Frogs O' War - No. 6 TCU vs. Kansas State: Everything you need to knowThe #1 TCU Athletics blog on the internet!https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50293/fow-fav.png2017-10-13T16:58:04-05:00http://www.frogsowar.com/rss/stream/162382652017-10-13T16:58:04-05:002017-10-13T16:58:04-05:00TCU vs. Kansas State: Picks to Click
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<figcaption>Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Keep an eye on these players against West Virginia. </p> <p id="nHLO69">TCU has had a multitude of players step up in big situations throughout the season. From Ben Banogu, to <span>Darius Anderson</span>, to <span>Ranthony Texada</span>, big players have made big plays. Here are the picks to click for this Saturday against Kansas State. </p>
<p id="jJf3GW"><strong>1. </strong><span><strong>Chris Bradley</strong></span><strong> | DT</strong></p>
<p id="rxWnAl">Bradley has quietly put together a fantastic season. Of course, he’s been overshadowed by Banogu, <span>Ross Blacklock</span>, and <span>Corey Bethley</span>, but Bradley has recorded an interception, and a blocked kick so far this season. I think he steps up again this weekend to wreak havoc in Kansas State’s backfield. He’s been the beneficiary of playing alongside great defensive linemen, but that shouldn’t detract from the fact that he’s also been very, very good through five games this season. </p>
<p id="MqVXL3"><strong>2. </strong><span><strong>Kyle Hicks</strong></span><strong> | RB</strong></p>
<p id="KYrYVC">In Hicks’ second game of the season (SMU), he ran the ball 11 times for 84 yards in the first half before he had to leave the game with an injury. This is, once again, Hicks’ second game back from missing a game with injury, and I have high hopes for a first-half repeat (minus the injury). With all the talk about <span>Darius Anderson</span>, Hicks still has the ability, when healthy, to take over a football game. </p>
<p id="8sw36M"><strong>3. </strong><span><strong>Nick Orr</strong></span><strong> | S</strong></p>
<p id="PAUIB4">Orr had an interception against West Virginia on Saturday, his second of the season. He’s also TCU’s second-leading tackler on the season with 31. On the flip side, Orr has also been the victim of a few big plays. He got caught on a trick play against SMU, and was the coverage guy on West Virginia’s longest touchdown of the afternoon last week, but he’s been mostly solid in coverage this season. I think he gets his third pick of the year on Saturday against Kansas State, and makes a few good stops in coverage. </p>
<p id="mXKVd3"><strong>4. </strong><span><strong>Kenny Hill</strong></span><strong> | QB</strong></p>
<p id="vR9izW">Hill’s stat line on Saturday against WVU wasn’t the greatest, but he did what the Frogs needed him to do to get the win. The trifecta of touchdowns on Saturday, and his general performance all season, makes Hill kind of an obvious pick to click, but here we are. He’s the guy that makes this whole thing go, and against a good Kansas State defense, I think he shows us exactly what he’s capable of doing. </p>
https://www.frogsowar.com/2017/10/13/16469632/tcu-vs-kansas-state-picks-to-click-kenny-hill-kyle-hicks-chris-bradley-nick-orrJamie Plunkett2017-10-13T16:31:22-05:002017-10-13T16:31:22-05:00TCU vs. Kansas State: Keys to the Game
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<p>How can TCU move to 6-0? Here are a few ways</p> <p id="PkM4zC">TCU looks to get to 6-0 on Saturday when they square off against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas. The Wildcats aren’t who we all thought they were, i.e. Big 12 Championship contenders, now that they’ve lost a close game to Texas. Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re someone TCU can overlook. It’s never an easy task to wander into KSU territory and come away with a W, but the Frogs have the upper hand, with Kansas State’s QB, Jesse Ertz, injured. </p>
<p id="oTpKK6"><strong>1. Stop the Run</strong></p>
<p id="V8uWQc">With Ertz injured, Kansas State will start backup quarterback Alex Delton. Delton has only attempted five passes on the season, completing two of them for 30 yards. He has, however, run for 104 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Couple that with lead back Alex Barnes’ 5.1 yards per carry, and Kansas State has a decent running threat. Of course, Ertz was also the team’s leading rusher, but it appears as if Delton’s legs are a threat as well. </p>
<p id="Ud786s">If TCU can force Delton to beat them through the air, the Frogs may have a good shot at keeping Kansas State’s offense one dimensional, and very beatable. </p>
<p id="mD5Yhb"><strong>2. Establish the Run/Play Action</strong></p>
