Frog Recap: What we learned from TCU’s Big 12 loss against UCF

A stellar showing from Josh Hoover was spoiled by poor run defense as the Horned Frogs blow a three-touchdown lead to the Knights.

TCU football appeared ready to roll over the UCF Knights during Saturday evening’s Big 12 Conference opener at Amon G. Carter Stadium. But despite the Horned Frogs building a 21-point advantage, UCF rumbled for nearly 300 rushing yards and made key plays in the passing game while TCU’s offense failed to sustain drives during the second half. The result was a brutal home loss for the Horned Frogs, who were outscored 28-13 in the second half in a 35-34 defeat that saw UCF take its first and only lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter. TCU (2-1, 0-1 Big 12) will face SMU this coming weekend before resuming Big 12 play against Kansas, but the Horned Frogs have questions they must answer before that time. Here are three things we learned from TCU’s loss to the Knights on Saturday evening.

The interior of the TCU defensive line was exposed against UCF

The Horned Frogs had no answer for the UCF rushing attack during the second half, where RJ Harvey and KJ Jefferson commanded a three-touchdown comeback to steal a game from TCU on its home field. Harvey rushed for 180 yards and two scores on 29 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Jefferson followed with 46 rushing yards on nine carries for the Knights, who consistently controlled the line of scrimmage and opened big holes on the ground.

TCU hardly got any production from its interior defensive linemen, with starters Tymon Mitchell and Caleb Fox combining for zero tackles while redshirt freshman Markis Deal had only one tackle. Of the six leading tacklers for the Horned Frogs on Saturday, four were defensive backs (JaTravis Broughton, Jamel Johnson, Abe Camara and Bud Clark) and two were linebackers (Namdi Obiazor and Johnny Hodges). TCU also finished without a sack during Saturday’s loss against the Knights.

We knew entering the 2024 season that the Horned Frogs would need returning players to step up after changing schemes under new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos and losing star nose tackle Damonic Williams to the transfer portal. But TCU added only one transfer to the interior of its defensive line, Hakeem Ajijolaiya, who had four tackles to lead all interior defensive linemen against UCF on Saturday. The Horned Frogs had fared well against the run in their wins over Stanford and Long Island, but Saturday’s loss served as a reminder of how far the team’s defensive line still needs to go, particularly on the interior.

Special teams continues to be a bright spot for the Horned Frogs

TCU’s dominance over the first two-thirds of the game was largely due to its success in the passing game, but the Horned Frogs delivered multiple highlights on special teams, where the team blocked two field-goal attempts and an extra-point attempt by the Knights. True freshman kicker Kyle Lemmermann sent a pair of field goals through the uprights to keep the Horned Frogs ahead during the second half, while punter Ethan Craw averaged 49.7 yards per boot with a long of 50 yards. Although Lemmermann couldn’t convert a 58-yard attempt in the final seconds, his kick carried plenty of distance and the final result should not cast any doubt on his ability to produce for the Horned Frogs moving forward.

TCU remains unable to run the ball efficiently or when it matters

In our Frog Mailbag article published on Tuesday, I wrote that I was nervous that the Horned Frogs would revert to a heavily pass-first offensive approach during Saturday’s game. TCU and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles proved me right, as the Horned Frogs attempted 52 passes while running the football only 17 times for 58 yards, an average of 3.4 yards per carry. For what it’s worth, Josh Hoover was outstanding against the Knights, throwing for 402 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions or other turnovers. TCU’s wide receivers also enjoyed another strong outing, as Jack Bech went for 200 yards and a touchdown on nine grabs while Savion Williams caught two touchdown passes and former Boise State transfer Eric McAlister hauled in his first touchdown pass as a Horned Frog.

But TCU refused to commit to running the football despite holding a 28-7 lead early in the third quarter, opting instead to continuously push the pace and throw quick passes. The Horned Frogs ran the ball just twice in the third quarter and finished with 27 pass attempts to only seven rush attempts during the second half. The most glaring play calls came late in the fourth quarter, where TCU held a 34-28 lead and retook possession after its defense made one of only a few stops in the second half. Rather than attempt to melt the clock, Briles and the TCU offense threw the ball three consecutive times and failed to convert, which sent a defense that ultimately surrendered 28 second-half points right back onto the field. The result was rather predictable, as the Knights marched right down the field and scored the game-winning touchdown with only 40 seconds remaining.

The Air Raid offense will always lean toward throwing the football, but TCU’s inability to establish the run late in games or with significant leads will make it tougher to lock down wins against tougher Big 12 opponents. The lack of balance is not sustainable and at some point, TCU will have to show that it can run the football, both efficiently and effectively.