Frogs O’ War Roundtable: at Kansas Jayhawks

The staff discuss TCU’s trip to Kansas City as both squads look to bounce back from disappointing starts.

Do you ascribe TCU’s struggles to personnel, scheme, or execution?

• Anthony: Nothing has worked for the Frogs over the last six quarters. I have been stunned at TCU’s inability to scheme up anything to stop the run. Being in a conference with the best rushing attacks nationally, you knew you’d have to find a way to slow Ollie Gordon and Devin Neal and Tahj Brooks and RJ Harvey if you had any chance of contending in the Big 12 in 2024. Bringing in Andy Avalos and the transfer Edges felt like an effort in this direction, and Week 1 at Stanford looked great with 10 TFLs and allowing just 3.3 yards per carry, but the execution has been extremely poor the last two weeks as teams have found they can simply pound the rock with little resistance. Offensively, the run game has been a complete no-show on the season as the Horned Frogs rank 121st nationally in rushing yards per game. Losing OL Cade Bennett to season-ending injury has proved to be a massive blow to the unit as the line is getting no push and producing no running lanes while also accumulating a boatload of penalties. While scheme failures and sloppy execution have plagued the Frogs, it may be the case that TCU simply doesn’t have the dudes in the trenches on either side of the ball to make up for any of those coaching or on-field lapses.
• Austin: After last week’s debacle, you can attribute the Horned Frogs’ struggles to all three—personnel, scheme, and execution. On offense, the running back room has been a massive disappointment. Sure, Cam Cook has great potential, but no current back looks like the answer, and the lack of agility is jarring. On defense, the front has been manhandled against UCF and SMU. Only one defensive lineman recorded more than a tackle, even though the Mustangs ran the ball 42 times! Onto scheme, the running scheme is poor, and the RPOs are useless (Hoover has 0 rushing yards this season). While the 4-2-5 scheme from Avalos was supposed to aid in rushing the passer, the Horned Frogs have only accumulated six sacks this season. Maybe the 3-3-5 does work better? Who knows at this point?
• Drew: All are contributing factors in my opinion. The departure of Damonic Williams was a huge loss for the defensive line and has put some players in bigger roles that they may not be ready for yet. TCU also needs to do a better job sorting through misdirection in run fits and remaining aware of the possibility of play action. The Frogs also need more players in the box. In the running game, the offensive line has underperformed but the coaching staff could do a better job with scheme to help them out. It is well documented that Kendall Briles’ scheme is designed for mobile quarterbacks and it does not appear that TCU has made enough adjustments to the ground game based on Hoover’s abilities.
• Russ: All of the above. Defensively, TCU doesn’t have the horses up front to control the line of scrimmage and we haven’t seen the coaching staff load more players in the box to stop the run. The offensive line is equally as troublesome in terms of its ability to create running lanes and the zone running scheme that Kendal Briles mostly uses has not worked out. TCU looks like a team that has to throw its way to victory and hope that someone on defense, whether it’s Namdi Obiazor or someone else, makes a game-changing play.
• Wyatt: Yes. The Line is getting dominated on both sides of the ball. There are not enough players in the trenches on defense to hold up to a good rushing attack. On the other side of the ball, The offensive line is not getting the necessary push for success running the ball. As for the Special Teams Unit, there was a lack of execution against SMU. This is interesting because they were a bright spot against UCF.

Which position group has most disappointed in failing to live up to preseason expectations?

