TCU vs. Jackson State: Keys to the Game

How many times today can we say that college football is back? A lot. Forgive us if we’re excited, but it’s been a long time since we’ve had TCU football. Of course, it’d be nice if the Frogs were facing some bigger, better team to open the year, but we’re here, and it’s Jackson State.

Jackson State isn’t good. There’s really no way around that. However, TCU still needs to show up and execute, to prevent a disastrous start to the season. If the Frogs minimize mistakes, and execute like they should, this game won’t be close. So, instead of a traditional “keys to the game,” here are a few things I’d like to see from the Frogs tonight.

Kenny Hill playing catch

Hill admittedly put too much pressure on himself in 2016, as he tried to be perfect every play. In 2017, he needs to work on just getting the ball to his receivers and not worrying too much about everything else.

This is a perfect game to get that trend going. He needs to make his reads, and make good decisions with the ball.

Backup RBs getting work

With Kyle Hicks a little banged up, this is the perfect time to get Sewo Olonilua and Darius Anderson more time on the field. Both are explosive, so getting them comfortable in the new-ish offense is really beneficial moving forward. It’ll be interesting to see how much playing time Snell gets too.

Young talent getting reps

Shawn Robinson, Jalen Reagor, Kennedy Snell, Corey Bethley, Dennis Collins, and possibly George Ellis should all get plenty of reps in this game, if everything goes according to plan. It’ll be fun to see all these freshman getting some game experience, as most of them (sans Robinson and Ellis) are probably going to be called upon to step up in games later this season.

Ross Blacklock show out

I am so excited to see Blacklock step on the field tonight and (hopefully) absolutely dominate Jackson State’s interior OL. The kid is massive, and by all accounts is a total beast. He’s the anchor this defensive line needs, and if he gets rolling early, hopefully he can carry it into future weeks.

A swarming defense

I’m very excited about the potential on defense this season. With as bad as Jackson State’s offense is, my hope is to see the D pitch a shutout. Get to the ball quickly, force turnovers, make big plays. With everyone healthy, the defense should hit the ground running this year.