Picking corn out of my teeth after celebrating the Frogs' win over Iowa State, while preparing to enjoy a bye week before the Red Raiders of Texas Tech invade Cowtown ...
Nobody ever said that an exciting football game had to be a pretty football game offensively.
And nobody ever said that an ugly football game offensively couldn't count as a win for the home team.
As a result, on Saturday, September 29, the TCU Horned Frogs managed to avoid being a Big 12 cellar-dweller for a second consecutive week by virtue of a less-than-stellar, last-second 17-14 win over Iowa State in Amon G. Carter Stadium (Midnite had predicted a 27-13 TCU win).
With the win, the Frogs improved to 3-2, 1-1 in the Big 12.
With the win, TCU also avoided losing three straight games for what would have been only the second time during the 18-year tenure of head coach Gary Patterson.
Jonathan Song secured the win for the Frogs with a 28-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the game. The kick made him four-of-five on the season and 12-of-13 in his career.
Patterson was so relieved that he and the Frogs got a win after two tough, consecutive losses (to Ohio State and Texas), and three consecutive games away from home, that he penned a song after the game. Listen here.
After his Cyclones experienced the disappointing loss to TCU, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell was less enthusiastic about being in Fort Worth, and he expressed his feelings in a song. Listen here.
Song's winning kick was set up by a nine-play, 36-yard drive by the Frogs, with the final two plays before Song's winning kick being run without TCU starting quarterback Shawn Robinson on the field.
After a one-yard run to the 10-yard line, Robinson was met hard by Iowa State safety Greg Eisworth. Robinson laid on the turf for several minutes, tended to by several members of the TCU training staff and checked on by Patterson. Robinson eventually was helped to his feet and immediately led to the TCU locker room.
There has been no official word on Robinson's status. Speculation is that he may have sustained a significant left shoulder injury that could cause him to miss at least some of the Frogs' next game, against Texas Tech, on Thursday, October 11, if not several games. Robinson initially may have hurt his shoulder earlier in the season, possibly in the SMU game, when he took a hard hit and was seen being tended to by trainers on the TCU bench.
Interestingly, when Robinson left the game, he was not replaced by backup quarterback Michael Collins. Instead, the Frogs ran two Wildcat plays, with running back Sewo Olonilua lining up in a shotgun formation and taking direct snaps from center.
Both defenses dominated at times during the tough, bruising battle, with neither team scoring in the first quarter and the score tied at seven at halftime. In addition to Robinson, TCU starting receivers KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Reagor left the game with injuries. Several Cyclones also were tended to during the game. Iowa State starting running back David Montgomery left the game with an arm injury that reportedly could cause him to miss playing time.
The Horned Frogs and Robinson continued their turnover trend Saturday night. The Cyclones intercepted Robinson once and recovered fumbles by Robinson and tight end Artayvious Lynn. The interception was Robinson’s fifth of the year and his eighth turnover of the season. TCU has turned over the football 10 times in their last three games.
The Frogs recorded their first turnover in the past three games. Just 49 seconds into the third quarter, safety Innis Gaines blitzed and knocked the football from the hands of Iowa State quarterback Zeb Noland. TCU defensive end Ben Banogu scooped up the football and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown. The score put TCU into the lead, 14-7.
The fumble return for a touchdown was Banogu's first career score. It was TCU's second fumble return for a touchdown this season. Linebacker Alec Dunham returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown at SMU. The Horned Frogs have 42 non-offensive touchdowns over the last nine seasons.
In addition to forcing the fumble, the third of his career, Gaines had his first sack of the season. He has a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss on the season.
Linebacker Garret Wallow reached double digits in tackles for the second consecutive game, tying his career high with 11 stops, which he first accomplished last week at Texas. Wallow also had his second sack of the season.
Defensive end/linebacker Ty Summers had a season-high nine tackles, moving him into third place on TCU's career tackles list in the tenure of Patteson. Summers' 296 stops only trail former teammate Travin Howard (343, 2014-17) and Jason Phillips (315, 2005-08).
L.J. Collier recorded a career-high five tackles, topping his previous best of four, which he reached on three previous occasions and most recently last week at Texas.
Corey Bethley tied his season and career high with five tackles. He previously had five stops at SMU earlier this year.