• Anthony: Can I say everyone? I’ll go with the running back room that is performing among the worst in the country through four games. While they haven’t always been put in the best position to succeed given the offensive play calling, and perhaps it was too much to expect Cam Cook to just step right into the shoes left by Emani Bailey & Kendre Miller recently and not see any learning curve, but the fall off has been monumental, even as he’s been able to find the end zone five times this season.
• Austin: The running backs. The TCU offensive line has surprisingly held its own to begin the year after undergoing a complete makeover from a season ago—Josh Hoover has only been sacked twice throughout the season. Cam Cook and Co have been a different story. The offensive line hasn’t run-blocked as well as they have pass-blocked, but not once TCU back has managed any sort of success. The longest rush of the season is 20 yards and the Horned Frogs average 3.0 yards per carry as a collective.
• Drew: The offensive line. This has been the worst running game TCU has had in recent memory and a lot of that is due to a lack of push up front. Sure, there are other factors in play but there is consistently no movement from the run blocking unit.
• Russ: The defensive line. I was hoping that highly touted recruits like Markis Deal, Avion Carter and Zachary Chapman would have a greater impact defensively, but that hasn’t been the case. I knew this unit would be weaker after TCU lost Damonic Williams to Oklahoma in the transfer portal, but the returning players (Caleb Fox, Tymon Mitchell) have made almost zero impact. TCU will need to spend some NIL and hit the portal hard for linemen.
• Wyatt: The running back group. Under Dykes, TCU has had good rushing games with Kendre Miller and Emani Bailey. The running backs this season have not been able to produce, which has had the offense one dimensional and predictable.

TCU has allowed 527 total rushing yards in the last two games combined. How can the Frogs hope to slow Jayhawks QB Jalon Daniels and RB Devin Neal?

• Anthony: While Daniels is certainly capable of beating you through the air, TCU will simply have to throw more bodies at the line of scrimmage. Perhaps some 4-4 looks to get Marcel Brooks, Shad Banks, Max Carroll, and Kaleb Elarms-Orr more opportunities to provide impact alongside Johnny Hodges & Namdi Obiazor. Maybe drop those safeties and nickel corners down into the box, let’s see Abe Camara, Jamel Johnson, and Bud Clark in on the action. KU may be able to get chunk gains with play action and Leipold will certainly scheme up the Frogs into terrible positions on Saturday, but if TCU can win early downs there may be opportunity to limit the ability for the Jayhawks to put TCU into such a blender.
• Austin: It’s obvious the defensive line can’t hold up against running teams, thus the Horned Frogs need to play closer to the line of scrimmage. The scheme should almost shift to a 5-2-4 instead of a 4-2-5. Matchups need to be won in the trenches, but linebackers also need to be playing the run. Jalon Daniels has proved to be a solid runner, yet below-average passer. The RPO may do some damage, but biting on any play action would be foolish.
• Drew: Bring safeties into the box and trust your cornerbacks to hold up in coverage. Kansas has a solid wide receiver in Luke Grimm but in order for the Frogs to stop the run, they need more players in the box. Abe Camara and Jamel Johnson are both very solid tacklers and need to be more involved in stopping the run.
• Russ: Load the box. Jalon Daniels has been a turnover machine this season, throwing seven interceptions in four games. Make him throw the ball. Devin Neal is one of the best backs in the conference and Daniels is an effective runner as well, but if the Horned Frogs can sell out on stopping the run and force Daniels to throw, I’ll take my chances with the TCU secondary winning 1-on-1 matchups against Luke Grimm and KU’s other skill players.
• Wyatt: Everyone else has said it, and I think it is obvious. The defense needs to load the box and make it harder to run the ball. I think bringing a safety, like Abe Camara, closer to the line of scrimmage would help TCU stop the run. Jalon Daniels and the Jayhawks have not been great through the air this year, so I think the defense needs to trust the DBs and make Daniels beat you with his arm.

With the loser of this game falling to 0-2 in Big 12 play, this is a de facto conference title elimination game. What can the Horned Frogs do to salvage the season and make a push for Arlington?