<p id="xaMsFk">Kansas State is probably the best defense against the run that TCU has faced yet this season. They’re allowing 3.6 yards per carry, and just 129 yards on the ground per game. TCU’s ground game struggled somewhat against West Virginia, even though the Frogs finished with 170 rushing yards on the day and two rushing touchdowns. That 170 yards was about 60 yards below their season average to that point, and they were facing a rush defense in the Mountaineers that had allowed significant rushing yardage to that point. </p>
<p id="qjnGFa">This can be credited to WVU’s 3-3 front, which has always given TCU difficulty, as well as some of the blitzes West Virginia threw at TCU’s offensive line. You can bet that Kansas State has been watching that film, and has some defensive strategies in place to try and stifle TCU’s running game in a similar manner. </p>
<p id="Ku40Ua">But, we saw how critical the running game is to TCU’s offense on Saturday. They need to establish it early on Saturday, to help open up the passing game for Kenny Hill. Obviously, losing Patrick Morris was a big blow to the offensive line, but the unit, now with a game under its belt, is hopefully better prepared to block in the running game. </p>
<p id="zjGFwz"><strong>3. Don’t give up big plays</strong></p>
<p id="k9GziY">TCU’s defense has given up touchdowns of 86, 76, 64, 61, 58, 49, and 34 yards this season. While it seems they’re susceptible to the big play (one of those TDs was a trick play), it’s something they need to work on moving forward. </p>
<p id="SCArm7">Kansas State’s offense isn’t exactly “explosive,” but they still managed an 82 yard touchdown pass against Texas last week, and had several big plays against their non-conference foes not named Vanderbilt. TCU should be working to making KSU a one-dimensional passing offense on Saturday, and if they buckle down in the secondary then Kansas State’s offense hopefully won’t be able to do much. </p>
<p id="KQOy3W"><strong>4. Win by one</strong></p>
<p id="WCZGay">Weird things happen in Manhattan. In 2015 TCU went into Manhattan as the No. 2 team in the country, looking like a playoff darling with Heisman hopeful Trevone Boykin. Aaron Green snapped off a huge touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, and from there, 3-2 Kansas State dominated the first half. It took everything TCU had to come back and grind out a win, despite being huge favorites. </p>
https://www.frogsowar.com/2017/10/13/16469626/tcu-vs-kansas-state-keys-to-the-gameJamie Plunkett2017-10-13T12:30:02-05:002017-10-13T12:30:02-05:00Wizards, Wildcats, and Wily Veterans: TCU and Kansas State Square Off
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<figcaption>Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Frogs hope to avenge their worst loss of a season ago as they travel to Manhattan to take on the Wildcats.</p> <p id="5UNee2">Next stop on the TCU Revenge Tour: The Little Apple. In my opinion, the Frogs will try and avenge the most embarrassing loss of the 2016 campaign.</p>
<p id="GorZA0">Kansas State will be without veteran QB Jesse Ertz Saturday, but that doesn’t mean that TCU can overlook the Wildcats. With redshirt sophomore Alex Delton under center, the Cats offense is still dangerous, especially on the ground. The KSU defense is a top unit in the conference as well, surrendering just 20 points and less than 400 yards per game. </p>
<p id="fAl6yA">Let’s take a closer look.</p>
<p id="Rod9ir"><strong>OFFENSE: </strong></p>
<p id="zH2M6l">Newly inserted starting QB Alex Delton replaces Jesse Ertz, and while he is a dynamic athlete, he isn’t as accomplished throwing the ball as Ertz. Delton has 11 career passing attempts with five completions after going 2-5 against Texas last week. He’s dynamic in the ground game though, as he torched a solid Longhorns front for 79 yards on 12 carries with a pair of scores in directing them to Double OT. Snyder vacillated between his two QBs through overtime, but at that point, it was Delton’s show. Behind Delton are running backs Justin Silmon and Alex Barnes, neither of who have gotten going so far in 2017. The pair have combined for 71 carries and just under 400 total yards. With Ertz out of the lineup and no real backup at QB, expect the backs to get a much heavier load against the Horned Frogs.</p>
<p id="7ofCye">When Delton does drop back to pass - and even with Ertz, the Cats were averaging only 21.5 attempts per game, the lowest by far of any team in the conference, he will have a couple intriguing targets to throw to. Former walk-on Dalton Schoen had a huge game against Texas, while Isaiah Zuber (20 receptions, 227 yards, and two TDs) and Byron Pringle (7-174-1) haven’t really gotten going so far. Pringle torched TCU a season ago with six catches for over 100 yards and a score.</p>
