week in helping with preparation. Patterson doesn’t wear a headset on the sideline during games, so it’s not like he’s calling the defense.

Multiple coaches said they see a marginal influence schematically from Patterson. “They do some stuff coverage-wise that you can tell he’s been a part of,” a head coach said. But Patterson’s familiarity with TCU’s roster will be the most valuable asset.

“He’ll have an in-depth knowledge of the personnel, but that’s a brand new offensive coordinator,” a staffer said. “It’s not like he hasn’t faced (Riley), but I think that’s a factor that TV media will blow out of proportion.”

Going to the wire?

So how will the game unfold? Sarkisian’s opening 20-play script could set the tone.

“They do a great job of formationing the defense, making you adjust to unbalanced formations, formations to the boundary,” a coordinator said. “Those are the key things that people really struggle from a defensive standpoint with. If you don’t adjust the right way, they’re going to have success in the run game.”

A staffer said Sarkisian has given the Longhorns “the best motion game of anybody.”

Expect TCU to mix in some up-tempo when the matchups are favorable and to be more deliberate when they aren’t. Like Texas, the Horned Frogs do a good job of getting the ball on the perimeter to their speedy skill position players, whether through bubble screens, jet sweeps or other quickly developing plays.

Riley does a good job of mixing his attack from sideline-to-sideline to going downfield vertically to keep defenses off-balance, a staffer said. Duggan’s running ability adds another layer.

Oddsmakers have the Longhorns as roughly a touchdown favorite, and one head coach agrees.

“Texas is Texas. They’ll be the most talented team on the field,” the coach said. “It’s just is TCU gonna play harder than Texas?

“Being at home, College GameDay, all that stuff, I think that’s gonna play a big part.”

If the Horned Frogs can weather the atmosphere early, it could lead to a dramatic finish.

“Can they play even football for a quarter, quarter-and-a-half?” a staffer said. “If so, it’s going to the wire. If not, I think Texas has a comfortable win.”

 

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HtownHorn

HtownHorn 14762

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Hookem2147 said:

Poster on IT claiming Jamison is out tomorrow with an injury he suffered in practice.

He kinda walked it back. Said he heard from team sources that Jamison was hurt, but not sure if it would cause him to miss the game.

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ShowmeyourTDs

ShowmeyourTDs 1141

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5 hours ago, nnm said:

Off to Israel for 12 days. Game time will be 2:30 am locally, so I’ll miss it. Biggest regular season game for the frogs in a long, long time. Bigger than Utah in the 2010 (Rose Bowl) season, bigger than any game in the 2014 (Peach Bowl) season. 

Go Frogs beat the Horns. 

See y’all on the other side of the game. 

No worries, you can watch frogs lose on YouTube later.

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WBT

WBT 20652

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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Hookem2147 said:

Patterson’s presence on the Longhorns sideline is a storyline because he spent 22 years leading the Horned Frogs before he was fired a year ago.

How much will it factor on game day, and is it an advantage for Texas?

“No, because the scheme is totally different from whenever he was there,” a head coach said.

One staffer said that Patterson’s biggest value is during the week in helping with preparation. Patterson doesn’t wear a headset on the sideline during games, so it’s not like he’s calling the defense.

Multiple coaches said they see a marginal influence schematically from Patterson. “They do some stuff coverage-wise that you can tell he’s been a part of,” a head coach said. But Patterson’s familiarity with TCU’s roster will be the most valuable asset.

“He’ll have an in-depth knowledge of the personnel, but that’s a brand new offensive coordinator,” a staffer said. “It’s not like he hasn’t faced (Riley), but I think that’s a factor that TV media* will blow out of proportion.”

*and surly

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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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Dude, I was just asking questions....
I'm in for the redshirt freshman ripping Duggan's face off.

You are asking the wrong questions. Let me help you:

How many yards does Bijan rush for? Answer: 1,000,000.

How many TCU cheerleaders does RoJo get pregnant at halftime? Answer: all of them.

How many touchdown passes does QE throw: infinity.
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Duane Moore

Duane Moore 5248

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19 hours ago, TexasBeta said:

Shame on the previous downturn at Texas for making this more of a game than it should be.. that being said, I expect Texas to put a beatdown on those roaches. As they said in the 80's 

"Rugged as the land, They came Swiftly, with Vengeance, To Restore order to the Southwest"

 

image.jpeg

That turned out to be a fairly meh team, but that poster was badass and hung in my freshman dorm room.  McWilliams went 5-0 against TCU, which is probably why I never developed any negative impression of them, they were just an afterthought.  

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