Texas Continues TCU Misery with 32-27 Victory

Bijan Robinson (#5) and the Texas Longhorns ran over the Horned Frogs in a 32-27 win.

 

This past Saturday, October 2, with the University of Texas Longhorns at Amon G. Carter Stadium, TCU learned that history and hype don’t always matter when it comes to results of a football game.

Coming into this year's game between the two teams, TCU junior quarterback Max Duggan was 2-0 against the Longhorns, combining for more than 650 yards of total offense with two passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns.

TCU had its hype video for the game (here).

There were the free “Frogs Up, Horns Down” T-shirts upon entry to The Carter.

In 2020, TCU had beaten Texas, 33-31, for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Tom C. "Midnite Burke

Buddy Iles was an honorary TCU captain for Saturday's game. 

Iles was involved in one of the more memorable wins in TCU football history, a 6-0 victory at No. 1 Texas on November 18, 1961.

There were plenty of purple-and-white signs, including “Calling All Frogs,” “Horns Down” and “You Can’t Spell Butt Without UT."

Texas hadn’t beaten TCU in Fort Worth since 2013. Since then, Texas was 1-6 versus TCU, including three straight losses in Fort Worth. 

TCU was 4-1 against Texas the last five meetings.

The traditional in-game Riff Ram video featured Texas Senator and TCU alum Lois Kolkorst.

Senator Kolkhorst, of course, was the Sentor who during a Texas Senate hearing on UT’s plans to leave the Big 12 for ESPN’s Southeastern Conference (SEC), roasted UT President Jay Hartzell after he revealed during questioning that the school’s athletic budget was “well over $200 million, possibly in the $225 million range.”

Kolkhorst fired back, "And that’s without a winning football team of late."

The feisty Horned Frog and Senator later ridiculed Hartzell about the Longhorns’ losing record to TCU since the Frogs have been in the Big 12. Kolkhorts said, “…  so maybe your fan base would rather lose to Alabama than TCU." (Watch the exchange: here) 

Longhorns in the Lone Star State and across the country were not amused, just as they have not been amused by UT’s 2-7 record against the Horned Frogs since TCU joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012. Just ask former Texas head football coaches Mack Brown, Charlie Strong and Tom Herman.

So, naturally, the TCU marketing wizards promoted this possible last meeting on the gridiron between the Big 12 Conference foes and former Southwest Conference rivals as the “War of Horns.”

Thus, the Frogs had a lot going for them when they lined up against the ‘Horns on the first Saturday of October.

But, alas, when it came down to winning the football game, 32-27, all Texas needed was a new head coach and a dynamic running back. (Midnite had predicted a 44-31 Texas victory.)

Leading the Longhorns on the sidelines was first-year Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Sarkisian arrived in Austin this past January with a pedigree background, including college head coaching positions, offensive coordinator positions within the National Football League, and as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2020 at national champion Alabama.

Leading the Longhorns on the field was Bijan Robinson, a sophomore running back from Tucson, Arizona, who basically single-handedly whipped TCU by carrying the football 35 times through, around and over the Frogs for 216 yards and two touchdowns.

If this indeed was good-bye between these two longtime rivals, who were playing for the 92nd time, it was a rude farewell by the Longhorns.

But Sarkisian was offering no apologies. He naturally was pleased to get his first victory over the Frogs and TCU head coach Gary Patterson, especially with him and the Longhorns soon to be departing for the SEC.

After the game, Sark wrote a song to celebrate. Listen: here

Patterson, on the other hand, was not pleased to start his head-to-head duel with Sarkisian with a loss, especially since he may never again coach against Sarkisian.

After the loss, which dropped Patterson’s overall record against Texas to 7-4, Patterson wrote a song. Listen: here  

History, and fate, certainly seemed on the Horned Frogs’ side when TCU's JD Spielman returned the game’s opening kickoff 87 yards to the Texas 10-yard line.

Spielman’s return was the Horned Frogs' longest kickoff return since KaVontae Turpin scored on a 99-yard effort against Oklahoma in 2018.

Two plays later, on a 12-yard touchdown run by Zach Evans and a point-after conversion by kicker Griffin Kell, TCU had a 7-0 lead before most of the 43,337 were settled into their seats with hot dogs, nachos and beers.

The rout was on. Or so it seemed.

Robinson had other thoughts.

On Texas’ first two possession, Robinson chewed up 59 yards on eight carries, as the Longhorns ran to a 10-7 lead, highlighted by a 27-yard touchdown run by Robinson.  

By halftime, Robinson had two rushing touchdowns and 103 yards on 17 carries. Texas led 23-17, despite the Frogs leading 14-13 at end of the first quarter.

