TCU Opens Big 12 Play by Dominating Houston, 36-13 (Overview)

TCU-Houston Game Highlights: here

TCU-Houston Final Stats: here

TCU Head Coach Sonny Dykes Talks About TCU's Win: here

TCU Quarterback Chandler Morris Talks About TCU's Win: here

TCU Defensive Lineman Paul Oyewale Talks About TCU's Win: here  

TCU Running Back Emani Bailey Talks About TCU's Win: here

Houston Head Coach Dana Holgorsen Talks About Houston's Loss: here 

Houston Quarterback Donovan Smith Talks About Houston's Loss: here 

 

By Tom C. "Midnite" Burke


Welcome to the Big 12 Conference, University of Houston.

And to you, Dana Holgorsen, head coach of the Cougars, welcome back to the Big 12 Conference, from your days with the West Virginia Mountaineers.

As you quickly found out in your inaugural Big 12 Conference game, a 36-13 loss to TCU in your home stadium, on Saturday, September 16, the competition is a bit stiffer in the Big 12 than in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).

It wasn’t at times the prettiest of performances, but the Horned Frogs’ first visit to Houston in 16 years was an enjoyable outing. TCU began its 2023 Big 12 Conference campaign, and its 12th  season in the Big 12, by dominating the overmatched Cougars offensively and defensively.

TCU improved to 2-1 overall, 1-0 in the Big 12. TCU is ranked 29th in the latest Associated Press Poll, with 21 points. The Frogs are 31st in the Coaches Poll, with 26 points.

Houston fell to 1-2 overall, 0-1 in the Big 12.

Across the Big 12 Conference on Saturday, the University of Texas, Oklahoma, BYU, Kansas and UCF remained unbeaten, with 3-0 records.

Of those undefeated teams, Texas is third-ranked and Oklahoma is ranked 16th in this week's Associated Press Poll.  

Baylor and Texas Tech secured their first wins of the season. West Virginia also was a winner.

Kansas State suffered its first loss, 30-27, to Missouri, on a 61-yard field goal as time expired. 

Cincinnati and Oklahoma State lost their first games of the seasons, with shocking upsets by Miami (Ohio) and South Alabama, respectively.

Iowa State also was upset, by Ohio University (no, not The Ohio State University).

See the Big 12 football scores and schedule: here

TCU and Houston met for the first time since a 20-13 Horned Frogs win in the 2007 Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium. It was also the last time TCU played in the city of Houston.

Dating back to 1993, TCU has a nine-game winning streak over Houston.

TCU head coach Sonny Dykes now is 4-2 as a head coach against Houston. He was 2-1 versus the Cougars while at SMU and 1-1 during his time at Louisiana Tech. 

Under Dykes, TCU is 10-0 in Big 12 regular-season games, and 7-0 in regular-season road games (TCU was 6-0 in regular-season road games last season). The Frogs’ seven-game road winning streak is tied for second nationally.

TCU scored s touchdown on its opening drive against Houston and led the rest of the game, including 20-13 at halftime.

With 36 points scored against the Cougars, the Horned Frogs fell four points short of scoring at least 40 in their opening three games for just the second time in program history. The only time was in 2000.

The Horned Frogs piled up 564 yards of total offense; 314 yards passing and 250 yards rushing. TCU averaged more than 12 yards per pass completion and 4.9 yards per rush.

Through three games, TCU is averaging 39.7 points per game, more than 200 yards rushing and 500 total yards a game.

TCU quarterback Chandler Morris totaled 367 yards of offense against the Cougars. He completed 24-of-37 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. He added 53 yards rushing.

Morris ranks first in the Big 12 and 11th nationally in total offense at 334 yards per game.

Morris had two more turnovers in the victory over the Cougars.

One of the turnovers was a first-quarter interception by Houston defensive back Malik Fleming of a pass that bounced off the body of tight end Jared Wiley in the red zone. It was the third straight game for a TCU turnover in the red zone.

The other turnover was a fumble by Morris, while he was being sacked at the TCU 32-yard line in the first quarter. Morris was sacked three times.

Morris threw for more than 300 yards for the first time this season. He completed passes to 10 different receivers.

