Quick Thoughts: TCU 19, Houston 30

The Horned Frogs drop to 1-2 in Big 12 play with disastrous home performance on Friday night.

Turnover Disasters

TCU entered the game among the worst nationally in turnover margin and gave four more away on Friday night, with two horrific Josh Hoover interceptions, a back-breaking fumble from JP Richardson, and the game-sealing QB fumble. Hoover now ranks Top 10 nationally in most interceptions and remains first nationally in fumbles lost, even as he also ranks Top 5 nationally in passing TDs & passing yards.

This does not include turnovers on downs, one of which TCU also contributed to the turnover tally, leading directly to Houston’s first score of the game and put the Frogs behind the eight ball early. TCU’s first possession of the game had the Frogs across midfield but well outside of FG range for a 4th & 2 opportunity. A fine place to line up and run your best play to try and pick up the first down to keep the drive moving. TCU did indeed line up, but apparently believed the best way to gain two yards is via QB sneak. The play typically reserved to picking up a couple inches did indeed not gain 72+ inches. At least this time it didn’t result in a scoop-and-score like vs. SMU, but it is still an unconscionable play call for the situation, killing whatever early momentum that had been gained by the TCU Defense getting the 4th down stop just moments earlier.

Sometimes turnovers are a game of luck and the way the ball bounces, and boy did the ball not bounce the right way for the Frogs on Friday. TCU fumbled twice and lost both; TCU forced three Houston fumbles and recovered zero.

Worst Game Of Your Life, So Far

There simply is no floor for the TCU Football program in 2024. Blowing a 21-point lead at home to UCF turned out to not be rock bottom. Getting stomped out on The CW by SMU wasn’t the basement. The way this season is going, getting blasted by the nation’s worst offense at home as a 17-point favorite will likely not be the low point of the 2024 campaign. There are still six more weeks to find new and creative ways to put out disgraceful displays. Houston entered the game dead last in all of FBS in points per game and Bottom 10 in yards per game….the Cougars came into Amon G. Carter Stadium and delivered 361 yards of total offense and 30 points.

3rd Down For The Count

The TCU Offense did not pick up a first down until three minutes into the 4th Quarter, ultimately finishing 3-10 for the game with an average 3rd down to-go distance of 7.7 yards. The Frogs’ inability to sustain drives has been a killer to its ability to play winning football this season.

As bad as the offense has been in efficiently moving the chains, the defense has been worse at stopping the opposition on 3rd down and getting off the field. Somehow offenses find 3rd & long to be the easiest play of every drive. On Frida, the Cougars had an average 3rd down to-go yardage of 8.1 yards, yet were able to pick up five 3rd down conversions. Houston was able to pick them up with QB runs, RBs bouncing off tacklers with ease, and quick WR screens. It’s been that way all season and continues to prevent TCU from taking meaningful steps forward in games, instead always having to chase its tail. Houston scored on all five of its trips to the red zone,

Bye Bye Week?

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

A Bye Week can often be the time in a football season when a struggling program makes a personnel change in an effort to buoy a sinking ship. While I do not see head coach Sonny Dykes and Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati as people who make hasty decisions, it may very well be time for some hard conversations to be had with members of the program about whether they have what it takes to coach and develop winning football in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs fans will not – and should not – accept a program that “has the opportunity to be a good football team” or that “had a good week of practice” when the on-field results remain so poor. Perhaps TCU fans were spoiled by two decades of success under Gary Patterson and an immediate National Championship run to open the tenure of Coach Dykes, but given the level of financial support and available talent, consecutive seasons missing a bowl at TCU should be unacceptable. TCU’s losses this season have come to UCF, SMU, and Houston; not only is TCU not competing nationally, it has fallen behind that trio of programs who were in the American Athletic Conference two seasons ago. The program has 15 days before what will be its toughest test of the season, a road trip to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Utes. What will change in those two weeks to give the Frogs a chance to win that game, make a push for a bowl, and have some hope for a brighter future? There is a chance to somewhat salvage the season, with rivalry contests and major games ahead in a push to become bowl eligible, but it will take an immense coaching and leadership effort to pick this team up off the mat and go take advantage of the opportunities ahead. Do they have what it takes in the locker room to move forward positively or will the Frogs come out of the Bye Week the same way they went in?