<p id="JMJjam">The offensive line has been good, the Cats average over five yards per carry and have allowed just eight sacks on the year. But with the running ability of the two QBs, that’s to be expected.</p>
<p id="2AvGJa">It’s a fascinating matchup between the conference’s #3 rushing attacking and it’s #1 rush defense. The Wildcats are one of the worst offenses in the Big 12, barely beating out Baylor in total yards per game but they’re still averaging over 35 points per game.</p>
<p id="fv9y2f"><strong>DEFENSE:</strong></p>
<p id="AWDaz7">The Kansas State defense is the same as always; efficient, steady, and not prone to beating themselves. They are number two in scoring defense in the conference, number two in total defense, and the Big 12’s best against the pass (of course, they haven’t really played a good passing team in 2017). They have an excellent secondary that allows just 226 yards per game, and they’ve hauled in 5 picks and accumulated 19 PBUs already.</p>
<p id="1dF191">DJ Reed, Kendall Adams, and Duke Shelley are all really good players for the KSU secondary, but the defensive ends have yet to record a sack and the linebacking unit is a weakness. The Cats don’t have an elite pass rusher and haven’t played a strong running game yet, so they will be tested against the Frogs’ elite rushing attack.</p>
<p id="xgbg4M">Leading tackler Trent Tanking is a 6’2” junior linebacker, weighing in at 225 pounds. He doesn’t have the speed to keep up with the Frogs shifty wide receivers, so it will be interesting to see what kind of routes Sonny Cumbie employs with his slot guys. I would also expect to see a lot of jet sweeps, screens, and the like, trying to get guys in space and dare the Cats to try and tackle them. Tanking pairs up with another senior, 6’2” Jayd Kirby, who clocks in at 222 pounds, and was initially a Kansas commit out of Navarro Junior College.</p>
<p id="WSZfdd"><strong>SPECIAL TEAMS:</strong></p>
<p id="BTFsWS">Always a strength for Bill Snyder’s team, the Cats will look to their special teams unit to make the momentum shifting play Saturday morning. With kicker Matthew McCrane leading the charge (he’s 10-13 on field goals this year with a long of 54, and punter Nick Walsh off to a strong start as well (average of 42 yards, long of 58, one touchback, 11 fair catches, and seven downed inside the 20), the kicking game is strong. </p>
<p id="vN6HRs">DJ Reed is averaging more than 16 yards per return in the punt game and double that on kick returns. He has a punt return touchdown and a long of 96 on kick returns. Kick it deep, Cole Bunce.</p>
<p id="oEcOsf"><strong>Predictions:</strong></p>
<p id="ol46al">You look at the stats and the metrics and the line and you think ‘TCU should be just fine Saturday’. But you look at the history of these two teams, the track record of Bill Snyder, and acknowledge that the Wildcats won’t make a lot of mistakes and won’t beat themselves, and it becomes a very scary game on the road.</p>
<p id="ODUaPc">TCU has more talent at a couple key positions - namely QB, RB, and WR. But the K State defense is really good, and the burden will be on the Frogs’ offense to not make mistakes and not turn the ball over. TCU’s defense will have a heavy task against the running attack of the Cats, especially Alex Delton, who is slippery as a runner and shows good patience in identifying and attacking the hole. </p>
<p id="AleiB9">I think it’s an even matchup in a lot of ways, but ultimately, TCU prevails by a score of 31-24.</p>
https://www.frogsowar.com/2017/10/13/16463192/wizards-wildcats-and-wily-veterans-tcu-and-kansas-state-square-offMelissa B. Triebwasser2017-10-12T12:30:02-05:002017-10-12T12:30:02-05:00Magic in Manhattan? A Q&A with Bring on the Cats
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<figcaption>Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Luke Thompson was kind enough to answer a few questions ahead of the Frogs’ morning matchup with Kansas State.</p> <p id="PyiwBq">Bring on the Cats is our excellent sister blog on the SB Nation platform, covering Kansas State Athletics exceptionally throughout the year. The exceptional Luke Thompson was kind enough to answer some questions (sent out before last night’s news of Ertz’s injury broke) heading into this weekend’s big game. Give Luke a follow on twitter @AhearnAlley and check out the K State side of things at www.bringonthecats.com.</p>
<p id="mLNGWf"><strong>Melissa Triebwasser:</strong> There are questions about Jesse Ertz’s health and if he will be able to go Saturday. What’s your best guess as to who is taking snaps for the Fighting Snyder’s?</p>