The Frogs’ opening touchdown of the game came on a 33-yard pass from Morris to wide receiver Warren Thompson. It was Thompson’s first touchdown as a Horned Frog.

TCU wide receiver JP Richardson had a team-best six receptions for 60 yards. The catches equaled his TCU-high of six against Colorado. His personal-best is seven for Oklahoma State against Texas last season.

Horned Frogs wide receiver Savion Williams had a 31-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. It was his first touchdown reception of the season and the fifth of his career, tying Jared Wiley for the most among current Horned Frogs.

TCU running back Emani Bailey carried the football 23 times for a team-best 126 yards. He scored one rushing touchdown, his first of the season.

This marked the second time that Bailey has topped 100 yards rushing in a game. For the season, Bailey has rushed for 357 yards. He is averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

Running back Trey Sanders had an 18-yard scoring run for TCU’s final points of the game and his team-best fourth rushing touchdown of the season.

Defensively, TCU held its opponent without an offensive touchdown for the second straight game. It is the first time since 2017 that TCU has not allowed an offensive touchdown in two consecutive games.

The Frogs’ defense held the Cougars to 266 total offensive yards (225 passing yards and 41 rushing yards) and two field goals.

Houston scored its lone touchdown on a 98-yard kickoff return by Matthew Golden in the second quarter.

The Cougars’ Jack Martin converted two 44-yard field goal attempts. He missed a 48-yard attempt.

Houston quarterback Donovan Smith completed 17-of-35 passes for 225 yards. He was intercepted twice and sacked six times. He rushed 12 times for a net of minus-10 yards.

Houston’s leading rusher was Stacy Sneed. He netted 36 yards on 10 attempts.

Wide receiver Samuel Brown was the Cougars’ leading receiver against the Frogs. He caught five passes for 99 yards.

TCU’s six sacks increase its season total to 13 in three games. The Frogs had eight tackles for loss, and they stopped the Cougars on all four of their fourth-down attempts.

Defensive lineman Paul Oyewale had two sacks to give him a team-best three on the season.

Safety Bud Clark and linebacker Zach Marcheselli had interceptions for TCU.  It was Clark’s first interception of the season and the sixth of his career, tops among current Horned Frogs. It was Marcheselli’s first career interception.

Linebackers Johnny Hodges and Namdi Obiazor tied for the team lead with seven tackles. Hodges also combined on two sacks, one with linebacker Jamoi Hodge and another with defensive lineman Micheal Ibukun-Okeyode.

Cornerback Jaionte McMillan had his first career sack.

TCU kicker Griffin Kell made field goals of 40, 53 and 37 yards. He missed a 60-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half. He also missed an extra point attempt, in the third quarter.

Next up for the Frogs is a "Battle for the Iron Skillet" rivalry game with SMU. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 am (Central) this Saturday, September 23, in Amon G. Carter Stadium. The game will be televised by FS1.

Four of TCU's opening five games this season are at home, part of seven Amon G. Carter Stadium dates overall. The Horned Frogs will play nine-of-12 regular-season games in Texas. They will not leave Texas until an October 7 contest against Iowa State, in Ames, Iowa.

Saturday’s game against SMU is a sellout. It will be TCU's second sellout this season and fifth in the last seven games, dating back to last year.

The Horned Frogs rank second nationally with their attendance at 106.9 percent of capacity.

TCU has an average crowd-size this season of 49,152 in its 46,000-seat Amon G. Carter Stadium.

A new mark for student attendance has been set in six of the last eight TCU home games.

SMU is 2-1 overall, 0-0 in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).

This is SMU’s final year in the AAC. The Mustangs are scheduled to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) beginning in 2024, after agreeing to forfeit TV revenue money from the conference for up to nine years. Reportedly, donors have committed $100 million to the school to help offset the loss of TV revenue over the nine-year period.

The Ponies, who are led by second-year head coach Rhett Lashlee, have beaten Louisiana Tech, 38-14, and Prairie View, 69-0. SMU lost to 16th-ranked Oklahoma, 28-11, in Norman, Oklahoma.

