TCU Football: Keys to the Game, Week 1

Saturday, No. 17 TCU hosts Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes. Here are the keys to Horned Frogs' success ahead of the highly-anticipated game.

Play clean football:

"Play clean football." That was the message from Sonny Dykes at Tuesday's press conference. It may sound simple, but in his second year at TCU, Dykes stands by and continues to stress the fundamentals of the game.

Regarding what Dykes expects on Saturday, he said, "You want to see an offense that can execute at a high level, that doesn't have busts, where we know our assignments, you want to take care of the football."

While much of the defense remained intact since last season, the offense has been subject to massive alterations. With the departures of skill position players, there are many young players that, perhaps, are not yet proven at this level, including a fresh running back and receiving core and new pieces along the offensive line.

Chandler Morris talks excitement about offense.#TCU #TCUFootball #Big12 pic.twitter.com/sw9a21y794
— Ian Napetian (@ian_napetian) August 29, 2023

Dykes said, "You want to see a good clean game from a concentration standpoint. You don't want to have false starts, you don't want to have penalties. You don't want to do things that will make it hard on you."

The team's veterans will be vital throughout the season with such a young offense. Brandon Coleman and Andrew Coker remain on the offense line, with Jared Wiley providing a veteran presence in the receiving core.

Entering his second season with TCU, Wiley said, "Last year I didn't have a great camp… but this year I'm a known leader. That's just me practicing harder than what I did last year, doing more in the film room, whatever it takes to get those younger guys up to the standard."

Win the physicality battle:

While Dykes and his coaching staff have done all they can to prepare their squad, Colorado remains an unknown entity. The Buffaloes have added 86 new players to their roster, not to mention the numerous hirings at coaching positions and the personnel level. So, how do you go to war against a team you don't truly understand? Well, control what you can control, and, according to Dykes, be physical.

Dykes insisted Saturday's game will be decided on the physicality front. For a team that is no stranger to the Texas heat, TCU will look to take advantage of a solid summer and fall camp.

Saturday's temperature is slated to reach a high of 100ºF, which, believe it or not, is cooler than recent weeks in Fort Worth. With that in mind, this TCU Football team is no stranger to the Texas heat. Not to say it will be easy for the team to cope with the heat on Saturday, but they will be much more experienced and equipped to handle the conditions.

At Tuesday's press conference, Dykes said, "The big thing for us is that we're going to have to play really physical. I think that's going to be one of the most important things in this ballgame… whether it's our running backs picking up blitzers [or] wide receivers blocking upfield."

On that same note, Chandler Morris added, "We're physical, and our receivers are doing a great job of being great without the football."

Protect Chandler Morris:

Just about a year ago, Morris sustained an injury in week one at Colorado that would sideline him for the early portion of the season. While the rest is history, a year later, the message remains the same–protect Morris at all costs.

As it has been made clear by now, the Horned Frogs offense has seen an abundance of change from skill players to offensive linemen. Alan Ali and Steve Avila are two of last season's linemen who are now pursuing careers in the NFL. While TCU has filled those holes and accounted for depth, the offensive line remains one of the most overlooked yet essential parts of the offense.

Sonny Dykes says Chandler Morris is "more established... more confident" heading into 2023.#TCU #TCUFootball #HornedFrogs #Big12 pic.twitter.com/9xc9QwbUrT
— Ian Napetian (@ian_napetian) August 29, 2023

Colorado, a team that likes to blitz, will not tolerate Morris staying and having time in the pocket. Therefore, while Morris must hang in there and hold his ground, he must show the confidence to step up and leave the pocket when needed.

Protecting Morris doesn't solely depend on the offensive line, but the running backs as well. Dykes explained that the running backs will have to pick up on blitzes from a Colorado defense that is unafraid to commit players.

Tune in on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 11 a.m. as the Horned Frogs will kick off their 2023 season against the Colorado Buffaloes.

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Visit Buffs Beat, Colorado's FanNation site, to see what they are saying about the upcoming game with TCU.