TCU Football Wins 2024 Season-Opener Against Stanford, 34-27

 

TCU quarterback Josh Hoover led TCU's victory over Stanford

The TCU Horned Frogs opened their 2024 college football season with a sloppy, lackluster, come-from-behind  34-27 victory over Stanford on Friday, August 30, in Palo, Alto, California, before an announced crowd of 36,026. The game was broadcast nationally by ESPN.

TCU trailed in the game 7-0, 14-7, 14-10, 17-10, 17-13 and 24-20. The Frogs took the lead for good at 27-24 late in the fourth quarter. 

TCU was led to victory by sophomore quarterback Josh Hoover. He completed his first eight pass attempts and finished 28-of-42 for 353 yards and two touchdowns.

The Frogs' offense accumulated 457 total yards.

Senior wide receiver Jack Bech had a career-best 139 yards receiving on six catches. 

Senior wide receiver JP Richardson had a career-best 107 yards on six receptions for the second 100-yard game of his career. Richardson has at least one catch in 28 consecutive games, tied for the seventh-longest active streak in the nation.

This was the first time that TCU had two 100-yard receivers in the same game for the first time since Derius Davis (139 yards) and Quentin Johnston (114 yards) did so in a game against Oklahoma State in 2020. 

Senior wide receiver Savion Williams tied a career-high with 11 receptions, for 85 yards. He had a five-yard touchdown catch on TCU’s opening series, his ninth career receiving score. It was part of five receptions on the drive.

Sophomore running back Cam Cook scored the first rushing touchdown of his career on a seven-yard carry for TCU’s final points, in the fourth quarter. Cook ran for a career-high 81 yards on 20 attempts.

True freshman quarterback Hauss Hejny made his collegiate debut. He had two rushing attempts for seven yards.

Truce freshman kicker Kyle Lemmermann made 22- and 42-yard field goals on his first two collegiate attempts.

TCU scored for the 395th consecutive game, the second-longest streak in NCAA history. Number one is Florida, at 448 games (1988-present). The Horned Frogs haven't been blanked since November 16, 1991, at Texas (32-0). 

Under the guidance of first-year defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, who is the former head football coach of Boise State, the Horned Frogs held Stanford to 281 total yards, had 10 tackles for loss and four sacks and limited the Cardinal to converting five-of-15 third-down attempts.

Making his first career start, sophomore safety Jamel Johnson had a personal-best 11 tackles. He also forced a fumble.

Senior linebacker Namdi Obiazor had 2.5 tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks, as part of four total tackles.

Junior linebacker Devean Deal had 2.5 tackles for loss, with a half sack, in his TCU debut. Deal  transferred to the Frogs from Tulane prior to this season. 

Senior linebacker Marcel Brooks’ 1.5 sacks were his first at TCU and since recording 1.5 sacks while playing as a true freshman on LSU’s 2019 national championship team.

Senior linebacker Cooper McDonald took part in his first sack as a Horned Frog. He transferred to TCU from San Diego State.

Senior defensive lineman Tymon Mitchell, a transfer from Georgia, had his first career interception, off a deflection by linebacker Johnny Hodges. He also had a tackle on a fourth-down play that resulted in Stanford turning the ball over on downs to the Frogs.

Senior defensive lineman NaNa Osafo-Mensah, a transfer from Notre Dame, posted four quarterback hurries.

Senior cornerback JaTravis Broughton, a transfer from Utah, recorded two pass breakups.

TCU-Stanford box score: here

Game highlights: here

TCU head coach Sonny Dykes, quarterback Josh Hoover and linebacker Johnny Hodges talk about TCU's win: here

TCU locker room after beating Stanford: here 

Stanford head coach Troy Taylor talks about Stanford's loss: here

Stanford is a first-year member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which the Cardinal joined after the Pac-12 imploded last year. Only Oregon State and Washington State remain as members of the Pac-12.

This was the fourth meeting between TCU and Stanford. The Frogs have won all four contests. The last meeting between the two teams was in the 2017 Alamo Bowl, in San Antonio, Texas. TCU won, 39-37. The two teams have played once in California, in 2007. TCU won, 38-36. The two teams' only game played in Fort Worth, in 2008, was won by the Horned Frogs, 31-14.

The last time TCU opened a season with a Friday night road game was in 2022. The Frogs defeated Colorado, 38-13, in Boulder, en route to a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance. 

 

August 30 equals (2008, 2014) the earliest date in history for TCU to open a football season.

