21 takeaways from TCU’s 44-31 win over Oklahoma State

What a huge win for the Frogs. TCU went into Stillwater and (for the most part) shut down a potent Oklahoma State offense, while flashing their power ground game and offensive line.

Be sure to read Melissa’s recap of the game here.

Here are some takeaways from Saturday’s win over No. 6 Oklahoma State.

• TCU was not intimidated in the least. They went into Stillwater with swagger, played that way the entire game, and came away with the W. The OSU fans were a non-factor for most of the game as well, as TCU’s offense and stellar defense gave them little to cheer about for most of the game.
• Melissa and I got asked on the podcast last week if TCU’s defense was Big 12 title worthy. I think the answer is yes. Through OSU’s first three games they averaged 54 points, 607 yards, and 8.5 yards per play. Against TCU, the Pokes scored 31 points, had 499 yards of offense, and 6.8 yards per play.
• TCU’s secondary was phenomenal on Saturday. Mason Rudolph completed just 54% of his passes. Yes, he still had 398 yards, but he’s going to get his. TCU’s back five (really in this game, seven or so) did everything they needed to do to get the W.
• Major shoutout specifically to Jeff Gladney and Tony James. Neither has seen a ton of playing time so far this season, and both came up with big plays. Their speed was a difference maker in this one.
• Gladney and James stepped up with Julius Lewis out. Patterson told the media after the game that Julius Lewis is out for the year, after suffering an injury in practice this week. So, Gladney and James will continue to see a ton of playing time moving forward. If today is any signal, they’re going to be ok.
• TCU’s ground game was dominant. Darius Anderson led the way with 26 (TWENTY SIX) carries for 160 yards and three touchdowns, including the dagger TD on a 42-yard run with just over 2:30 left in the game. The Frogs ran the ball 52 times, compared to 33 pass attempts for Hill.
• TCU dominated time of possession. The Frogs held the ball for 38:22 to Oklahoma State’s 20:26. This was a result of the running game, sure, but it’s also a testament to TCU’s defense being able to get Oklahoma State off the field.
• Anderson also had four catches for 41 yards. We hadn’t seen that kind of versatility from him through the first three games, but he stepped into the role well. It was good too, because there were a couple of times where Kenny Hill was in trouble, and Anderson helped him out.
• Speaking of Kenny Hill, he had a good day, minus one play. The running game took a lot of pressure off of him in this one, and he went 22/33 (66.7% completion pct) for 228 yards and a touchdown. He did have one bad interception, which he threw off his back foot, but again, he did what he needed to do today.
• I thought Nick Orr had an especially good game today. People will remember the interception on the OSU double pass, but he was fantastic in coverage today.
• TCU’s offense still has a lot to clean up. They fumbled the ball multiple times today, but managed to get back on it every time. They caught those bounces today, and have in the first several weeks, but it’s dangerous to rely on lucky bounces the rest of the way.
• Ranthony Texada had a tall task today. He was mostly responsible for covering James Washington today, and while Washington had 6 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown, a ton of that came on Washington’s 86 yard TD catch. Texada didn’t let Washington get past him for the rest of the game, which meant that he got some stuff underneath and in the intermediate.
• This may be TCU’s best defensive line ever. Ben Banogu, L.J. Collier, and Mat Boesen all had sacks today for the Frogs. Meanwhile, Collier and Chris Bradley both had interceptions (wut). Ross Blacklock was everywhere against the run, and Corey Bethley jumped on the fumble forced by Banogu in the first half. Not to mention, great work by Ty Summers filling in for Boesen in the first half. He held his own and got pressure on Rudolph multiple times.
• KaVontae Turpin the returner showed up at the right time. With TCU’s lead cut to 37-31 late, OSU opted to pooch kick to Turpin, which is a questionable call from the start, and is exceptionally questionable with under four minutes remaining in the game. He returned it to the OSU 48, setting TCU up in great position to run the game out.
• The Frogs continue to be great on third downs. TCU was 11-for-18 on third down today, including Anderson’s final touchdown dash. They’re converting on third downs a crazy 64% of the time this season.
• TCU won the turnover battle. The Frogs forced four turnovers, while only giving the ball up twice. Good bounces, and an upheld touchdown call helped this cause, but TCU’s defense is looking more and more like Patterson defenses of old.
• Jaelan Austin made an appearance. He only had one catch, but it was a monster reception for 43-yards, during which he dragged an Oklahoma State cornerback about 25 yards down the field.
• Emmanuel Porter struggled a bit. Eight TCU players caught passes on Saturday, but Porter wasn’t one of them, despite being targeted four times. He had a really bad drop in the endzone on a great pass from Hill, and it seems like other guys are continuing to stay ahead of him on the depth chart.
• TCU allowed a 100 yard rusher for the first time this season. But their run defense still looked solid. It took Justice Hill 25 carries to get 102 yards, and on the day TCU allowed just 3.3 yards per carry.
• The offensive line had another great game. They got hit with a few penalties in the fourth quarter, but for the majority of the game the front five maintained their composure. They gave Hill a clean pocket to work from, and once again they opened up great running lanes for Anderson.
• TCU is 4-0. It’s really all you can ask from a team after four games this season, and TCU has accomplished it. Big road wins at Fayetteville and Stillwater should signal to the rest of the conference that this team won’t be intimidated on the road. Now, the Frogs get a nice bye week, before hosting West Virginia on October 7th.