Against Iowa State's defense, the TCU offense managed only 299 total yards (117 rushing and 182 passing) and one touchdown. Robinson completed 21 of 29 passes, with one touchdown, a 10-yarder to receiver Taye Barber in the second quarter, which tied the game at seven, after both teams failed to score in the first quarter.
Olonilua was TCU's leading rusher against the Cyclones. He had 66 yards on 16 carries. Darius Anderson had 42 yards on 16 carries. Robinson had a net of only 12 yards, on 13 carries. He was sacked once, during which he lost a fumble.
Iowa State's offense only accumulated 198 total yards (119 rushing and 79 passing). Noland completed 14 of 28 passes, with one touchdown, a three-yarder to tight end Charlie Kolar in the second quarter that gave the Cyclones a 7-0 lead.
Montgomery was Iowa State's leading ball carrier. He ran the ball 21 times for 101 yards, including an one-yard TD run with less than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 14 and set the stage for the dramatic win by the Horned Frogs on the kick by Song.
After enduring a tough, three-game grind, the Frogs have a few extra days before their next game, which is a Thursday night (October 11) affair against Texas Tech (3-2, 1-1 Big 12). Kickoff is at 6:30 pm Central, with the game to be broadcast by ESPN.
The game will feature the Big 12's best defense against one of the league's best offenses.
Allowing only 304 yards per game, TCU has the Big 12's top total defense. The Frogs also have the league's best pass defense, allowing only 178 yards per game. TCU is allowing nearly 126 yards per game rushing, which ranks fourth in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs are limiting opponents to converting just 30 percent (21-for-70) of their third-down opportunities, which is third-best in the league.
As usual, Texas Tech has a high-powered, air-raid offense. The Red Raiders are averaging nearly 408 yards through the air per game. They are one of two teams in the country averaging more than 400 yards per game through the air. Washington State is the other team. The Cougars are coached by former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach.
Tech is scoring an average of 48.4 points per game. The Red Raiders scored 77, 63 and 41 points in wins over Lamar, Houston and Oklahoma State, respectively. They scored 34 and 27 points in losses to West Virginia and Ole Miss, respectively.
Ironically, it was TCU's game last year against Tech, in dusty, windy, vulgar, Godforsaken Lubbock, on November 18, when Robinson made his first career start at quarterback for the Horned Frogs. He started and played the entire game because starting quarterback Kenny Hill was injured. Robinson led TCU to a 27-3 victory, keeping the Frogs in contention for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game -- a goal they eventually realized.
Prior to that game, the last true freshman to start at quarterback for TCU was Casey Printers, on September 25, 1999, at Arkansas State, a 24-21 Horned Frogs’ win. Patterson was in his second year as TCU’s defensive coordinator.
In last year's game against Tech, Robinson completed six of 17 passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. He ran the ball 10 times for 84 yards, and, in what apparently was a preview of things to come, lost a fumble.
Now, for the second time in as many years, the Frogs may have to send their backup quarterback up against the Red Raiders. But this time, the game will be played within the friendly confines of Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Texas Tech will be as rested as the Frogs for the Thursday night game. The Red Raiders also have a bye on Saturday, October 6. And they, too, may be starting a backup quarterback.
In their 42-34 loss to West Virginia in Lubbock this past Saturday (September 29), the Red Raiders lost their starting quarterback, freshman Alan Bowman of Grapevine, who in the second quarter was hit hard by two West Virginia blitzers and suffered a partially collapsed lung. Backup quarterback Jett Duffey, a sophomore from Mansfield, Texas, replaced Bowman, who had to be hospitalized. Duffey may be Tech's starting quarterback against TCU.
In recent years, dramatic endings have determined the winner of the game between the Horned Frogs and Red Raiders.
In 2015, in Lubbock, the Frogs beat Tech 55-52, thanks to the "Immaculate Deflection Reception" in the end zone by running back Aaron Green, after a Trevone Boykin fourth-and-goal pass in the waning seconds of the game deflected off the hands of wide receiver Josh Doctson.
In 2016, in Fort Worth, Tech kicked a game-ending field goal in double overtime to win 27-24.