<p id="f4cOaK"><strong>Luke Thompson:</strong><em> Since you sent this question to me before the reports about Jesse Ertz missing this Saturday and possibly even 4-6 weeks came out, let me address those first. I find it very curious that the main KSU beat writers have all been silent thus far, and even the site that first broke the news (Matt Hall on </em><a href="http://kstateonline.com/"><em>kstateonline.com</em></a><em>) hasn't really promoted it at all. As for the guy who reported Ertz will be out for a while, he's from DFW and it's not at all clear how he would have access to inside info. So I'm taking all of this with a huge grain of salt for now and I would not be all that surprised if Ertz can go Saturday.</em></p>
<p id="FsobtN"><em>That being said, anyone watching the TCU game could see Jesse was not right. One of our writers on Bring on the Cats even suggested Jesse pulled himself out because he knew he couldn't hit those huge holes, but Alex Delton could. That seems unlikely, but plausible. If Ertz can't run at least close to full speed, that's basically a death blow to the K-State offense, so for that reason I'm going with Delton as the starter on Saturday.</em></p>
<p id="Z2DJhu"><strong>MT:</strong> If Alex Delton gets the call, is he a capable enough passer to test TCU’s veteran, but big play prone secondary?</p>
<p id="wTXIP6"><strong>LT:</strong> <em>The short answer here is no. It seems like K-State's coaches don't really trust Alex to throw the ball much, and it's not that hard to see why. His passes do not generally look good. He can throw very hard, but accuracy and touch are major issues. Then again, if he only needs to connect on one play vs. TCU's defense, maybe this can work out. Just don't expect lightning to strike too often.</em></p>
<p id="UwEaUU"><strong>MT:</strong> The Cats absolutely dominated TCU on the ground a season ago in Fort Worth, but the Frogs' defense has become one of the best in the country in 2017. Will K State be able to move the ball on the ground Saturday, especially if Ertz can't go, and what are the keys to that being successful?</p>
<p id="8bqkmI"><strong>LT:</strong> <em>Hang on, I'm going to go back to look at the box score and watch some highlights from that game...ahhh, what great memories. I miss that offense. Wait, those are the same guys as this season? Really?</em></p>
<p id="QQtxey"><em>Well, obviously Jesse's not the same runner right now, and Justin Silmon has 12 carries for 61 yards in three games this year, compared to 22 for 133 against TCU. Delton is too fast and shifty to not do some damage with an extra blocker against a normal defense, but if the Horned Frogs have watched any film of him at all they'll load the box with 8 or 9 guys and probably be good enough to mostly shut down any running lanes. That would be a problem for starting running back Alex Barnes, too, and he hasn't looked great all season anyway. So I guess the major key to a successful run game would be to show some semblance of a passing attack, which means actually catching the ball as well. At least that got a little better last week, but this is still by far the worst passing offense in the Big 12.</em></p>
<p id="0DmbHV"><strong>MT:</strong> In the Texas game, a good Kansas State secondary struggled defending UT's massive wide receivers. The Frogs don't have any real freaks, size wise, on the outside - do you expect them to be able to limit TCU's passing attack defensively?</p>
<p id="BdxOIR"><strong>LT:</strong> <em>I honestly think this is the best matchup for K-State's defense against the TCU offense. Yes, the Frogs are fast and I'll be holding my breath any time KaVontae Turpin catches the ball in the open field. But DJ Reed has dynamic speed, too, and safety Kendall Adams continues to show a terrific ability to make plays. Cornerback Duke Shelley is another guy who can generally handle speed and tackle smaller receivers well. If the Frogs create some matchups where linebackers are trying to cover receivers, then look out, but I have a lot of faith in the K-State secondary and the Big 12's best pass defense in terms of both yards and efficiency, even after Sam Ehlinger threw for 380 yards.</em></p>
<p id="m2S5fH"><strong>MT:</strong> Dalton Schoen burst onto the scene against Texas as a wide receiver. Did he just have a magical game or is he a true #1?</p>
<p id="7NjPRb"><strong>LT:</strong> <em>With all due respect to Dalton Schoen because he's a great story as a walk-on sophomore, if he's a true #1 then Kansas State's passing attack is in even worse shape than we think. Full credit to him for taking advantage of the opportunity and he might have the best hands on the team to go with some decent breakaway speed, as the Texas and Central Arkansas defenses found out on a pair of 70+ yard touchdown passes.</em></p>
