Still dreaming about TCU's win over Kansas State, while preparing to watch on TV in Fort Worth the Horned Frogs' game this Saturday against West Virginia ...
Hey, wake up!
That monotonous, sleep-inducing November 3rd TCU-Kansas State game in Fort Worth mercifully ended. The Frogs prevailed, by TCU head coach Gary Patterson's magical "one point," 14-13 (Midnite had predicted a 23-17 TCU win).
The defensive-minded Patterson, of course, has for years been fond of saying that all the Horned Frogs need to do is score one more point than their opponent.
TCU's much-needed win motivated Patterson to pen a song after the game. Listen: here
The confounding, one-point loss caused Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder to also pen a song. Listen: here
No, the victory wasn't a dream.
But, magical it was.
Even if the game was about as exciting as watching Patterson hitch up his pants and tie his shoes a hundred or so times a game.
Oh, wait a minute. In this instance, keeping an eye on Patterson and his in-game antics actually was more exciting than watching the game.
Even counting sheep would have been more exciting!
If not for a missed point-after-touchdown kick by Kansas State kicker Blake Lynch, the score would have been tied at 14 about midway through the fourth quarter. And, as inept as both offenses were on this particular Saturday afternoon, the game might still be going.
Which, of course, might not have been all that bad, especially if it meant the Frogs would have been able to cancel their trip to Morgantown to play the highly ranked West Virginia Mountaineers this Saturday (November 10). But, that's another story.
A final score of 14-13 would seem to indicate that a defensive battle ensued between the Frogs and Wildcats in Amon G. Carter Stadium.
So, after the game, the Big 12 Conference, being ever so vigilant about its national image, quickly distributed a press release. The Conference disputed claims that the conference's member schools were reverting back to the days of old, when stout defenses ruled and won games, instead of wildly imaginative offenses that set off fireworks and light up scoreboards, much to the delight of today's millennial spectators, who evidently, according to the way-too-early holiday TV and print ads, also find delight, and magic, in something Starbucks calls a Peppermint Mocha.
As evidence that high-powered offenses are still in vogue, the Big 12 referenced the 27, 31, 35, 41, 42, 46 and 51 points (an average of 39) scored by seven other Big 12 teams in the other four conference games played on Saturday (November 3). It was the conference's bottom three schools -- TCU (14 points), Kansas State (13 points) and Kansas (3 points) -- that lowered the conference's Saturday scoring average to 30.3 points per team.
Despite the Horned Frogs being 112-5 under Patterson when allowing 17 points or less, defenses are not supposed to win ballgames in the fast and furious Big 12.
These days, however, TCU is forced to rely on its defense. The K-State victory is the first time TCU has won when scoring 14 points since a 14-10 victory in 2009 over Clemson, in a game that was played in a driving rain storm. Offensively, TCU is averaging a touchdown less in points this season (26.6), compared to 33.6 points last season.
After injuring and knocking Kansas State starting quarterback Skylar Thompson out of the game early in the first quarter, TCU's defense held Kansas State to 301 yards of offense. The Wildcats got 162 yards through the air and a net of 139 yards on the ground, with running back Alex Barnes grinding out 102 yards on 23 carries.
In holding Kansas State to two touchdowns, TCU's defense recorded 80 total tackles, its most since a 96-tackle effort against Texas Tech in 2016. The Frogs limited the Wildcats to a 5-of-16 mark on third-down conversions, and TCU recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass.
Linebacker Jawuan Johnson tied for TCU's team lead with 10 tackles. It's the third consecutive game he's either set or equaled a TCU career-high in stops. Johnson also had his first fumble recovery as a Horned Frog and the fourth of his career.
The Horned Frogs equaled a season-high with four sacks (they also had four sacks against SMU and Texas Tech). Defensive end L.J. Colier had two sacks and set a career-high eight tackles, including a career-best four tackles-for-loss.
