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The TCU football team suffered a tough home loss this past weekend, falling 42-34 against SMU and conceding over 300 rushing yards to the Mustangs. With Big 12 Conference play kicking off this weekend, TCU will look to bounce back and continue its trend of success against the Longhorns in hopes of avoiding consecutive losses.
Here are five things to know for Saturday morning’s matchup between TCU and Texas.
Every score from the Texas Tech game in one convenient video pic.twitter.com/yEIyTDdXv4
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 27, 2021
1. The Longhorns hung 70 on Texas Tech
Texas’ early-season loss against Arkansas may not be a fluke, with the Razorbacks appearing to be a legit team after defeating Texas A&M and the Longhorns firing back with a 70-35 win over Texas Tech. Casey Thompson, who was benched earlier in the season, threw for 303 yards and five touchdowns against the Red Raiders, while Bijan Robinson compiled 137 rushing yards and averaged 7.6 yards per carry. Xavier Worthy shined on the outside for Texas, catching five balls for 100 yards and three touchdowns.
Texas is now reportedly set to be without Josh Thompson vs. TCU. https://t.co/WdDZQLiF3t
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) October 1, 2021
2. The Longhorns will be without a key defensive starter
Cornerback Josh Thompson will not play against TCU on Saturday due to a concussion, depleting a Longhorn secondary that will contend with Quentin Johnston and other Horned Frog pass catchers this weekend. Thompson has been steady on the outside for Texas, allowing only four catches on seven targets this season. The senior returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of the win over Texas Tech.
TCU football could get much-needed defensive reinforcements for the Texas game https://t.co/oGt2QsA6Md
— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) September 29, 2021
3. Reinforcements are on the way for TCU
Head coach Gary Patterson said he thinks defensive end Khari Coleman will make his season debut against the Longhorns on Saturday. Patterson added there’s a chance that cornerback Noah Daniels will play. He also mentioned defensive tackles Corey Bethley, George Ellis and Soni Misi as players who could be in the lineup this weekend. The defensive support will be much needed after TCU’s defense was gashed for 595 yards of total offense in the loss against SMU, with 350 yards coming on the ground.
TCU is Texas' first Big 12 road trip since announcing move to SEC. Says TCU's Max Duggan: “We’re not really focused about what’s going on behind it. We’re going out there to play a football game. ... It's a big game. We better be ready.” https://t.co/JDRrvnBneM
— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) September 29, 2021
4. The Horned Frogs are 7-2 against Texas since joining the Big 12
TCU has fared well against the Longhorns since 2012, falling only two times and outscoring Texas 266-165 during that span. The Horned Frogs have won back-to-back matchups, scoring over 30 points in each of those games. Texas has employed four different head coaches (Mack Brown, Charlie Strong, Tom Herman and Steve Sarkisian) throughout the series with TCU, with Patterson remaining the constant at the helm.
A few keys going into tomorrow's TCU-Texas game ... Frogs and Longhorns are both averaging 200-plus yards on the ground. https://t.co/aG5Btqoi5h
— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) October 1, 2021
5. The Horned Frogs are... not so good around the Texas game
Patterson was frustrated with TCU’s Twitter posting information about the Texas game during the SMU week. Perhaps that irritation was warranted, as the Horned Frogs are now 2-8 in games before Texas week and 3-6 in games after Texas week. Coincidence or not, TCU will need to buck those trends if the Horned Frogs want to rise up and reclaim their place as one of the elite football programs in the Big 12 once again.