The No. 4 TCU delivered a strong defensive 17-10 victory over No. 18 Texas, achieving their first 10 wins since 2017 and qualifying for the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday, December 3. did. Two offensive powers surprisingly turned into a defensive battle, but in the end, TCU remains the center of attention in the college football playoffs.
Texas recorded 11 tackles in the first half and kept TCU behind the chain, but Kendre Miller took over the game in the second half, overshadowing his more daring contemporary Bijan Robinson. Miller interrupted a 75-yard touchdown run and cleared a 130-yard rush for his first touchdown of the game. Robinson only lasted 29 yards and for the seventh time in a row he recorded a 100-yard performance.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers followed his breakout performance against Oklahoma in October with 171 yards on 17 of 39 passes and a failed interception. Surprisingly, the Longhorns haven’t scored his touchdown offensively in the second half since his October 15 win over Iowa State. Texas He caught seven passes for tight end Jatabion Sanders for 61 yards and Jordan Whittington for 78 yards, both of which fell short. end zone.
TCU went 10-0 and earned a chance at a conference title in coach Sonny Dykes’ first season. The Horned Frogs has regulars left in his season against Baylor and Iowa State before appearing in the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time since 2017.
Frog boosts defense
TCU have been criticized for winning the shootout, but their defense played a big role against the Longhorns. Horned Frogs picked off his Ewers and held Robinson to his 29 yards. This is after the All-American running back post rushed with 614 yards in his last four games.
Horned Frogs linebacker Johnny Hodges flew around the field with 11 tackles, including a loss of 1.5 tackles. His four other defenders made tackles, and defensively his end Dylan Horton took the sack. It was a team-wide effort that saw the Frogs once again put up a strong second half and smother their opponents.
Trouble with the Horns Passing Game
TCU did a good job making Ewers uncomfortable, but Texas’ passing game naturally collapsed as well. Ewers missed his first seven passes, and he whiffed six of his last seven attempts. Texas had some drops or uncontested passes when Ewers hit the target. Xavier Worthy specifically, he was targeted 12 times and only he had 4 catches.
The Longhorns’ receiving game was touted for the season with Ewers behind center, but the receiver’s performance has been lackluster. With only two games left in the regular season, no receiver has cleared 600 yards. Sanders has proven to be a prime weapon, but no other receiver has been able to consistently produce mismatches.
TCU playoff affair
TCU has consistently dominated the team on offense, but Horned Frogs turned the script upside down with their rushing and defensively focused offense. With any luck, TCU hopes that the college football playoff selection committee will realize their ability to win in a variety of ways. For example: star receiver Quentin Johnston scored a touchdown on his catch and he recorded his receive for 66 yards, but he wasn’t the focus of the night.
With such a dominant win against one of college football’s most explosive offenses, TCU earns much-needed credit as the Commission enters its final deliberations. must. With the win, TCU now has strong wins against No. 18 Texas, No. 19 Kansas, Oklahoma, and many other potential bowl teams. Each has had to overcome a different kind of adversity, but Frog is not defeated yet.
