Presser Points from Week 7: Outmatched in Manhattan

Sonny Dykes said it himself, “It was a disaster.” The Frogs simply did not execute. Josh Hoover and the offense were stymied, and that is not a testament to the Kansas State defense, but rather a concerning reality of where this offense is.

Self-Inflicted Wounds

TCU never gave itself the chance to win on Saturday. Four drops, an interception, and a fumble were just some of the frustrations witnessed in Manhattan as TCU did not play sharp or smart football. Sonny Dykes said, “We talked and preached all week that the team that made the fewest mistakes was going to be the team that won… Just an embarrassing performance.”

The Frogs had a turnover differential of -3, and are now 6-11 when losing the turnover battle under Dykes. When winning the turnover battle, TCU is 25-4 under its head coach.

Perhaps TCU’s biggest miscue was a backwards pass in the second quarter to Ed Small that resulted in a fumble, scoop-and-score for Kansas State. The Frogs went from leading 7-0 with 2:50 left in the half to trailing 14-7 going into the locker room.

Over the last few weeks, the Frogs have shown an inability to perform in hostile road environments. From their struggles in Tempe against the Arizona State Sun Devils to Saturday’s embarrassment, TCU has not shown enough on the road. 

Optimistic with the Offensive Line

Despite Saturday’s loss, one of the bright spots Dykes witnessed was the offensive line. A part of the offense that has been so poor up to this point found a better rhythm against the Wildcats.

Dykes addressed the struggles, even admitting there were a few too many penalties made by the offensive line, but he said, “I thought we protected well. I thought we ran the ball better; we got more movement up front than we’ve been getting.”

It wasn’t the best showing, but TCU ran the ball better. They were held to just 3.2 yards per carry and just 72 yards, the third straight game without breaking the century mark as a team. But, unbelievably, that is more efficient than they’ve been over the previous two games. Kevorian Barnes was once again the primary back, taking 12 carries for 81 yards. But he had only three carries in the entirety of the second half, with his last carry coming with 10:38 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

When asked about why the Frogs stopped running the ball and moved solely to the passing game, Dykes said, “We kind of had to just try to get back in the game because it got away from us pretty quickly.”

What’s Next?

TCU (4-2, 1-2 Big 12) will have a big week of preparation ahead as it turns its focus to the Baylor Bears (4-2, 2-1 Big 12). Their foes from Waco are coming off a bye week and haven’t played since their 35-34 win against Kansas State on Oct. 4.

The Frogs will host the Bears on Saturday, Oct. 18. Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. CT from Amon G. Carter Stadium and will be nationally televised on ESPN2.