Highlights/lowlights: here
Final Stats: here
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes talks about another loss: here
TCU defensive back Abe Camara talks about loss: here
TCU running back Emani Bailey talks about the
loss: here
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell talks about
the win: here
Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht talks about
the win: here
Iowa State defensive back Beau Freyler talks about the win: here
Iowa State offensive lineman Jim Bonifas talks
about the win: here
Iowa State defensive back Darien Porter talks
about the win: here
By Tom C. “Midnite” Burke
TCU
losing its starting quarterback to injury worked out pretty well for the team during the 2022 season.
Unfortunately, the Frogs again this season have an opportunity to see how losing their starting quarterback to injury works out for them.
Iowa State continued TCU’s rapid descent to mediocrity and irrelevancy with a stunningly easy 27-14 upset over the Horned Frogs on Saturday, October 7, before an announced Jack Trice Legacy game crowd of 60,535 in Ames, Iowa.
But TCU lost more than just its third game, and second conference game, of the season.
Redshirt freshman backup quarterback Josh Hoover took over for Morris against the Cyclones. Hoover now is TCU’s primary signal-caller.
"Josh is very mature, very settled," said Dykes. "Our players have a lot of confidence in him. I think he's got the players' respect. The guys like him. I think they're going to play hard for him.
"I'm excited to see how he does. I expect him to do well."
A backup quarterback taking over for an injured starting quarterback is not a new scenario for the Horned Frogs.
Morris surprisingly won the Frogs’ starting quarterback position last season. However, he sprained his MCL in his left knee early in TCU’s season-opening game at Colorado.
Max Duggan took over for Morris and, of course, rallied the Frogs to a victory over Colorado and led TCU to an undefeated regular season, a College Football National Championship Playoff Semifinal victory over Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl, and an appearance in the 2023 College Football National Championship Game against Georgia.
Duggan was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He was named the Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Year. He was honored with the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
So, Josh Hoover, what lies ahead for you and TCU Football in 2023?
When Duggan took over the Frogs in 2022, he and the team had the entire season ahead of them.
Hoover is taking over a 3-3 (1-2 Big 12) TCU team whose offense up to this point has struggled mightily to score points under the direction of Morris and new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kendall Briles.
With the loss to Iowa State, TCU fell to 10-2 in Big 12 regular-season games under head coach Sonny Dykes, and the Frogs’ seven-game road winning streak, which tied for second nationally with Michigan and North Carolina, was snapped.
TCU holds a 9-6 series lead over Iowa State with a 6-6 mark since beginning Big 12 play in 2012. But the Frogs have not beaten Iowa State in Ames since a 45-21 victory in 2015.
Over their last nine games, the Horned Frogs are a disappointing 4-5, including gut-wrenching losses to Kansas State in the 2022 Big 12 Championship Game and to Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
In other games involving Big 12 teams this past week:
On Friday night, October 6, Oklahoma State (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) defeated Kansas State 29-21 (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
In the annual Red River Rivalry game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) defeated Texas (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) 34-30. The Sooners scored the game-winning touchdown on a three-yard scoring reception with 15 seconds remaining in the game.
Kansas (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) defeated UCF (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) 51-22.
Texas Tech (3-3, 2-1) defeated Baylor (2-4, 1-2) 39-14.
BYU, West Virginia, Houston and Cincinnati enjoyed byes.
TCU’s offense was ineffective the previous week in a shocking 24-21 upset in Fort Worth to a mediocre West Virginia team. The Horned Frogs were even more ineffective this past weekend in Ames against a mediocre Iowa State team that Duggan and the Frogs blasted last season, 62-14, in Fort Worth.
Ironically, Duggan, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers and is a member of their practice squad, attended Saturday’s TCU-Iowa State game.
Unfortunately, Duggan, who is from Council Bluffs, Iowa, did not suit up for the game. He watched from the stands the Frogs’ ineptness.
Duggan had to be as dumbfounded as TCU’s fans were by the Frogs' incompetence.
Against West Virginia, Morris and TCU’s offense had one yard of offense in the third quarter and were shut out in the second half by the Mountaineers.
In Ames, TCU’s first two offensive possessions ended with Morris throwing interceptions.
The third possession ended on a failed fourth-and-one play, when Morris was stuffed for a three-yard loss.
It was not until the Frogs’ first possession of the second quarter that they broke their scoring drought, on a nine-yard touchdown pass from a scrambling Morris to wide receiver Savion Williams, to tie the score at 7-7.
The Horned Frogs’ last two possessions of the first half resulted in a blocked punt and a punt.
Thanks to TCU’s defense, the Frogs only trailed 10-7 at halftime.
The last time TCU was held to seven or fewer first-half points was the blowout 65-7 loss to Georgia in the national championship game debacle.