<p id="pdQiD8"><em>Thanks to those two plays he leads Kansas State in receiving yards and he made some other nice catches too, but I still want to see more from other guys. The 'Cats' original #1, Byron Pringle, has imploded, and inconsistencies have plagued explosive guys like Dominique Heath and Isaiah Harris. Isaiah Zuber leads the team with 20 catches (almost twice as much as anyone else) and has shown some nice athleticism, but the real story here is that K-State does not have anything close to a true #1. I miss Tyler Lockett so much.</em></p>
<p id="xs63yo"><strong>MT: </strong>The Wildcats have been pretty good defensively, but might be a little banged up heading into Saturday's contest. Can they slow down a Horned Frogs' offense that has been one of the most efficient in the country?</p>
<p id="RaXKug"><strong>LT:</strong> <em>Despite my faith in the pass defense, the fact that TCU thrives in the running game does not bode well. The defensive line isn't nearly what it was last year with Big 12 co-Defensive Player of the Year Jordan Willis, and the linebackers are the clear weakness for this defense. That's especially bad news against an offense with a dual-threat quarterback like Kenny Hill (see: Sam Ehlinger's 107 rushing yards last week) and unless you count Vandy's Ralph Webb this defense really hasn't gone up against a quality running back yet.</em></p>
<p id="T9rdcL"><strong>MT:</strong> For K State to beat TCU, what needs to go right? If the Frogs prevail, what has gone wrong? What is your prediction for the game?</p>
<p id="6SwEna"><strong>LT:</strong> <em>This is probably going to seem like a cliched answer for Kansas State fans, but the 'Cats likely will need a big play or two from their excellent special teams units. DJ Reed's 62 yard punt return against Central Arkansas is still the only special teams touchdown of the season since he came up 4 yards short on the opening kick return in that game, so it really seems like they're due. Obviously, Kansas State also needs to do enough through the air to keep the TCU defense honest, even if that means connecting on just a couple deep passes in man-to-man coverage.</em></p>
<p id="Kdh1OA"><em>If the Frogs win, it will probably mean they were able to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and control the clock with an effective running game, a strategy Wildcat fans know quite well. Things could get really ugly if you combine that with a Kansas State offense unable to move the ball through the air and stop TCU from loading the box.</em></p>
<p id="m4vN5O"><em>I think back at home, we'll see a renewed energy from Kansas State and hopefully a game plan to take better advantage of some talented running backs who haven't done a whole lot this season. Assuming Alex Delton is in the mix, a run-heavy offense with some simple passes thrown in could easily keep this one close, but TCU just looks a little too strong right now. I'll reluctantly take the Frogs, 31-27.</em></p>
<p id="OLt2BB"><strong>MT</strong>: Bill Snyder is a living legend in college football and celebrated his 78th birthday last Saturday. How much longer do you think he stays at the helm of the Cats? Do you have a dream scenario for who you would like to follow him?</p>
<p id="IqJtqI"><strong>LT:</strong> <em>Bill Snyder will coach forever, or at least until he wins another Big 12 title. I don't know. When you have a coach who retired once, had the stadium named after him, and then returned to celebrate his 78th birthday on the sideline, it seems kind of silly to guess when he's going to call it a career, you know?</em></p>
<p id="ArluTI"><em>As for who I'd like to follow him, a lot of K-State fans say Brent Venables, and obviously that would be a pretty solid option given the reputation he's established at Clemson and his history as a player and then an assistant for six years at KSU. Then again, perhaps the best and most realistic dream scenario is a genius young coordinator who no one's really heard of yet. After all, that was basically the description of Bill Snyder when he came to Manhattan.</em></p>
<p id="enNjel">Thanks again to Luke, and here’s to a fun, injury-free game, and hopefully a TCU win!</p>
https://www.frogsowar.com/2017/10/12/16464394/magic-in-manhattan-a-q-a-with-bring-on-the-catsMelissa B. Triebwasser2017-10-11T19:55:02-05:002017-10-11T19:55:02-05:00#PintsandPods Goes Live: JT and Melissa Preview K State
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<p>Listen live and call in with your questions.</p> <p id="0r1qSS">Jamie is sick tonight, so JT joins Melissa on a live show to preview K State. We will talk #PickstoClick, matchups to watch, and take your questions. Listen here and call in (657) 383-1932</p>
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https://www.frogsowar.com/2017/10/11/16462642/pintsandpods-goes-live-jt-and-melissa-preview-k-stateMelissa B. Triebwasser