Baylor came to Fort Worth tied in its century-long series with TCU, but well ahead of the Frogs in self-image. The perennially rebuilding Bears hoped to compete manfully with the fourth-ranked Frogs, calling TCU a "step up" from its last opponent, Buffalo. TCU, which beat Baylor in 2006 and '07 by the combined score 44-7, quietly sent the Bears back to Waco nursing their worst loss ever at the Horned Frogs' hands.
In fact, it was TCU's best showing since the Frogs' celebrated takedown of Utah last November.
The Horned Frogs came out red hot, and knocked Baylor off its game plan about halfway through the first quarter (according to Coach Briles). Andy Dalton was as good—perhaps better than—he's ever been, beating a team with his arm for the first time this year. The senior rushed only four times, tallying 26 yards in those efforts. He did not throw an incompletion before first connecting eleven times with seven different receivers for 156 yards and a touchdown. On the game, Dalton passed for 13 first downs, three coming on third or fourth down.
Ed Wesley is making a case for being the most productive, but least heralded, recruit on the roster. He had the game of his career, so far, with 165 yards on only 19 touches. Perhaps Jeremy Kerley upstaged the sophomore, tallying 204 yards (49 on four rushes, 69 on 6 receptions, and 84 in four punt returns).
Baylor did not convert a third down until the second half. The Frogs' defensive line made mincemeat of the Bears' line, sacking Robert Griffin three times, and rendering the Bears' running game a non-entity (99 yards and no scores). The Frogs' back seven thoroughly stymied Griffin, racking up 29 tackles.
Perhaps the play of the game was Greg Burks freight-train block on a punt return, spring Jeremy Kerley for a 50-yard return. The hit was similar to Tanner Brock's play during the SMU game last season, only not helmet-less.
Winning so dominantly, the Frogs have put the Mountain West on notice: tread into the Carter at your own risk; it is every bit as forbidding in 2010 as it was in 2009.