At least one Boilermaker had a headache prior to TCU's game against Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Saturday, September 14. Senior starting quarterback Elijah Sindelar missed the contest because of a concussion.
After TCU’s 34-13 thrashing of his Boilermakers, Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm also probably had a throbbing headache.
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| Tom C. "Midnite" Burke |
Pass the Tylenol Extra Strength, please.
The Frogs unleashed a bruising running game and a punishing defense to dominate the Big 10’s Boilermakers, whose record dropped to 1-2.
With the win, the Horned Frogs improved to 2-0, extended their winning streak to five games and earned a 25th ranking in the latest Associated Press College Football Poll.
Brohm’s deflated mental state was reflected in the song he wrote after the game. Listen: here
On the opposite side of the field, TCU head coach Gary Patterson was relieved that his young Horned Frogs had dominated a high-caliber opponent on the road, in front of more than 60,000 fans. His jubilance at improving his record to 6-2 versus Big Ten opponents was reflected in the song he wrote after the game. Listen: here
TCU will put its winning streak on the line against crosstown rival SMU (3-0) on Saturday, September 21, in Amon G. Carter Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30pm.
Senior running back Darius Anderson led TCU’s running game against the Boilermakers. He scored two touchdowns and ran for a career-high 179 yards on 16 carries, surpassing his previous best of 160 yards against Oklahoma State in 2017.
Anderson recorded his fifth career 100-yard rushing game. The touchdowns were his first scores of the season and the 13th and 14th touchdowns of his career, the most among active Horned Frogs.
For his performance, Anderson, who is a graduate of George Ranch High School in Richmond, Texas, was named an Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Co-Player of the Week for the third week of the college football season.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community, and tenacity; specifically tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four year D1 Texas college.
Anderson evidently likes playing against Big 10 teams. Last season, against Ohio State in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Anderson had his best game of the 2019 season. He rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns against the Buckeyes of the Big 10. His performance included a 93-yard touchdown run, which was the longest offensive play that Ohio State had given up in school history.
Against the Boilermakers, senior running back Sewo Olonilua added 106 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. The touchdown was his first of the season and the 11th of his career.
After the game, it was reported that Olonilua has settled all legal issues and will not face further consequences from the university or the football team.
In May, Olonilua was arrested for a potential third-degree felony for possession of a controlled substance weighing greater than or equal to one gram and less than four grams. He also faced a misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia.
TCU and Patterson allowed Olonilua to participate in summer workouts and fall camp while his legal situation was being worked out.
He was suspended for the first half of the Frogs’ season-opening win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. TCU had a bye the second week of the season.
Anderson and Olonilua helped the Frogs outgain the Boilermakers 421 yards (346 rushing, 75 passing) to 204 yards in total offense and hold a 40:33 to 19:27 edge in time of possession.
This was TCU’s first game with 300 or more yards rushing since a 31-9 win at Texas in 2016. It also was the Frogs’ first game with two 100-yard rushers since their 52-45 win at Kansas State in 2015, when quarterback Trevone Boykin ran for 124 yards and running back Aaron Green had 121 yards.
For the second straight game, graduate transfer Alex Delton, who was a captain for the game, was the starting quarterback for the Frogs. He was relieved early in the game by true freshman quarterback Max Duggan.
Delton completed one of six passes for five yards. He was intercepted once. He ran three times for minus-three yards and was sacked once.
Duggan completed seven of 18 passes for 70 yards and one touchdown and ran the ball 12 times for 20 yards. He was sacked two twice.
Duggan engineered all but one of TCU’s scoring drives and took all of the snaps at quarterback in the second half. His touchdown pass was a 22-yarder to sophomore wide receiver Al’Dontre Davis. The score capped a nine-play, 92-yard drive and was the first career touchdown for Davis.
With only eight completed passes and 75 passing yards between them, neither Delton nor Duggan threw the football exceptionally well. However, the receiving corps didn’t do either of them any favors. Receivers dropped at least six catchable passes, which kept the Frogs’ offense from rolling up even bigger numbers.