This annual rivalry game, which dates back to 1915 with a 43-0 TCU win in Fort Worth, is scheduled to be put on pause following the 2025 season. TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati says the reason for the pause is that the Horned Frogs want to increase their annual number of home games.

With the exception of four years, TCU and SMU have played every season since 1925. In two of those seasons (1987-88), the Mustangs did not field a football team.

SMU is TCU's second-most played series. The Horned Frogs' 101 meetings with the Mustangs trail only Baylor (118 games).

TCU leads the series with SMU, 52-42-7, including having won 12 of the last 15 games, 18 of the past 22 games and 25 of the last 33 matchups. However, SMU has won two of the last three games, with both victories coming in Fort Worth.

Dykes, of course, was SMU’s head coach from 2019-2021, before coming to TCU prior to the 2022 season. As head coach of the Mustangs, Dykes guided SMU to its first back-to-back victories (2019, 2021) over the Horned Frogs since 1992-93

Last year, TCU defeated SMU 42-34 in Dallas.

SMU is led by sophomore starting quarterback Preston Stone (#2), who took over this offseason when veteran quarterback Tanner Mordecai transferred to Wisconsin.

When Stone signed with SMU in 2021, he was a huge recruiting win for Dykes. Stone was a four-star recruit and a top-20 quarterback nationally. He is s one of the highest ranked recruits SMU has signed in decades.

Through three games, Stone has thrown for nearly 800 yards. He has thrown nine touchdown passes. He has been intercepted twice.

Following SMU’s victory over Prairie View, Stone was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, his first such award in his career.

Against Prairie View, Stone set career highs in passing yards, passing touchdowns and total touchdowns. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for another score.

Senior wide receiver Jake Bailey (#12) leads the Ponies in receptions (13) and receiving yards (136). He has not caught a touchdown pass.

The Mustangs’ second-leading receiver is former Horned Frog Jordan Hudson (#8), who transferred to SMU after the 2022 season, reportedly for a large Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal.

Hudson has caught five passes for 109 yards, for an average of 21.9 yards per reception. He has two touchdown catches.

Senior wide receiver Jordan Kerley (#1) also has caught two touchdown passes. Overall, he has seven receptions for 102 yards.

SMU’s offensive backfield features two transfer running backs. LJ Johnson, Jr. (#11) transferred from Texas A&M. Jaylan Knighton (#4) transferred from the University of Miami (Florida).

Johnson, a sophomore, has rushed 27 times for 153 yards, for an average of 5.7 yards per carry. He has one rushing touchdown and a long run of 67 yards.

Knighton, a senior, has rushed 32 times for 140 yards, for an average of 4.4 yards per carry. He has not scored a rushing touchdown. He has a long run of 23 yards. He has caught five passes for 33 yards.

Stone, Johnson and Knighton are supported by an offensive line that is anchored by blue-chip junior Logan Parr (#71), a transfer from the University Texas.

Defensively, the Ponies are led by veteran Elijah Chatman and transfers – cornerback Charles Woods of West Virginia, safety Jonathan McGill from Stanford, and defensive linemen Elijah Roberts and Jordan Miller from the University of Miami (Florida).

Chatman (#40), who is a 6-foot, 280-pound senior and is considered one of the best defensive linemen in the country, has two tackles for loss and one sack.

McGill (#2), a graduate transfer who played high school football in Coppell, leads SMU in tackles with 15, including one tackle for loss.

Roberts (#5), who is a 6-4, 278-pound senior, has three tackles for loss and three sacks.

Miller (#6), who is 6-3 and 307 pounds and a graduate transfer, has a half of a tackle for loss and half a sack.

Woods (#3), a senior who played high school football in Dallas, has a tackle for a loss.

SMU’s defense, which with 12 sacks has graded out as Pro Football Focus’ best in the country, held Oklahoma to 28 points. In the Sooner’ other two victories, they scored 73 and 66 points, respectively, against Arkansas State and Tulsa.

TCU is a 6.5-point favorite. The over/under for total points is 63.5 points.

Dykes Previews TCU's Game Against SMU game: here  

SMU Defensive Coordinator Scott Symons Previews SMU's Game Against TCU game: here   

SMU Offensive Coordinator Casey Woods Previews SMU's Game Against TCU: here