TCU Football: What Did We Learn From The Texas Game
What looked like early on would be a route finished with the best effort the TCU Horned Frogs have shown this season since Week One. While ultimately, the game still ended with a loss on the record, the good that can be taken from this game is all that matters. There is not much to take away from the game, with only two games remaining on the schedule, but there are a few things that I want to break down that can be taken away overall.
Sonny Dykes arguing with the refs
Brian McClean, On Assignment Photo/KillerFrogs
The Negatives
Play Calling
Stop me if you have heard this before this season, but it was another game where the Red Zone offensive play calls were downright horrendous. In the second quarter of the game, on a 3rd and two at Texas's 4-yard line, Kendal Briles decided to call a fade route. Rather than call this play on the 2nd and 6, he deemed it a better play call on a third and short within the five-yard line. The Horned Frogs have struggled all season in the Red Zone, with a few turnovers, but essentially, the issue has been the play calling. The second half was better, but this was one of the games where TCU needed to be at its best and not just the second half.
The Refs
This is not even a biased fan take; winning a game against a top-10 team in the country is hard, let alone when you have to play said team and the refs. Multiple fans of both teams involved in the game complained about the officiating, and honestly, it was one of the worst called games I have seen this season.
The Positives
The Defense
The defensive side of the ball deserves its flowers for their performance. TCU has been the only team this season to hold the Longhorns to under 30 points for a whole game. There have been times when fans have complained about the defense, myself included, but they did everything they could to make this a winnable game.
Savion Williams
Before the season, I believed Savion could be this year's QJ. He has the size and speed to be his replacement, but we never saw it happen. Finally, against Texas, we saw his breakout game eventually occur. Williams finished with 11 catches for 164 yards and a touchdown on the day, all-season highs. This could be the breakout game he needed to become the number-one receiver on an offense desperately looking for a primary target.
While the loss stings, this was the most fight the team has shown, which hopefully will roll over into next week. The Horned Frogs have their last home game of the season against their rivals, Baylor, on Saturday. If TCU can win this game, the season won't be a total failure, but if Briles fails to put up points against a weak defense, TCU might be looking for a new coordinator after the game.
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