The first half against Iowa State was bad. But the third quarter was horrible. Again.
In the third quarter against the Cyclones, the Frogs punted twice, saw Morris get injured while running with the football, had a drive end because of an interception, and scored zero points.
Meanwhile, Iowa State increased its lead to 24-7.
The Frogs’ first possession of the fourth quarter resulted in a turnover on downs when running back Corey Wren couldn’t hold onto a pass from Hoover on a fourth-and-goal play at the Cyclones’ four-yard line. If Wren had caught the pass, TCU would have scored a touchdown.
The next TCU possession ended on a first down play from the Iowa State 22-yard line. Inexplicably, Briles had the Frogs run a trick play with wide receiver JP Richardson taking a pitch, pulling up and lofting a pass. Naturally, the pass became the Cyclones’ fourth interception of the game.
A wide receiver throwing a pass?
On a first-down play?
From your opponent’s 22-yard line?
When you’re trailing 24-7?
Briles, what were you thinking?
On TCU’s final possession of the game, Hoover threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to tight end Blake Nowell.
Some momentum to build upon?
Perhaps.
Hopefully.
Here is how TCU’s last 18 offensive possessions, stretching back into the game against West Virginia, have ended:
- Punt
- Punt
- Punt
- Punt
- Blocked field goal attempt
- Blocked field goal attempt
- Interception
- Interception
- Turnover on downs
- Touchdown
- Punt
- Blocked punt
- Punt
- Punt
- Interception
- Turnover on downs
- Interception
- Touchdown
Against the Cyclones, the Horned Frogs accumulated 398 total yards; 213 yards passing and 185 yards rushing. Again, the offensive miscues prevented TCU from putting more points on the scoreboard than its opponent.
“You can’t have four turnovers and have a punt blocked and beat anybody,” said a frustrated Dykes.
TCU’s lone offensive star against Iowa State was running back Emani Bailey. He rushed 21 times for 152 yards, yet he failed to find the end zone.
Bailey topped 100 yards rushing for the fourth time in six games this season. This was the second-best game of his career, trailing only the 164 yards he gained against Colorado in the season-opener.
Bailey is second in the Big 12 and fourth nationally in rushing yards with 690.
Before he left the game because of being injured, Morris completed 10-of-16 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown. He threw the two interceptions. He was sacked once.
Hoover, who is a redshirt freshman from Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Texas, completed 11-of-19 passes for 119 yards. He had the one touchdown pass and the one interception. He was sacked once.
Twelve Horned Frogs caught passes. Wide receiver JP Richardson caught a team-best four passes, but for only 23 yards. This was his fourth game with at least three catches this season and he leads the team with 21 receptions for the season.
Wide receiver Warren Thompson had TCU’s most receiving yards against the Cyclones. His two catches netted 35 yards.
Williams and Nowell scred the Frogs two touchdowns.
Williams’ six-yard touchdown catch was his second of the season and sixth of his career, placing second among current Horned Frogs (tight end Jared Wiley has seven career touchdown receptions).
Nowell’s nine-yard touchdown catch was his first of the season and second of his career.
TCU’s defense yielded 353 total yards, most notably of which were 215 rushing yards (a season high for Iowa State), and 27 points. The defense, which still is missing injured linebacker Johnny Hodges, produced no turnovers, but overall had another good game and kept the Frogs in position to win the game.
Iowa State redshirt freshman quarterback Rocco Becht completed 16-of-28 pass attempts for 138 yards. He threw one touchdown reception. He was not intercepted. He was not sacked.
Senior tight end Easton Dean had the touchdown reception, on a one-yard catch in the third quarter.
Redshirt sophomore running back El Sanders rushed 16 times for 99 yards and one touchdown, on a four-yard run in the first quarter.
Freshman running back Abu Sama had a 55-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. On five other carries, he gained a total of four yards.
Senior kicker Chase Contreraz kicked two field goals, of 26 and 21 yards, in the second and fourth quarters, respectively.
TCU’s defense has allowed just eight touchdowns over the last five games. The Horned
Frogs are second in the Big 12 with 16 sacks and have held opponents to one touchdown pass and a 49.0 completion percentage the last five contests.
TCU junior cornerback Avery Helm, junior linebacker Namdi Obiazor and senior safety Mark Perry each had five tackles to lead the Frogs’ defense in the Iowa State game.
Helm’s
five tackles were his most as a Horned Frog and equaled his career high while
playing for Florida against Vanderbilt in 2021 and Colorado in 2023.
Junior safety Abe Camara made his first start of the season and posted four
tackles.
Senior defensive lineman Rick D’Abreu had two tackles for loss against the
Cyclones, tying a career-high set on three occasions while playing for East
Carolina. He totaled four tackles.
Sophomore safety Bud Clark had two pass breakups.