TCU has a four-game winning streak against ACC opponents. The Horned Frogs are 5-5 all-time against the ACC.

The Horned Frogs are 8-4 in road games under third-year head coach Sonny Dykes.

TCU is 7-9 in its last 16 games, including 5-7 last season.

TCU's first home game of the 2024 season is Saturday, September 7, against Long Island University, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)-level opponent. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm (Central). The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

The third game of TCU's 2024 schedule is the Frog's 2024 Big 12 Conference-opener, against UCF (Central Florida), in Fort Worth, on Saturday, September 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 pm (Central). Fox will broadcast the game.

 

 

Key College Football Rule Changes for 2024

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame has partnered with College Football Officiating (CFO) to highlight these key rule changes that will be in effect this season:

Coach-to-Player Communications (Rule 1-4-11-b, Exception) 

Coach to player communications through the helmet is permissive in 2024 for the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) based on the following guidelines:

• Only one player may be on the field per team at a time with radio receiving capability and the player must be identified by an unbranded green dot on the back midline of the helmet.
• Coach-to-player communications will be cut off when the play clock reaches 15 seconds or at the snap, whichever comes first. When the play clock resets to 25/40, the communications will be turned back on.
• If more than one green dot helmet is detected on the field by the game officials, the result is a live ball 5-yard equipment violation penalty, and this penalty initiates a conference review.
• On free kick plays, the coach-to-player communications will not be in effect. There is no limitation to the number of green dot helmets for either team during free kick plays.
• A conference may develop a policy to provide guidance in handling situations dealing with communications failure.
• Back Judge mechanics will be developed dealing with an in stadium play clock failure and Rule 3-2-2-f, starting of the play clock when the game clock is less than 40/25 will be modified.
• FCS teams playing an FBS team may utilize coach-to-player communications in that game.

 
Tablets for In-Game Video (Rule 1-4-11-a, Exception 3)

Standard Tablets for in-game video only is permissive in 2024 for all football playing subdivisions and are subject to the following guidelines:

• Tablets shall be restricted to "in-game video" (current game) and may not include analytics, data or data-access capability or any other communications access. No other video is allowed (e.g., scouting video, practice video, etc.).
• Tablets may be used in the coach's box, sideline, and locker room and may not be interconnected to other devices to project larger/additional images.
• Video may include coach's sideline, coach's endzone, and a program feed per play from the current game only and may also display "game circumstances," including down / distance / time / quarter / play-number / score.
• A team may have up to 18 standard tablets active, and all team personnel may view the tablets.
• If any team personnel engages an official with a tablet to show or review video, an automatic Unsportsmanlike Conduct foul will result.

 
Wearable Technologies
The committee had a thorough discussion of wearable technologies. The committee received and approved three DIII requests for wearable Technologies. The conferences receiving approval to experiment with wearable technologies are:

• Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) - Armilla Tech
• Liberty League - GoRoute
• Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) – AT&T 5G Visual Helmet for Gallaudet University

  
Two-Minute Timeout (Rule 3-3-5) 

When the game clock is running and the ball is not live, the Referee shall stop the clock with exactly two minutes remaining in the second and fourth quarters for a Two-Minute Timeout.  If the ball is live when the game clock reaches two minutes in the second and fourth quarters, the play will continue, and the Referee shall stop the clock when the ball is subsequently declared dead for a Two Minute Timeout.
 
The radio / TV broadcast partner will hold back at least one media timeout to coincide with the Two-Minute Timeout. If there is no media timeout partner in the game, the timeout shall be one minute plus the five-second referee notification and the 25-second play clock interval.
 
This change will synchronize all in-game timing rule changes to be effective following the Two-Minute Timeout, including the first down timing rules, runs, fumbles, and backward passes out of bounds, Rule 3-4-3-b penalty enforcement, replay clock adjustment, and all 10-Second Runoff situations.
 
The play clock will be set at 25 seconds and the clock will start on the snap.
 
First Down Timing Rules (Rule 3-3-2-e-1) 

Division III Committee members decided to adopt the timing rules where the game clock will continue to run when a first down is gained in bounds. The game clock will be stopped subsequent to the Two-Minute Timeout in each half. Divisions I and II institutions utilized this timing rule last season.
 
Collaborative Replay (Rule 12-4-3) 

Conferences are now allowed the option of implementing a Collaborative Instant Replay review system. Currently, this is an experimental rule.
 
A collaborative decision-making model during instant replay reviews, which is in full compliance with Rule 12 and follows the Collaborative Replay Officiating Standards, is not limited to the press box of a stadium (Part II Officiating Standards, Section 16).
 