In the second half, Robinson was held out of the end zone by the Frogs’ defense, but still he chewed up yardage and time.

Over the third and fourth quarters, the 214-pounder carried the football another 18 times for 114 yards. 

But, it was one yard that Robinson did not get that kept TCU in the game.

With Texas leading 32-20, with less than 10 minutes left in the game, the Longhorns were poised to put the game out of reach with another touchdown.

However, TCU’s defense kept Robinson out of the end zone on two consecutive plays from the TCU two-yard line, including on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line.

“He (Robinson) was tired,” said Patterson. “That’s a lot (of carries). If you look over 12 ballgames and you go 35, that’s a lot of touches.

“I would never do 35 carries a game like they did if you want to make it through four years. You’ve got to be very careful about that. That’s his (Texas coach Steve Sarkisian) call. It’s not mine.”

Duggan then drove the Frogs 99 yards in 13 plays to cut Texas' lead to 32-27 and set the stage for a possible dramatic win for the hometown team over the last 4:32 of the game.

Robinson had other thoughts. 

And more carries. 

And more yards.

Six consecutive running plays by Robinson netted 35 yards, and then the Longhorns ended the game with three victory-formation plays.

The Frogs fell to 2-2, 0-1 Big 12.

The Longhorns improved to 4-1, 2-0 Big 12.

“We had an opportunity and we have to take care of that opportunity when we can,” said a dejected Patterson after the game. “I was proud of them, but you can't turn the ball over, punt, give up sacks and fumble the ball, and we can't tackle. I thought we tackled better today, but we still didn't tackle well enough, not like a TCU defense. But I thought we played with more energy today, and that's going to give you more opportunity to win ball games. Win, lose or draw, you want to have to learn how to play great.”

Against Texas, with the exception of giving up the rushing yardage to Robinson, and four field goals by Longhorns kicker Cameron Dicker, the TCU defense, for perhaps the first time this season, more closely resembled the type of TCU defense that has been top-ranked in the Big 12 more than half the seasons the Frogs have been in the conference (TCU has never had worse than the fourth-ranked total defense since joining the league in 2012).

Three of Dicker’s field goals came after TCU turnovers, two fumbles and a muffed catch of a punt.

Each of the miscues gave the Longhorns favorable field position, but the Frogs’ defense limited Texas to the three field goals.

Those nine points, however, proved crucial in Texas’ five-point win.

Dicker’s four field goals are a single-game career-high in makes, just one shy of the UT single-game record. He was also two-for-two on points-after-touchdowns and is now third all-time in career scoring by a kicker at Texas with 338 points, only one point behind Phil Dawson (1994-97) for second and just 20 shy of the all-time record of 358 held by Dusty Mangum (2001-04).

Robinson’s performance against the Frogs earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors and also the Earl Campbell Texas Tyler Rose Player of the Week Award.

Dicker was honored with a Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week Award.

TCU’s defense limited UT quarterback Casey Thompson to 12 completed passes, out of 22 attempts, for 142 yards. Thompson threw one touchdown pass and one interception. The Frogs sacked him twice.

Defensively, TCU was led by defensive end Dylan Horton. He recorded his first two sacks of the season, giving him three in his TCU career. Horton is the first Horned Frog with multiple sacks in a game since Ochuan Mathis had two in last year's season finale against Louisiana Tech.
 
Horton totaled a TCU career best and team-high nine tackles, equaling his combined total of nine stops for the season entering the game.

Safety Nook Bradford, making his first start of the season and second of his career, had his first career interception. He also recorded eight tackles, including one for loss.

Cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlison, who made his debut at safety after starting the game at cornerback, had a career-high in tackles for the second straight game with nine stops. He also forced a fumble.

Tomlison moved to safety after safety T.J. Carter was ejected for targeting.

Linebacker Jamoi Hodge totaled eight tackles, topping his career total of six stops entering the game.

Running back Zach Evans again led the TCU offense. He had 113 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries. The Longhorns never tackled him for a loss.

Evans topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the third consecutive game and fifth time in the last seven contests. He is the first Horned Frog with three straight 100-yard games since Darius Anderson in 2019.

Evans has a rushing touchdown in five of his last six games.

Evans ranks first nationally with a 7.7 yards per carry average.

After the game, Horned Frogs fans were wondering why Evans’ workload in the contest was limited, especially in comparison to the 35 carries by Robinson, who along with Evans were the top two running backs in the 2020 recruiting class.

Even Duggan, with 16 carries in the game, had more rushes than Evans.

