FOW Trial Post: Peach Bowl Recap and Looking Forward

Manager's note: This week, we will be publishing trial posts from our FOW finalists. With over 60 applicants, thanks to those who sent an email. This piece is by Rebecca Murphy; enjoy!

Walking into the Peach Bowl it was obvious that the frogs were far outnumbered by Ole Miss fans. Two thirds of the stadium was red, while a mere third was purple. But on New Year’s Eve the frog football team proved that numbers and size didn’t matter.

The media had talked the game up, stating that it was the TCU offense to look out for, but that the Ole Miss defense would be nearly unstoppable. But by the end of the first half the frogs had the game well in hand, and didn’t let up until the clock ran out. The frog offense scored a whopping 42 points against the defense that was considered the best in college football. To put things into perspective, the frog’s 42 points equaled 25 percent of all of the points scored on the Ole Miss defense all year.

The game started with a dynamic frog trick play. Boykin faked down the field and then threw to Listenbee who threw to Aaron Green who was waiting in the end zone to start the frogs off with a touchdown. As expected, the big problem for the Ole Miss team was keeping up with the fast-paced football that the Big 12 is known for. With their no-huddle plays, the TCU offense gave the Ole Miss defense very little time to think. By the end of the first quarter the score was 14 to 0 and the frogs continued to score 14per quarter until the fourth quarter. Ole Miss managed to score 3 points off of a field goal in the last quarter, keeping the game from being a total blowout, but at that point the game was already won. TCU fans continued to cheer until the very end, especially when Coach Patterson took Boykin out to give the second string quarterback some practice. The TCU offense had done what it came to do.

We can’t forget the TCU defense though, which was so underrated compared to the Ole Miss defense when the game started. With something to prove, the TCU defense allowed only 13 yards by the Ole Miss offense all game. The starring moment for the TCU defense wasn’t their allowance of only 13 yards, but rather a Pick-six that happened in the Ole Miss end zone. Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace had been off his game all day, and was struggling in the very back of his own end zone when he tried a pass which was picked off by TCU defender, James McFarland for yet another TCU touchdown.

It was obvious that the frogs felt they had to prove to the committee that they were gypped by not being placed in the top four, and they did just that by annihilating Ole Miss. While every frog was happy that they came out with such a dynamic win, there is still a chip on everyone’s shoulders about not being picked for the top four. With this in mind, everyone was anxiously awaiting the spring game which was the first time the frogs would be seen playing since their amazing win, and they did not disappoint.

Students and families packed the stands for the spring game, which showed new plays, new players and most excitingly: new uniforms. Boykin, Doctson, and Green were all interviewed during spring training and fans got to see just how amped up the team was for the next season. The game was well organized with every play already planned, and everyone got to see that the frogs were up for the challenge of the coming football season. When Coach Patterson was done running plays, he addressed the crowd directly. He thanked everyone for coming out to support the team, and asked that everyone join the team on the field for the unveiling of the new uniforms. Everyone rushed the field for the first time since TCU became the 2014 co-Big 12 champs, and TCU did not disappoint. As the uniforms were revealed, fireworks were set off, and smoke poured out of the entrance to the field.

Although frog fans still have a few more months to wait until their beloved team takes the field for real, it is hard to cap the excitement that comes with the anticipation of the new season. The team and fans alike have their sights set on being not only Big 12 champs, but the overall champion as well. If they continue to play like they did in the Peach Bowl, other teams may find that the dynamic frogs are nearly impossible to beat.