Horse-Collar Tackle (Rule 9-1-15) 

Horse-collar tackles that occur within the tackle box will be penalized as a 15-yard personal foul penalty. Currently, a horse-collar tackle within the tackle box is not a foul.
 
Replay – Halftime Intermission (Rule 3-2-1-b) 

At the end of the first half, after the teams have left the field and the Referee has cleared the final play with the on-field crew and the instant replay official, and there is no coach challenge, the Referee will declare the half ended.
 
After the Referee has declared the first half ended, there can be no additional replay reviews from the previous play (Exception: For games in which Instant Replay is not used, a halftime Targeting video review as outlined in the Penalty section of Rule 9-1-3 & 9-1-4 may be completed).
 

Major Editorial Changes

 
Players Numbering – (Rule 1-4-2-d) 

Currently, if a player enters the game after changing their jersey number during the game, the player must report to the Referee. For clarity, if a player enters the game with a number different than is on the game day roster, that player must report to the Referee. A player who enters the game after changing their number or with a different number than is on the game day roster and does not report commits a foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.
 
Prohibited Field Equipment – (Rule 1-4-11) 

Editorial changes to a broad number of issues were made within Rule 1-4-11.
(* indicates experimental rule from the previous season) 

• *Only head coaches may be interviewed in the intermission between the first and second periods, during the halftime intermission and during the intermission between the third and fourth periods. The head coach interviews between the first and second periods and the third and fourth periods may not occur during live action and must occur during a regularly scheduled broadcast timeout. The broadcast timeout may not be extended to accommodate the interview.  The location of the interview shall be just outside the team area.
• *After a change of possession or timeout, one camera is permitted from the television broadcast onto the playing enclosure for the purpose of capturing team personnel entering the field of play. The broadcast camera is not permitted to enter the team area or team huddle and must exit the field of play when players enter the huddle or line up in a formation. The broadcast camera is restricted to the area outside the hash marks.
• *Following a Touchdown, one camera is permitted from the television broadcast into the end zone for the purpose of capturing team personnel reaction.  The camera must immediately exit the end zone and field of play when the ball is ready for play for the Try Down.
• Institutional videographers may be in the team area as a part of that institution's 50 credentialed individuals. This video may not be used during any live broadcast or digital stream of the game.  (Previous rule limited the number of Institutional Videographers to one.)
• Institutional ball personnel are prohibited from wearing smart watches or any communications technology while on the opponent's sideline. 

Dead Ball and Loose Ball – (Rule 12-3-3-d-3) 

If a passer is ruled down or out of bounds prior to throwing a pass and the replay official has indisputable video evidence that the ball was released prior to the dead ball ruling, replay can rule on the immediate continuing action. If the pass is caught by either team, they are awarded possession at that spot with no advance. If the pass is incomplete, the down counts.
 
Penalty Enforcement after Replay Review – (Rule 12-3-6-i & j) 

Rules language added that codifies penalty enforcement after replay reviews.  Fouls that carry 5-yard and 10-yard penalties are not enforced if the ruling is overturned, and they become dead ball fouls. Personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct fouls are always enforced, regardless of the outcome of a replay review.

 

 

TCU Football Captains for 2024 Season

In voting by their TCU football teammates, safety Bud Clark, tight end Chase Curtis, linebacker Johnny Hodges, quarterback Josh Hoover, snapper Brent Matiscik and wide receiver Savion Williams have elected captains for the 2024 season.

TCU 47th in The Athletic Preason Ranking of 134 College Football Bowl Subdivision Teams

In The Athletic preseason ranking of all 134 college Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams, these are where the 16 Big 12 teams rank:

11) Utah
19) Iowa State
20) Kansas State
21) Kansas
22) Oklahoma State
25) Arizona
27) West Virginia
37) UCF
47) TCU
49) Texas Tech
51) Colorado
69) Baylor
75) BYU
85) Houston
89) Arizona State
94) Cincinnati

Overall, Ohio State ranked first.

Kennesaw State ranked 134th.

The Athletic 134 series is part of a partnership with Allstate.