TCU's oft maligned secondary also feasted on the mangy Wildcats.
Cornerback Jeff Gladney set a career-high with 10 tackles, including a career-best three tackles-for-loss. He had his first career sack and forced fumble on the same play. He now has 105 career tackles. Safety Ridwan Issahaku had his first sack of the season and third of his career. Cornerback Julius Lewis had four tackles. Safety Vernon Scott made his first career start ad tied his career high with eight tackles, matching his total at Texas earlier this season. Safety Markel Simmons had his first interception of the season and second of his career.
Simmons' interception came on a play that began when K-State holder Colby Moore mishandled a snap on what was to be a field goal attempt by Lynch late in the first half. After dropping the snap, Moore evaded a rushing Gladney and lobbed a desperation pass into the end zone for fullback Adam Harter. Simmons intercepted.
The botched field goal attempt and a fourth-quarter missed extra point kick by Lynch proved crucial in the game.
The Horned Frogs' defensive performance overshadowed the fact that the narrow win was Michael Collins' first victory as a starting quarterback for the Frogs. His first start, on the prior Saturday, resulted in the embarrassing 27-26 loss to Kansas in Lawrence, despite a valiant effort by Collins.
Against the Wildcats, Collins completed 17 of 33 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. He completed passes to eight different receivers, carried the ball seven times for 22 yards, was not sacked and did not turn over the football.
TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor was the recipient of Collin's one touchdown pass. It was a 67-yard strike in the third quarter that gave the Frogs a 14-7 lead and proved to be the game-winner. The play was TCU's longest pass play of the season and fifth of at least 50 yards. Reagor has been on the receiving end for three of them. The catch was the second-longest of Reagor's career, trailing only a 93-yard score in last year's Valero Alamo Bowl. It was the 14th touchdown catch of his career.
Reagor had three receptions in the game for 92 yards, giving him at least one catch in his last 14 games for the longest current streak by a Horned Frog. He has a reception in 22 of his 23 contests at TCU. Reagor has receiving touchdowns in four consecutive games.
TCU wide receiver Jarrison Stewart equaled a season-high with five receptions for a season-best 54 yards. His career-high is six catches versus Baylor last season.
The Horned Frogs' Darius Anderson bounced back from the Kansas game, during which he fumbled the football at the Kansas seven-yard line with just over one minute remaining in the game. TCU trailed, 27-24, and was driving for the potential game-wining touchdown or game-tying field goal when Anderson lost the football to the Jayhawks.
Against K-State, Anderson was the leading rusher for the Horned Frogs. He carried the football 13 times for 48 yards. He scored one touchdown, on a four-yard run early in the first quarter.
After the touchdown run, Anderson was jubilantly hoisted into the air by TCU center Kellton Hollins. After his fumble in the Kansas game, Anderson was seen on the TCU sideline being consoled by Hollins.
What a difference a week makes!
Especially when magic is involved.
The TCU-Kansas State game had bowl ramifications for both teams.
With the loss, Kansas State dropped to 3-6, 1-5 Big 12. To qualify for a bowl game, the Wildcats must win their remaining three games; against Kansas, Texas Tech and Iowa State.
K-State's game against Kansas this Saturday is referred to as the Sunflower Showdown. The winner will receive the traditional Governor's Cup. The loser will have the Big 12's cellar all to itself.
With the win, TCU improved to 4-5, 2-4 Big 12. To qualify for a bowl game, the Horned Frogs must win two of their three remaining games; against West Virginia in Morgantown this Saturday, November 10; against Baylor in Waco on Saturday, November 17; and against Oklahoma State in Fort Worth on Saturday, November 24.
The Frogs will need some magic against the Mountaineers this Saturday.
West Virginia was chosen to finish second in the standings in the Big 12 football preseason poll, voted by media representatives. Thus far, the Mountaineers are overachieving.