Purdue’s offense could have been a big headache for Patterson and the Frogs.
Sindelar entered the game leading the nation in attempts (104), completions (68), yards (932) and TD tosses (nine). But, because of a concussion he suffered on the last play of the Vanderbilt game the week prior to the TCU game, Sindelar was held out of the game against the Frogs.
Instead, redshirt freshman quarterback Jack Plummer had to take the lid off of his Purdue career. He not only made his first career start, he saw the first action of his career.
Plummer became the first freshman to start at quarterback for Purdue since David Blough against Bowling Green, on September 26, 2015.
Plummer completed 13-of-29 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted twice and sacked three times.
Talk about “baptism by fire.”
Pass the Tylenol Extra Strength, please.
Purdue finished with 204 yards of total offense, with 75 coming on a touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. The Boilermakers had just 23 net rushing yards on 25 attempts, got only eight first downs and were successful only three times on 14 third-down plays.
It was total domination by the TCU defense.
Sophomore safety Trevon Moehrig had his second interception of the season and third of his career.
TCU true freshman linebacker Dee Winters made his first collegiate start. He had his first collegiate sack on the final play of the first quarter.
Junior linebacker Garret Wallow had his second sack of the season and fifth of his career.
Prior to the start of the game, at midfield, Wallow, who was a captain for the game, took the initiative to shake the hand of Riley Children’s Health “Purdue Kid Captain” Wyatt Claire, who was in a wheelchair because of Spina Bifida and accompanying Purdue’s game captains. (See a photo here.)
Wallow shaking Claire’s hand reminded fans of when Boykin greeted Abby Faber prior to the TCU-Iowa State game in Ames, Iowa, in 2015.
Abby, who was in a wheelchair because of spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, had taken the field with Iowa State players for the coin toss before kickoff. A photo of Boykin and Faber went viral. Faber and her family traveled to Fort Worth, as guests of the Frogs, to attend the TCU-West Virginia game on October 29, 2015.
Junior defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, who was a captain for the game, had his second sack of the season.
The Horned Frogs secured three sacks, giving them at least one sack in 69 of their last 72 games.
Senior cornerback Jeff Gladney, who was a captain for the game, had his first interception of the season and third in his last four games dating back to last season. His five career picks are the most by a current Horned Frog.
If that’s not enough domination for you, consider that Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore, a freshman All-American last season:
- Came into the game first in the nation with 230 all-purpose yards per game. TCU held him to 80 all-purpose yards.
- Came into the game first in the nation with 334 receiving yards. TCU held him to 25 receiving yards.
- Came into the game first in the nation with 24 receptions. TCU held him to three catches.
Pass the Tylenol Extra Strength, please.
Purdue also came into the game leading the nation with 19 passes of 20 or more yards. The Frogs limited the Boilermakers to just three such passes.
Purdue’s 23 yards rushing were its fewest since having 23 yards against Minnesota on November 5, 2016.
Purdue’s eight first downs were its fewest since having eight against Wisconsin on October 31, 2009.
Purdue’s 54 offensive plays were its fewest since having 50 against Michigan on September 23, 2017.
Tylenol Extra Strength? There may not be enough available in West Lafayette to cure all of the headaches.
Speaking of headaches, SMU gallops into Cowtown this Saturday, September 28. Over the years, the Frogs have given the Mustangs their share of headaches, particularly by banging the Iron Skillet on their noggins.
TCU has won the Iron Skillet 11 of the last 12 times the team have met on the gridiron, and 17 of the last 19 times, including on September 7, 2018, when the Frogs beat the Mustangs, 42-12, in Dallas.
Somebody better ensure there is plenty of Tylenol Extra Strength on hand Saturday.
SMU head coach Sonny Dykes and the Mustangs, like Jeff Brohm and the Boilermakers, likely will be nursing headaches after their game with the Horned Frogs.
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