This year, in Cowtown, there's a good chance that any dramatics may have to be provided by starting quarterbacks who actually are backup quarterbacks.
And nobody ever said that an ugly football game offensively couldn't count as a win for the home team.
As a result, on Saturday, September 29, the TCU Horned Frogs managed to avoid being a Big 12 cellar-dweller for a second consecutive week by virtue of a less-than-stellar, last-second 17-14 win over Iowa State in Amon G. Carter Stadium (Midnite had predicted a 27-13 TCU win).
With the win, the Frogs improved to 3-2, 1-1 in the Big 12.
With the win, TCU also avoided losing three straight games for what would have been only the second time during the 18-year tenure of head coach Gary Patterson.
Jonathan Song secured the win for the Frogs with a 28-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the game. The kick made him four-of-five on the season and 12-of-13 in his career.
Patterson was so relieved that he and the Frogs got a win after two tough, consecutive losses (to Ohio State and Texas), and three consecutive games away from home, that he penned a song after the game. Listen here.
After his Cyclones experienced the disappointing loss to TCU, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell was less enthusiastic about being in Fort Worth, and he expressed his feelings in a song. Listen here.
Song's winning kick was set up by a nine-play, 36-yard drive by the Frogs, with the final two plays before Song's winning kick being run without TCU starting quarterback Shawn Robinson on the field.
After a one-yard run to the 10-yard line, Robinson was met hard by Iowa State safety Greg Eisworth. Robinson laid on the turf for several minutes, tended to by several members of the TCU training staff and checked on by Patterson. Robinson eventually was helped to his feet and immediately led to the TCU locker room.
There has been no official word on Robinson's status. Speculation is that he may have sustained a significant left shoulder injury that could cause him to miss at least some of the Frogs' next game, against Texas Tech, on Thursday, October 11, if not several games. Robinson initially may have hurt his shoulder earlier in the season, possibly in the SMU game, when he took a hard hit and was seen being tended to by trainers on the TCU bench.
Interestingly, when Robinson left the game, he was not replaced by backup quarterback Michael Collins. Instead, the Frogs ran two Wildcat plays, with running back Sewo Olonilua lining up in a shotgun formation and taking direct snaps from center.
Both defenses dominated at times during the tough, bruising battle, with neither team scoring in the first quarter and the score tied at seven at halftime. In addition to Robinson, TCU starting receivers KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Reagor left the game with injuries. Several Cyclones also were tended to during the game. Iowa State starting running back David Montgomery left the game with an arm injury that reportedly could cause him to miss playing time.
The Horned Frogs and Robinson continued their turnover trend Saturday night. The Cyclones intercepted Robinson once and recovered fumbles by Robinson and tight end Artayvious Lynn. The interception was Robinson’s fifth of the year and his eighth turnover of the season. TCU has turned over the football 10 times in their last three games.
The Frogs recorded their first turnover in the past three games. Just 49 seconds into the third quarter, safety Innis Gaines blitzed and knocked the football from the hands of Iowa State quarterback Zeb Noland. TCU defensive end Ben Banogu scooped up the football and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown. The score put TCU into the lead, 14-7.
The fumble return for a touchdown was Banogu's first career score. It was TCU's second fumble return for a touchdown this season. Linebacker Alec Dunham returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown at SMU. The Horned Frogs have 42 non-offensive touchdowns over the last nine seasons.
In addition to forcing the fumble, the third of his career, Gaines had his first sack of the season. He has a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss on the season.
Linebacker Garret Wallow reached double digits in tackles for the second consecutive game, tying his career high with 11 stops, which he first accomplished last week at Texas. Wallow also had his second sack of the season.
Defensive end/linebacker Ty Summers had a season-high nine tackles, moving him into third place on TCU's career tackles list in the tenure of Patteson. Summers' 296 stops only trail former teammate Travin Howard (343, 2014-17) and Jason Phillips (315, 2005-08).
L.J. Collier recorded a career-high five tackles, topping his previous best of four, which he reached on three previous occasions and most recently last week at Texas.
Corey Bethley tied his season and career high with five tackles. He previously had five stops at SMU earlier this year.
