Week 9 of the college football season is here and despite there not being a ranked matchup this weekend in the Big 12, there is still plenty on the line with conference play in full swing. One of the most important games of the weekend took place in Fort Worth, Texas as the TCU Horned Frogs hosted the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
TCU was fresh off a big win against Utah on the road while Texas Tech was coming off a disappointing loss to Baylor. Both teams have a couple of losses on the season but both of them are still in the hunt for a Big 12 title. In this rivalry game, anything can happen in the battle for the saddle but on Saturday, it was TCU who came out on top 35-34. Here are my top three takeaways from the game.
What A Comeback
While the Horned Frogs jumped out to an early 14-3 lead in the first quarter, Texas Tech scored 28 unanswered points to take a 31-14 lead in the third quarter. The offense for TCU went cold because after putting up two quick scores, they had three turnovers that helped the Red Raiders put some points on the board.
The Horned Frogs finally scored their first touchdown in nearly two full quarters when running back Jeremy Payne hit pay dirt to make it a 10-point game. On the very next drive, the Red Raiders knocked in a field goal to extend their lead to 13 with less than 12 minutes left to play. But TCU didn’t flinch as they put together back-to-back touchdown drives. The first score came when Josh Hoover hit DJ Rodgers for an 8-yard touchdown, but the one that put the Horned Frogs ahead was Hoover’s 84-yard touchdown pass to Eric McAlister. In span of less than six minutes, TCU went from being down by double digits to being ahead by one.
After taking the lead, the defense took over. They forced a late fumble and then the offense chewed some clock with less than two minutes to go. But the defense wasn’t done yet because they came up with another key stop late to help secure the 35-34 victory to help bring the saddle back to Fort Worth.
Texas Tech’s Defense Is Still a Problem
Coming into the weekend, the worst scoring defense and passing defense in the Big 12 belonged to the Texas Tech Red Raiders and after this game, nothing changed. While they were able to force a few turnovers and get some pressure on TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, they struggled to buckle down in crunch time.
The defense had trouble slowing down Savion Williams early as they let him score two times with back-to-back big plays. Then Josh Hoover settled in and started picking them apart in the second half. Texas Tech gave up three touchdowns over 34 yards and two of them were over 70 yards. This defense let TCU score 28 points in the second half after giving up just 14 in the first half.
I know starting quarterback Behren Morton missed the second half due to a shoulder injury, but backup Will Hammond came in and did an excellent job in his absence. Sure, the fumble late hurt, but he did more than enough to win the game. This team had a 31-14 lead late in the third quarter and the defense completely collapsed.
Staying in the Hunt
Despite Texas Tech’s loss to TCU on Saturday, the Red Raiders are by no means completely out of the Big 12 title race. Sure, they have two losses in conference play, but they get to play an undefeated Iowa State team next weekend in Ames. If they can pull off the upset, then they could really shake up the Big 12 standings. Of course, Colorado is left on their schedule, but those games against Oklahoma State and West Virginia to end the season are winnable.
As for TCU, this was a must-win game for them. A third loss in Big 12 play would have pretty much closed the window for them, but they kept it open with a big win on Saturday. I know this team has been shaky, but if Josh Hoover can take care of the football, there is a chance for them to potentially win out. The Horned Frogs have Baylor, Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Cincinnati left on their schedule. That is about as easy as it gets in this conference.