Patterson said Evans “was tired,” which was why he did not get many carries.

“Thirty-five. That’s a lot (of carries). If you look over 12 ballgames and you go 35, that’s a lot of touches. I would never do 35 carries like they did if you want to last four years... Evans does need more touches, though," said Patterson.

No running back has reached the 35-carry mark since Patterson’s first full season as head coach in 2001.

The most carries by a running back in a game since Patterson took over was 34 by Robert Merrill in 2004 against Tulane. Joseph Turner had 33 carries at San Diego State in 2007. Lonta Hobbs had 33 carries against Memphis in 2002.

Evans is averaging 17.3 carries a game the last three weeks.

Duggan, who lost his first game to the Longhorns in his three-year TCU career, was limited by the Longhorns’ defense. He completed 20-of-28 passes, but for only 182 yards and one touchdown. He was held to 33 net rushing yards and he was strip sacked.

JD Spielman caught the touchdown pass, and one other pass, to extend his streak to 40 consecutive games with a reception, second-longest in the nation. It also represents every game in his collegiate career.

Taye Barber had two receptions, giving him 101 career catches.

Derius Davis tied a career-high with six receptions, equaling his total in last season's win over Oklahoma State. He also had a fumble, and the muff on a punt by Dicker.

Kendre Miller’s two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave him a rushing score in three of four games this season. He is tied with Evans for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns.

After opening the 2021 season with four consecutive home games, during which they went 2-2, the Horned Frogs play their first road game, against Texas Tech, in Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday, October 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 pm. ESPN will nationally televise the game.

As was the case with their game against Texas, TCU will have history on its side in Lubbock.

Since the Horned Frogs began Big 12 play in 2012, the road team of the TCU-Texas Tech series has won six of the nine meetings.

TCU has won three straight games in Lubbock, in 2015, 2017 and 2019; the only time in program history that TCU has won three consecutive games in Lubbock.

TCU has won six of the last seven meetings between the two teams: 2014, won 82-27; 2015, won 55-52; 2016, won 63-24; 2017, won 27-3; 2018, lost 17-14; 2019, won 33-31; 2020, won 34-18.

Patterson and Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells have met twice, with Patterson winning both times: in Lubbock, in 2019; and in Fort Worth, in 2020.

Since 2009, TCU is tied for fifth nationally with 44 road wins. The Horned Frogs are 44-20 (.688) in that stretch.

TCU's 34-19 mark (.635) in conference road games since 2009 is tied for 11th-best in the FBS.

Lubbock can be a lonely, unforgiving place, but on this trip to the South Plains, the Frogs will find a familiar, if not friendly, face.

Former TCU co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Sonny Cumbie, a Texas Tech alum and former Red Raiders quarterback, is Tech’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. He returned to his Alma Mater this season.

Cumbie has been on both sides of scoring history in the TCU-Texas Tech series.

As TCU's co-offensive coordinator, Cumbie helped lead the Horned Frogs to single-game TCU and Big 12 scoring records with an 82-27 victory over the Red Raiders in 2014.

The most points ever allowed by TCU under Patterson was in 2004, when Cumbie was the starting quarterback for Texas Tech in its 70-35 win over the Frogs.

Tech is 4-1, 1-1 Big 12.

Last Saturday, the Red Raiders defeated West Virginia, 23-20, in Morgantown. That win followed Tech’s 70-35 loss to Texas in the Big 12 Conference-opener for both schools on September 25, in Austin.

In nonconference games, the Red Raiders have beaten the University of Houston, in Houston, 38-21; Stephen F. Austin, in Lubbock, 28-22; and Florida International, in Lubbock, 54-21.

It will be Homecoming weekend at Texas Tech and any rivalry football game on the Texas Tech campus is a spirited affair, especially games that are played at night, allowing Red Raiders fans the ability to party hearty before cheering for their football team.

Added to the revelry of TCU-Texas Tech games is that the teams play for the Saddle Trophy, a longtime tradition that was renewed in 2017.

The teams used to compete annually in the West Texas Championship for the Saddle Trophy before it went away in the early 1970s. Thanks to M.L. Leddy's Boots and Saddlery of Fort Worth, the Saddle Trophy returned.

The Saddle Trophy sits on a stand and includes the logos for TCU and Texas Tech. Scores of the 60-plus years of rivalry are represented on the stand.

The Frogs this season already have lost one trophy, the Iron Skillet, for a second consecutive year to SMU, so let’s hope they can hang on to the Saddle Trophy.

After all, the trophy is complements of a Fort Worth company, so it has no business being displayed on the Texas Tech campus.