TCU senior punter Jordy Sandy had a surprisingly bad game in Ames. Besides the blocked punt, he had a punt of only 26 yards from deep inside TCU territory. He punted three times for an average of 33.7 yards per punt.
During these trying times for the Frogs, Dykes remains philosophical.
“You’re not going to win football games if you don’t play winning football,” lamented Dykes, who is growing more nervous and fidgety with each passing press conference.
But he added that he doesn’t understand why his team is playing so poorly.
And perhaps that is why the team is playing so poorly.
TCU’s next game is on Saturday, October 14, against Big12-newcomer BYU, in Amon G. Carter Stadium, in Fort Worth, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm (Central). ESPN will televise the game.
BYU is 4-1 (1-1 in Big 12 play).
The Cougars have beaten: Sam Houston, 14-0, in Provo, Utah; Southern Utah, 41-16, in Provo; Arkansas, 38-31, in Fayetteville, Arkansas; and Cincinnati, 35-27, in Provo.
BYU has lost to Kansas, 38-27, in Lawrence, Kansas.
The Cougars’ head coach is Kalani Sitake, a BYU alum who is in his eighth season at the helm of the BYU football program.
BYU’s offense is averaging 31 points and 318.6 yards per game. The Cougars have allowed six sacks and given up three interceptions.
BYU’s offense has converted 16-of-17 trips into the red zone into points, with 13 scores (76 percent) having been touchdowns.
The Cougars are a passing team. BYU is averaging 255.8 passing yards per game and only 62.8 rushing yards per game. They have scored 11 touchdowns through the air and nine touchdowns on the ground.
BYU senior and former USC and Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis (#10) has completed 98-of-165 passes for 1,240 yards. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes. He has been intercepted three times. He his not a dangerous runner/scrambler, but he has scored three rushing touchdowns.
Leading the receiving corps is sophomore wide receiver Chase Roberts (#2). He has caught 24 passes for 358 yards. He has a long catch of 59 yards. He has caught three touchdown passes.
Junior tight end Isaac Rex (#83) has caught 18 passes for 274 yards. He has a long catch of 65 yards. He has caught one touchdown pass.
Senior wide receiver Darius Lassiter (#5) has caught 18 passes for 222 yards. He has a long catch of 42 yards. He has caught three touchdown passes.
Sophomore wide receiver Keanu Hill (#1), freshman wide receiver Parker Kingston (#82), freshman running back LJ Martin (#27) and senior running back Deion Smith #20) each have a touchdown reception.
The Cougars’ leading rusher is Martin. He has rushed 72 times for 289 yards, an average of four yards per rush. He has scored four rushing touchdowns.
Smith is BYU’s second-leading rusher. He has only 30 net rushing yards on 18 carries.
Senior linebacker Max Tooley (#31) leads an experienced Cougars’ defense.
Tooley has 38 tackles, including two tackles for loss and one sack. He also has one interception.
Senior linebacker AJ Vongphachanh (#10) has 34 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback-hurries.
Junior defensive end Tyler Batty (#92) has 26 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three quarterback-hurries and one fumble recovery.
Junior cornerback Jakob Robinson (#0) has three interceptions and two pass breakups.
Senior cornerback Eddie Heckard (#5) and senior cornerback Kamden Garrett (#7) each have one interception.
Sophomore kicker Will Ferrin (#44) has made three-of-five field goal attempts. He has a long field goal of 43 yards this season. He has not had a field goal attempt blocked.
Freshman punter Landon (Ryan) Rehkow (#39) has punted 27 times for an average of 49 yards per punt. He has a long punt of 66 yards. He has not had a punt blocked.
TCU holds a 6-5 series lead with BYU. The Frogs have a four-game winning streak against the Cougars.
The Horned Frogs and Cougars are meeting for the first time in a conference game since both were members of the Mountain West (2005-2010). TCU was 4-2 against BYU in the Mountain West, including wins in the last three meetings.
TCU and BYU are meeting for the first time since 2011, which was a 38-28 Horned Frogs' victory at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. TCU was in its final season in the Mountain West. The Cougars were in their first year as an Independent.
One of TCU's more memorable wins in the series with BYU came in 2008, in Fort Worth, when defensive end Jerry Hughes, currently with the Houston Texans in his 14th NFL season, had four sacks in leading the Horned Frogs to a 32-7 victory to snap a 16-game BYU winning streak that was the longest in the nation.
The first meeting in the TCU-BYU series was a 33-12 TCU win in Fort Worth in 1987, known as "The Cricket Game" for the abundance of crickets that made their way into Amon G. Carter Stadium. The pesky, noisy insects nearly covered the football field and harassed spectators throughout the game.
TCU is a 5.5-point favorite. The under-over for total points scored by the two teams is 53.5.
Dykes talks about BYU: here
Sitake talks about TCU: here
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