Against Iowa State's defense, the TCU offense managed only 299 total yards (117 rushing and 182 passing) and one touchdown. Robinson completed 21 of 29 passes, with one touchdown, a 10-yarder to receiver Taye Barber in the second quarter, which tied the game at seven, after both teams failed to score in the first quarter.
Olonilua was TCU's leading rusher against the Cyclones. He had 66 yards on 16 carries. Darius Anderson had 42 yards on 16 carries. Robinson had a net of only 12 yards, on 13 carries. He was sacked once, during which he lost a fumble.
Iowa State's offense only accumulated 198 total yards (119 rushing and 79 passing). Noland completed 14 of 28 passes, with one touchdown, a three-yarder to tight end Charlie Kolar in the second quarter that gave the Cyclones a 7-0 lead.
Montgomery was Iowa State's leading ball carrier. He ran the ball 21 times for 101 yards, including an one-yard TD run with less than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 14 and set the stage for the dramatic win by the Horned Frogs on the kick by Song.
After enduring a tough, three-game grind, the Frogs have a few extra days before their next game, which is a Thursday night (October 11) affair against Texas Tech (3-2, 1-1 Big 12). Kickoff is at 6:30 pm Central, with the game to be broadcast by ESPN.
The game will feature the Big 12's best defense against one of the league's best offenses.
Allowing only 304 yards per game, TCU has the Big 12's top total defense. The Frogs also have the league's best pass defense, allowing only 178 yards per game. TCU is allowing nearly 126 yards per game rushing, which ranks fourth in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs are limiting opponents to converting just 30 percent (21-for-70) of their third-down opportunities, which is third-best in the league.
As usual, Texas Tech has a high-powered, air-raid offense. The Red Raiders are averaging nearly 408 yards through the air per game. They are one of two teams in the country averaging more than 400 yards per game through the air. Washington State is the other team. The Cougars are coached by former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach.
Tech is scoring an average of 48.4 points per game. The Red Raiders scored 77, 63 and 41 points in wins over Lamar, Houston and Oklahoma State, respectively. They scored 34 and 27 points in losses to West Virginia and Ole Miss, respectively.
Ironically, it was TCU's game last year against Tech, in dusty, windy, vulgar, Godforsaken Lubbock, on November 18, when Robinson made his first career start at quarterback for the Horned Frogs. He started and played the entire game because starting quarterback Kenny Hill was injured. Robinson led TCU to a 27-3 victory, keeping the Frogs in contention for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game -- a goal they eventually realized.
Prior to that game, the last true freshman to start at quarterback for TCU was Casey Printers, on September 25, 1999, at Arkansas State, a 24-21 Horned Frogs’ win. Patterson was in his second year as TCU’s defensive coordinator.
In last year's game against Tech, Robinson completed six of 17 passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. He ran the ball 10 times for 84 yards, and, in what apparently was a preview of things to come, lost a fumble.
Now, for the second time in as many years, the Frogs may have to send their backup quarterback up against the Red Raiders. But this time, the game will be played within the friendly confines of Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Texas Tech will be as rested as the Frogs for the Thursday night game. The Red Raiders also have a bye on Saturday, October 6. And they, too, may be starting a backup quarterback.
In their 42-34 loss to West Virginia in Lubbock this past Saturday (September 29), the Red Raiders lost their starting quarterback, freshman Alan Bowman of Grapevine, who in the second quarter was hit hard by two West Virginia blitzers and suffered a partially collapsed lung. Backup quarterback Jett Duffey, a sophomore from Mansfield, Texas, replaced Bowman, who had to be hospitalized. Duffey may be Tech's starting quarterback against TCU.
In recent years, dramatic endings have determined the winner of the game between the Horned Frogs and Red Raiders.
In 2015, in Lubbock, the Frogs beat Tech 55-52, thanks to the "Immaculate Deflection Reception" in the end zone by running back Aaron Green, after a Trevone Boykin fourth-and-goal pass in the waning seconds of the game deflected off the hands of wide receiver Josh Doctson.
In 2016, in Fort Worth, Tech kicked a game-ending field goal in double overtime to win 27-24.
This year, in Cowtown, there's a good chance that any dramatics may have to be provided by starting quarterbacks who actually are backup quarterbacks.
That turn of events in itself may prove to be dramatic.
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