TCU vs. West Virginia: Preview and Prediction
Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming Big 12 match up in our TCU vs. West Virginia preview and prediction.
Game Info
Friday, November 29th, 2019, 3:15 p.m. CST; Fort Worth, Texas; Amon G. Carter Stadium
TV: ESPN (Mark Neely, Mike Golic Jr., Dr. Jerry Punch)
Radio: WBAP 820 AM, KTCU 88.7fm; SiriusXM 83; Mountaineer Sports Network by Learfield IMG College
Opening Line: TCU -13.5
Fun Fact: TCU is playing on the day after Thanksgiving for the fourth time in the last five seasons with the Horned Frogs winning each previous game.
Key Players
West Virginia Mountaineers
RB Leddie Brown
It might seem weird to pick a running back here as WVU’s running attack has been so meager this season, but TCU has been vulnerable against the run and not the pass. So let’s put Brown in here as the top back for the Mountaineers. He has 26 carries the past two weeks for 93 yards. His best game this season came against KU early in the season when he had 12 carries for 70 yards, good for 5.8 ypc.
DL’s Dante and Darius Stills
The brothers have made a living in Big 12 backfields this season. They each have seven sacks on the season good for second in the Big 12 this season. Darius also ranks 5th in the Big 12 with 13.5 tackles for loss this season, while Dante has 10.5. They have led a very underrated West Virginia front seven this season.
TCU Horned Frogs
WR Jalen Reagor
Reagor has not had a big statistical season since TCU is working in a true freshman QB in Max Duggan, but he does have 37 catches for 554 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 15.0 yards per catch. Any time he touches the ball, he’s explosive. And TCU wisely tries to get him in on the running game at times as well.
LB Garrett Wallow
Wallow is the Big 12’s leading tackler this season with 113, five ahead of Texas Tech’s Jordyn Brooks. He also has 3.5 sacks this season and is second in the the Big 12 with 15.0 tackles for loss. TCU’s defense remains one of the best in the Big 12 and Wallow’s dominance has been a reason why.
Key Storylines
West Virginia Mountaineers
The Mountaineers need to get to freshman QB Max Duggan early and often and cause chaos in the TCU backfield with the Stills brothers. WVU ranks second in the Big 12 with 22 sacks in eight Big 12 games, while TCU ranks near the bottom of the conference, allowing 20 sacks in eight games. WVU needs to get to Duggan, force some turnovers, score easy points on a short field and try to gain momentum in Fort Worth to pull off the upset on the road.
TCU Horned Frogs
The Horned Frogs want to play a low-scoring game and control the clock. TCU ranks second in the Big 12 in time of possession, while WVU sits down near the bottom of the conference. Duggan will work the offense through Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua. Anderson has a team-best 792 rushing yards and let the run game set up the passing game to Reagor or Pro Wells in the red zone. The tight end has five touchdowns on 16 catches. His top two games of the season have come this month against Baylor (four catches for 58 yards) and Oklahoam State (four catches for 52 yards).
Prediction
TCU 24, West Virginia 14
The Horned Frogs are playing for a chance to become bowl eligible, which this young team could definitely use for extra practice time. It’s also Senior Day as the team looks to send its veterans off on a high note. The Horned Frogs have played a ton of close games this season and even their losses to some of the best teams in the conference have been decided by just a few points. They’ve lost to Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Baylor and Kansas State all by one touchdown or less.
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