Frogs O’ War Roundtable: vs. Long Island Sharks

The staff gives thoughts ahead of TCU’s Week 2 contest

Anthony: The defense has that fire back. Guys making plays, flying to the football, DBs locking down deep throws, sure tackling at all levels, and a passion that was clearly absent in 2023. While the unsportsmanlike penalties need to get cleaned up, seeing the unit hunt and give reason to be feared was refreshing.
Austin: Even though Stanford isn’t the staunchest of opponents, the Horned Frogs took care of business. TCU showed flashes on both sides of the ball. The offense looks explosive and the defense generated pressure. Both of which lacked a season ago.
Drew: My takeaway is that the Frogs have the talent to be elite on the defensive side of the ball if they can stay disciplined. The pass rush was impressive, the run defense was suffocating, and the secondary did a great job limiting Elic Ayomanor and the Stanford passing game. Andy Avalos has brought some energy to that side of the ball.
Russ: My biggest takeaway was that this team has loads of potential in all three phases, but there are still some inconsistencies that need to be corrected in order to be competitive at the top level. My biggest concerns are the penalties and the continued red-zone problems.
Wyatt: I thought that the defense looked very good. I expect them to cause problems in the Big 12 this season. In general, this team looks and feels different from last year, and I am excited.

Anthony: Look, Long Island is one of the worst FCS teams. I don’t want to see the Sharks’ offense cross midfield in the first half. I need the Frogs to score a touchdown with every possession. No injuries, no dumb penalties, no turnovers. Take some shots downfield early, get Josh Hoover comfortable with that deep ball. Five carries for 65 yards and a TD for both Nate Palmer & Jeremy Payne.
Austin: A clean game where the Horned Frogs come out hot and don’t slow down. More specifically, continued explosive plays, improved special team play (from a week ago), and diligence in the redzone.
Drew: I would like to see intentional adjustments made to limit the quarterback scramble. Ashton Daniels was by far the leading rusher for Stanford a week ago largely due to scrambles when the pocket collapsed. Seeing the defense make an intentional change to fix this on Saturday would give me confidence going into conference play.
Russ: I want to see as close to zero penalties as possible and I need to see the TCU offense finish drives with points as opposed to turnovers or failed fourth-down conversions. The Horned Frogs had issues in these areas during last year’s FCS matchup with Nicholls State.
Wyatt: Offensive and defensive execution. I want the Frogs to look sound on both sides of the field. I think LIU will be a good opponent to get the kinks out and get ready for UCF and Big 12 play.

Anthony: Josh Hoover. I want to see him best Max Duggan’s 2022 stat line vs. Tarleton State (23-29, 390 yards, 5 TDs), showing total control of the offense.
Austin: Cam Cook. The sophomore running back may not receive 15-plus carries, but a 12-for-100 rushing game wouldn’t be too surprising to see, especially if he breaks a long touchdown run early.
Drew: Cam Cook. The running game was not as dominant as I hoped it would be against Stanford and I am hoping TCU’s offensive line comes out and dominates the LIU defensive front, freeing up space for Cook to have a big day.
Russ: Savion Williams hauled in 11 catches during TCU’s win against Stanford and he’s going to be too fast, too big and too strong for the LIU defense on Saturday. I think Savion dominates the first half and helps the Horned Frogs open the second with a huge lead.
Wyatt: JP Richardson. He had 107 yards against Stanford, but had a costly fumble deep in TCU territory during the first half. I expect JP to bounce back and take care of the football this week. Additionally, I think he will be Hoover’s favorite target this week and lead the team in receptions.

Anthony: This is a Johnny Hodges captain insane-o game. I’m seeing a dozen tackles, three for loss, with a sack and a forced fumble.
Austin: I’m going with the Johnny Hodges. The linebacker tallied nine stops a week ago. In addition to his tackling prowess, an interception or sack would be the cherry on top against Long Island.
Drew: I think Bud Clark comes away with an interception in this game along with a couple of tackles as well.
Russ: Marcel Brooks surprised me against Stanford, finishing with 1.5 sacks despite entering third on the depth chart. I think he gets a lot of run in this game and builds on his 2024 debut with another strong performance against the Sharks this weekend.
Wyatt: JaTravis Broughton. He played great against Stanford, and I expect him to keep the same physicality against LIU on Saturday.