Through seven league contests, the Mountain Men are tied atop the Big 12 standings with the Oklahoma Sooners. Both have 5-1 Big 12 records, with three games remaining. Overall, West Virginia has a 7-1 record. The Mountaineers lone loss has been to Iowa State, a game they lost 30-14.
West Virginia is ranked seventh in the Associated Press Poll, eighth in the Coaches Poll and ninth in the College Football Playoff rankings.
West Virginia is being led by its offense. Specifically, by redshirt senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Will Grier (#7), who this past week was named the National Offensive Player of the Week by the Maxwell Football Club.
Grier also was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after he tied his career-high 28 completions in 42 attempts for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a West Virginia 42-41 Big 12 win over Texas in Austin. He threw touchdown passes of 60, 18 and 33 yards and completed 10 passes of 10 yards or more, four passes of 20 yards or more, three passes of 30 yards or more and had a long of 60 yards. He found nine different receivers in the win. He also ran in the game-winning two-point conversion with just seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Grier is a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, signifying the national player of the year. He also is a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, for the second straight year. The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the best college quarterback, and is the nation's oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award.
Grier, 6-2, 223 pounds, is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes this season. He has completed 182 of 261 pass attempts for 2,618 yards and 28 touchdowns. He is averaging 32725 passing yards a game. He has thrown seven interceptions.
Grier has thrown for 300 or more yards in 16 of the 19 games he has played at WVU and has thrown multiple touchdown passes 17 times.
West Virginia's offense is averaging nearly 41 points and almost 492 yards per game; 158.4 yards rushing per game and 333.13 passing yards per game. The Mountaineers have scored 40 touchdowns, 29 by passing and 11 by rushing. In the red zone, they have scored 27 of 31 times, including 22 touchdowns.
So, it's highly unlikely, that TCU's matchup against West Virginia will morph into a defensive battle that will put people to sleep, or be a game that will be decided by a mishandled snap on a field-goal attempt or by a failed point-after-touchdown attempt.
However, when magic is involved, anything is possible.
Pass the Peppermint Mocha, and a pepperoni roll, please.
That monotonous, sleep-inducing November 3rd TCU-Kansas State game in Fort Worth mercifully ended. The Frogs prevailed, by TCU head coach Gary Patterson's magical "one point," 14-13 (Midnite had predicted a 23-17 TCU win).
The defensive-minded Patterson, of course, has for years been fond of saying that all the Horned Frogs need to do is score one more point than their opponent.
TCU's much-needed win motivated Patterson to pen a song after the game. Listen: here
The confounding, one-point loss caused Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder to also pen a song. Listen: here
No, the victory wasn't a dream.
But, magical it was.
Even if the game was about as exciting as watching Patterson hitch up his pants and tie his shoes a hundred or so times a game.
Oh, wait a minute. In this instance, keeping an eye on Patterson and his in-game antics actually was more exciting than watching the game.
Even counting sheep would have been more exciting!
If not for a missed point-after-touchdown kick by Kansas State kicker Blake Lynch, the score would have been tied at 14 about midway through the fourth quarter. And, as inept as both offenses were on this particular Saturday afternoon, the game might still be going.
Which, of course, might not have been all that bad, especially if it meant the Frogs would have been able to cancel their trip to Morgantown to play the highly ranked West Virginia Mountaineers this Saturday (November 10). But, that's another story.
A final score of 14-13 would seem to indicate that a defensive battle ensued between the Frogs and Wildcats in Amon G. Carter Stadium.
So, after the game, the Big 12 Conference, being ever so vigilant about its national image, quickly distributed a press release. The Conference disputed claims that the conference's member schools were reverting back to the days of old, when stout defenses ruled and won games, instead of wildly imaginative offenses that set off fireworks and light up scoreboards, much to the delight of today's millennial spectators, who evidently, according to the way-too-early holiday TV and print ads, also find delight, and magic, in something Starbucks calls a Peppermint Mocha.
