TCU Football - Tori's Thoughts: Hoover Faces Tough First Test, BYU Fans Using Tailgate to Serve DFW
Another wrench was thrown into TCU’s season when quarterback Chandler Morris went out with a sprained MCL against Iowa State. Josh Hoover stepped in and will get his first start against a BYU program that is familiar with Power 5 competition.
Heading into this week’s game, I decided to take a look at the offense under Hoover, the mark BYU has made nationally over the past few years, and a community service initiative run by BYU alumni that will benefit the Fort Worth community.
Josh Hoover will be the starting quarterback for TCU in the Week 7 game against BYU.
Tony Beblowski/KillerFrogs
Josh Hoover Takes Over
With Morris out for at least a few weeks, redshirt freshman Hoover is taking over the reins at quarterback. Hoover played admirably given TCU trailed 17-7 and had very little momentum when he stepped in during the third quarter against Iowa State.
The playbook didn’t seem to shrink too much with Hoover in. He moved around well when the pocket collapsed and hit a couple of receivers on the run. Some of the incompletions, including a well-thrown corner fade in the end zone, bounced off the receivers’ hands.
Watching the highlights again, there are signs Hoover, who has thrown 23 passes at the college level, is an inexperienced quarterback. He dropped the first snap and threw an interception on the second drive. Even after settling down, some of Hoover's completions came by staring down the first read in his progression.
That’s understandable, but as teams prepare specifically for Hoover that first option will be taken away.
Sometimes when an inexperienced quarterback is thrust into a starting role midseason, the offense changes. Short, quick passes to the outside are very common because they are harder to cover. This moves the ball, gives the quarterback confidence, pulls up the defense, and can open up downfield shots. Hoover looked comfortable throwing intermediate to deep passes, at least in a small sample size, and TCU could lean into that. However, if the Horned Frogs use a lot of short passes against BYU, that would not be surprising.
Changing quarterbacks is hard on the receivers too. They have gotten used to catching passes with a different delivery speed and velocity. A week of practice will help, but drops and miscommunications are very likely to occur.
Hoover is also going to face unfamiliar defensive schemes and fronts. BYU will try to put him in uncomfortable situations and force mistakes. How quickly Hoover picks up on and adjusts to defensive changes will go a long way in determining TCU’s success.
BYU is No Stranger to Power 5 Competition
BYU has quietly built a nationally competitive program since leaving the Mountain West Conference and going independent in 2011.
The Cougars have not competed for a College Football Playoff spot, but they have notched several notable wins over Power 5 programs. Head coach Kilani Sitake was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award in 2020 and 2021.
BYU posted a 29-9 record over the past three seasons, including double-digit wins in 2020 and 2021. The 2021 season featured wins over Arizona, USC, #18 Utah and #19 Arizona State. BYU beat Baylor and Stanford last season, too.
In 2020, BYU did not have an opportunity for a Power 5 win because of scheduling limitations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cougars still went 11-1 and beat opponents by an average score of 43-15.
That team had five players drafted into the NFL, headlined by quarterback Zach Wilson who is currently starting for the New York Jets. Another four players were drafted from the last two teams. Wide receiver Puka Nacua has made headlines recently as one of the Los Angeles Rams' top pass catchers.
BYU's current offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia is projected to be drafted in the early rounds of the 2024 draft. Suamataia did not allow a sack in 361 pass block snaps last season and earned Second Team Freshman All-American Honors from The Athletic.
Quarterback Kedon Slovis is another Cougar eyeing next spring’s NFL draft. The transfer from Pitt has been solid with 1,240 passing yards, just under 60 percent completion, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Injuries have slowed down Slovis after a freshman year at USC in 2019 featuring a 72 percent completion rate, 3,502 yards, 30 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. (BYU beat Slovis and the #24-ranked Trojans that season.)
Consistently seeking out Power 5 opponents has benefited BYU early in their inaugural Big 12 season. The Cougars 4-1 start is highlighted by a 38-31 non-conference road win against Arkansas. BYU did drop its Big 12 opener 38-27 at Kansas but had the lead going into halftime.
BYU Fans Turn Tailgating Into Community Service
If you visit the BYU tailgate this Saturday, be sure to bring some new bedding. The Cougars are collecting bedding, pillows, sheets, blankets, mattress pads, and comforters as part of a bedding drive benefitting Action Alliance International. The campaign, called “A Good Night Sleep”, will provide bedtime essentials for refugees in the DFW area through World Relief Texas and Catholic Charities Fort Worth. The tailgate is at Trinity Park, just off University Drive. A truck will be at the tailgate to collect items, or donations can be made through a Walmart registry.
The community service project is run by the BYU Alumni “Cougs Care” program and has been a tradition since 2019. A road trip to Tennessee became an opportunity for a coat and food drive benefitting the Knox Area Rescue Ministries. Since then, the Cougars fans and alumni have found ways to serve each town their team visits.
As part of this project, BYUtv and BYUradio’s podcast air inspirational stories about the opposing school. The television stories will feature TCU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the university’s interfaith initiatives. The radio shows will highlight basketball walk-on Darius Ford and the Davey O’Brien Foundation. Ford started a non-profit while in high school to help kids budget money, and the Davey O’Brien Foundation has given out more than $1 million in scholarships.
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Visit Cougs Daily, BYU's FanNation site, to see what they are saying about the upcoming game with TCU.