• Anthony: If the Horned Frogs want to remain in contention even into October, there must be some ability to choke the life out of opponents: long sustained drives that result in touchdowns, getting off the field in third-and-long situations, no boneheaded penalties to keep opponent drives alive or kill your own, force takeaways on defense and protect the ball on offense. TCU has failed in all of these areas the last two weeks; it is a lot to clean up and the margin for error has been fully eliminated, but the Frogs have a chance to begin the turnaround in Kansas City on Saturday.
• Austin: The offense is too one-dimensional, and the defense is in need of improvements across the board to make a push for Arlington. However, a solid defensive performance (especially against the run) and a well-paced, multi-dimensional offense would provide some hope for the Horned Frogs’ future. Last but not least, there should be some consistency. TCU failed to replicate its special teams success against UCF, falling completely flat against the Mustangs. There needs to be some accountability for across all units.
• Drew: Ideally, both the running game and run defense look much improved against Kansas but I do not see a quick fix for the rushing attack. The run defense can be helped out by a change in scheme to get more players in the box. I have faith in the pass rush and secondary and I think Hoover at the wide receivers can move the ball without the run game on offense. Stopping the run would be a big development for the 2024 season.
• Russ: I don’t see the Horned Frogs finishing in the top 4 of the conference. But I do think there’s a path for TCU to win 7 or 8 games and make a bowl. It all starts in the trenches on both sides of the ball. I think the Horned Frogs will roll out a new starting five on the OL against Kansas and I’m hoping we see the defense load more guys in the box to stop the run. With that said, TCU’s secondary will have to win 1-on-1 matchups, which could be more difficult against better passing teams like Utah, Arizona and others. But the players are who they are at this point and the Horned Frogs have to figure out how to use who they have.
• Wyatt: For TCU to make a run to Arlington, they must play disciplined football. The mistakes and turnovers need to be cleaned up. TCU had 5 turnovers and 14 penalties against SMU last week. That cannot happen again. TCU has the athletes to compete, I think they just need to execute.

Offensive MVP vs. Kansas

• Anthony: I’ll take a wild card and go with Jordyn Bailey. The redshirt freshman speedster needs to be getting more touches. His kick return touchdown last week that was called back for a terrible penalty call so bad that Sonny Dykes got ejected for advising the officials how bad of a call it was, was a glimpse at the game-breaking ability Bailey can bring to the Frogs. Put Bailey in the Taye Barber/Derius Davis role and let him turn jet sweeps and quick-hit passes into big plays.
• Austin: I have to go with Jack Bech. While Hoover is the guy getting the ball to Bech, the former LSU Tiger makes such a difference as a route runner and YAC receiver. Bech has reached unforeseeable heights as a player and it doesn’t appear he’s slowing down anytime soon.
• Drew: I’ll take JPR as a wildcard to have a big game. Kansas has two very good cornerbacks that will be tasked with guarding TCU’s outside receivers and I think Richardson primarily playing in the slot will lead to him getting plenty of targets.
• Russ: Jack Bech. It’s the easy and obvious answer considering he’s arguably TCU’s best player on offense right now, but no team has been able to stop him yet. I think Bech leads the Horned Frogs in receiving once again.
• Wyatt: Savion Williams. I think after Bech’s performance against UCF and SMU, he will start to take some attention off of Savion. I think Williams will capitalize and have a monster game against Kansas.

Defensive MVP vs. Kansas

• Anthony: JT Broughton. The Frogs will have to leave the CBs on islands in an effort to stop the dynamic KU run game. Jalon Daniels will be looking to find his outside receivers on deep shots and quick hot routes. Broughton got torched by Kobe Hudson two weeks ago, had two missed tackles last week, and has become an easy target to attempt to draw penalties. He’ll be the key to the TCU defense actually getting off the field; if he can maintain composure and prevent those killer big plays and 3rd down conversions, the Frogs will have a chance.
• Austin: NaNa Osafo-Mensah. A bit of a wildcard, but the defensive line will be the focus against Kansas. Deal, Fox, and Mitchell have combined for a paltry 13 tackles this season, while Osafo-Mensah has totaled 11 and a sack. Controlling the trenches is key against run-heavy teams and the former Notre Dame standout will have more than enough opportunities to make his presence felt.
• Drew: Cooper McDonald. I think McDonald is going to be used extensively on run blitzes in an effort to stop the Kansas rushing attack and it results in him having a big game with a few tackles for loss and a sack.
• Russ: Johnny Hodges. He’s been a consistent tackler, but he’s yet to record a sack or force a turnover this season. I think that changes on Saturday and he comes up with a big stop or a significant forced fumble or interception that aids the TCU defense.
• Wyatt:

Final Score

• Anthony: Kansas 31, TCU 23
• Austin: TCU 38, Kansas 35
• Drew: Kansas 34, TCU 31
• Russ: TCU 31, Kansas 28
• Wyatt: TCU 42- Kansas 35