As evidence that high-powered offenses are still in vogue, the Big 12 referenced the 27, 31, 35, 41, 42, 46 and 51 points (an average of 39) scored by seven other Big 12 teams in the other four conference games played on Saturday (November 3). It was the conference's bottom three schools -- TCU (14 points), Kansas State (13 points) and Kansas (3 points) -- that lowered the conference's Saturday scoring average to 30.3 points per team.
Despite the Horned Frogs being 112-5 under Patterson when allowing 17 points or less, defenses are not supposed to win ballgames in the fast and furious Big 12.
These days, however, TCU is forced to rely on its defense. The K-State victory is the first time TCU has won when scoring 14 points since a 14-10 victory in 2009 over Clemson, in a game that was played in a driving rain storm. Offensively, TCU is averaging a touchdown less in points this season (26.6), compared to 33.6 points last season.
After injuring and knocking Kansas State starting quarterback Skylar Thompson out of the game early in the first quarter, TCU's defense held Kansas State to 301 yards of offense. The Wildcats got 162 yards through the air and a net of 139 yards on the ground, with running back Alex Barnes grinding out 102 yards on 23 carries.
In holding Kansas State to two touchdowns, TCU's defense recorded 80 total tackles, its most since a 96-tackle effort against Texas Tech in 2016. The Frogs limited the Wildcats to a 5-of-16 mark on third-down conversions, and TCU recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass.
Linebacker Jawuan Johnson tied for TCU's team lead with 10 tackles. It's the third consecutive game he's either set or equaled a TCU career-high in stops. Johnson also had his first fumble recovery as a Horned Frog and the fourth of his career.
The Horned Frogs equaled a season-high with four sacks (they also had four sacks against SMU and Texas Tech). Defensive end L.J. Colier had two sacks and set a career-high eight tackles, including a career-best four tackles-for-loss.
TCU's oft maligned secondary also feasted on the mangy Wildcats.
Cornerback Jeff Gladney set a career-high with 10 tackles, including a career-best three tackles-for-loss. He had his first career sack and forced fumble on the same play. He now has 105 career tackles. Safety Ridwan Issahaku had his first sack of the season and third of his career. Cornerback Julius Lewis had four tackles. Safety Vernon Scott made his first career start ad tied his career high with eight tackles, matching his total at Texas earlier this season. Safety Markel Simmons had his first interception of the season and second of his career.
Simmons' interception came on a play that began when K-State holder Colby Moore mishandled a snap on what was to be a field goal attempt by Lynch late in the first half. After dropping the snap, Moore evaded a rushing Gladney and lobbed a desperation pass into the end zone for fullback Adam Harter. Simmons intercepted.
The botched field goal attempt and a fourth-quarter missed extra point kick by Lynch proved crucial in the game.
The Horned Frogs' defensive performance overshadowed the fact that the narrow win was Michael Collins' first victory as a starting quarterback for the Frogs. His first start, on the prior Saturday, resulted in the embarrassing 27-26 loss to Kansas in Lawrence, despite a valiant effort by Collins.
Against the Wildcats, Collins completed 17 of 33 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. He completed passes to eight different receivers, carried the ball seven times for 22 yards, was not sacked and did not turn over the football.
TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor was the recipient of Collin's one touchdown pass. It was a 67-yard strike in the third quarter that gave the Frogs a 14-7 lead and proved to be the game-winner. The play was TCU's longest pass play of the season and fifth of at least 50 yards. Reagor has been on the receiving end for three of them. The catch was the second-longest of Reagor's career, trailing only a 93-yard score in last year's Valero Alamo Bowl. It was the 14th touchdown catch of his career.
Reagor had three receptions in the game for 92 yards, giving him at least one catch in his last 14 games for the longest current streak by a Horned Frog. He has a reception in 22 of his 23 contests at TCU. Reagor has receiving touchdowns in four consecutive games.