 

2024 Associated Press College Football Preseason Top 25 Poll

 

Here is the 2024 Associated Press college football preseason Top 25 poll:

1) Georgia, 1532 total votes (46 first-place votes)
2) Ohio State, 1490 total votes (15 first-place votes)
3) Oregon, 1403 total votes (1 first-place vote)
4) Texas, 1386
5) Alabama, 1260
6) Ole Miss, 1189
7) Notre Dame, 1122
8) Penn State, 1060
9) Michigan, 995
10) Florida State, 971
11) Missouri, 927
12) Utah, 887
13) LSU, 804
14) Clemson, 689
15) Tennessee, 629
16) Oklahoma, 566
17) Oklahoma State, 538
18) Kansas State, 526
19) Miami (Florida), 492
20) Texas A&M, 292
21) Arizona, 237
22) Kansas, 231
23) USC, 172
24) NC State, 171
25) Iowa, 140

2024 College Football Playoff Schedule

 

Here are the College Football Playoff (CFP) game dates and bowl assignments for the 2024 college football season, based on the new 12-team playoff format that begins with this season.

2024 College Football Playoff Schedule

First Round (On-Campus Stadiums)

• Friday, December 20, 2024: One Game (evening)
• Saturday, December 21, 2024: Three Games (early afternoon, late afternoon and evening)

Quarterfinals (Bowls)

• Tuesday, December 31, 2024: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (evening)
• Wednesday, January 1, 2025: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (early afternoon), Rose Bowl Game (late afternoon) and Allstate Sugar Bowl (evening)

Semifinals (Bowls)

• Thursday, January 9, 2025: Capital One Orange Bowl (evening)
• Friday, January 10, 2025: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (evening)

CFP National Championship

• Monday, January 20, 2025: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

 

 

2024 Coaches College Football Preseason Top 25 Poll

The US LBM Coaches Poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools. The panel is chosen by random draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of coaches who have indicated to the American Football Coaches Association their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.

Here is the 2024 Preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, which features nine Southeastern Conference teams and five Big 12 teams:

1) Georgia, 1364 total points, 46 first-place votes
2) Ohio State, 1302 total points, 7 first-place votes
3) Oregon, 1228 total points
4) Texas, 1223 total points, 1 first-place vote
5) Alabama, 1077 total points
6) Ole Miss, 1019 total points
7) Notre Dame, 969 total points
8) Michigan, 944 total points, 1 first-place vote
9) Penn State, 889 total points
10) Florida State, 867 total points
11) Missouri, 808 total points
12) LSU, 742 total points
13) Utah, 665 total points
14) Clemson, 657 total points
15) Tennessee, 621 total points
16) Oklahoma, 609 total points
17) Kansas State, 416 total points
18) Oklahoma State, 359 total points
19) Miami (Florida), 292 total points
20) Texas A&M, 273 total points
21) Arizona, 230 total points
22) North Carolina State, 216 total points
23) USC, 199 total points
24) Kansas, 186 total points
25) Iowa, 148 total points

Others Receiving Votes: Washington 123; Louisville 95; Virginia Tech 64; SMU 47; Memphis 44; Boise State 30; Auburn 25; West Virginia 22; Wisconsin 17; Liberty 15; Iowa State 15; Kentucky 12; Florida 11; South Carolina 10; North Carolina 6; UNLV 5; Maryland 5; UCF 4; Texas Tech 4; UTSA 3; Tulane 2; Texas State 2; Nebraska 2; Colorado 2; Appalachian State 2; Troy 1; Syracuse 1; Miami (OH) 1; James Madison 1; Air Force 1;

Voters: The US LBM Board of Coaches for the 2024 season: Tim Albin, Ohio; Major Applewhite, South Alabama; Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; David Braun, Northwestern; Jeff Brohm, Louisville; Fran Brown, Syracuse; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Jamey Chadwell, Liberty; Bob Chesney, James Madison; Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan; Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech; Spencer Danielson, Boise State; Ryan Day, Ohio State; Kalen DeBoer, Alabama; Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Mike Elko, Texas A&M; Tony Elliott, Virginia; Jedd Fisch, Washington; James Franklin, Penn State; Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame; Willie Fritz, Houston; Alex Golesh, South Florida; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Mike Houston, East Carolina; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brent Key, Georgia Tech; GJ Kinne, Texas State; Chris Klieman, Kansas State; Dan Lanning, Oregon; Rhett Lashlee, SMU; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Lance Leipold, Kansas; Pete Lembo, Buffalo; Sean Lewis, San Diego State; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee; Joey McGuire, Texas Tech; Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico; Jeff Monken, Army; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State; Barry Odom, UNLV; Gerad Parker, Troy; Brent Pry, Virginia Tech; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Mark Stoops, Kentucky; Jon Sumrall, Tulane; Lance Taylor, Western Michigan; Jeff Traylor, Texas-San Antonio.