TCU wide receiver Jarrison Stewart equaled a season-high with five receptions for a season-best 54 yards. His career-high is six catches versus Baylor last season.
The Horned Frogs' Darius Anderson bounced back from the Kansas game, during which he fumbled the football at the Kansas seven-yard line with just over one minute remaining in the game. TCU trailed, 27-24, and was driving for the potential game-wining touchdown or game-tying field goal when Anderson lost the football to the Jayhawks.
Against K-State, Anderson was the leading rusher for the Horned Frogs. He carried the football 13 times for 48 yards. He scored one touchdown, on a four-yard run early in the first quarter.
After the touchdown run, Anderson was jubilantly hoisted into the air by TCU center Kellton Hollins. After his fumble in the Kansas game, Anderson was seen on the TCU sideline being consoled by Hollins.
What a difference a week makes!
Especially when magic is involved.
The TCU-Kansas State game had bowl ramifications for both teams.
With the loss, Kansas State dropped to 3-6, 1-5 Big 12. To qualify for a bowl game, the Wildcats must win their remaining three games; against Kansas, Texas Tech and Iowa State.
K-State's game against Kansas this Saturday is referred to as the Sunflower Showdown. The winner will receive the traditional Governor's Cup. The loser will have the Big 12's cellar all to itself.
With the win, TCU improved to 4-5, 2-4 Big 12. To qualify for a bowl game, the Horned Frogs must win two of their three remaining games; against West Virginia in Morgantown this Saturday, November 10; against Baylor in Waco on Saturday, November 17; and against Oklahoma State in Fort Worth on Saturday, November 24.
The Frogs will need some magic against the Mountaineers this Saturday.
West Virginia was chosen to finish second in the standings in the Big 12 football preseason poll, voted by media representatives. Thus far, the Mountaineers are overachieving.
Through seven league contests, the Mountain Men are tied atop the Big 12 standings with the Oklahoma Sooners. Both have 5-1 Big 12 records, with three games remaining. Overall, West Virginia has a 7-1 record. The Mountaineers lone loss has been to Iowa State, a game they lost 30-14.
West Virginia is ranked seventh in the Associated Press Poll, eighth in the Coaches Poll and ninth in the College Football Playoff rankings.
West Virginia is being led by its offense. Specifically, by redshirt senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Will Grier (#7), who this past week was named the National Offensive Player of the Week by the Maxwell Football Club.
Grier also was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after he tied his career-high 28 completions in 42 attempts for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a West Virginia 42-41 Big 12 win over Texas in Austin. He threw touchdown passes of 60, 18 and 33 yards and completed 10 passes of 10 yards or more, four passes of 20 yards or more, three passes of 30 yards or more and had a long of 60 yards. He found nine different receivers in the win. He also ran in the game-winning two-point conversion with just seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Grier is a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, signifying the national player of the year. He also is a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, for the second straight year. The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the best college quarterback, and is the nation's oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award.
Grier, 6-2, 223 pounds, is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes this season. He has completed 182 of 261 pass attempts for 2,618 yards and 28 touchdowns. He is averaging 32725 passing yards a game. He has thrown seven interceptions.
Grier has thrown for 300 or more yards in 16 of the 19 games he has played at WVU and has thrown multiple touchdown passes 17 times.
West Virginia's offense is averaging nearly 41 points and almost 492 yards per game; 158.4 yards rushing per game and 333.13 passing yards per game. The Mountaineers have scored 40 touchdowns, 29 by passing and 11 by rushing. In the red zone, they have scored 27 of 31 times, including 22 touchdowns.
So, it's highly unlikely, that TCU's matchup against West Virginia will morph into a defensive battle that will put people to sleep, or be a game that will be decided by a mishandled snap on a field-goal attempt or by a failed point-after-touchdown attempt.
However, when magic is involved, anything is possible.
Pass the Peppermint Mocha, and a pepperoni roll, please.
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