TCU And Texas Tech Prepare For A Battle!

Photo by Willie Martin "Mr. Will"

Since coming into the Big 12 in 2012 the two times the Red Raiders and Horned Frogs met up it was a game of extremes. October 2012 was a three overtime thriller won by Texas Tech 56-53. 

Last year on a Thursday night in Lubbock the Guns Drawn Gang (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) placed a twenty spot on the board while holding TCU (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) to only ten points.

Backup QB Davis Webb with the game winning touchdown pass (with 3:48 left in the game) to Bradley Marquez. Baker Mayfield left the game earlier due to injury.

That 2012 meeting in some ways perhaps lessened the blow of the loss to Baylor two weeks ago when TCU outgained Texas Tech 516-389 before Seth Doege connected with Alex Torres for the game winner. 

What will the 2014 matchup bring?

Two schools of thought here. Both squads had homecoming victories last week over Oklahoma State and Kansas. The Red Raider win over the Jayhawks snapped a four game losing skid and an eight losing streak in Big 12 play. TCU had same with OKlahoma State. Who will experience the bigger letdown?

Since 1926 Texas Tech and TCU have played one another 56 times-regularly prior to 1995 in the Southwest Conference-with Kliff Kingsbury's crew holding a 30-23-3 advantage in 88 years.

TCU in Lubbock has a career mark of 5-18-3 while 18-12 at home in Ft. Worth. Last victory was in 2006 by a 12-3 count.

This is a week in Ft. Worth that could possibly be a trap game for Gary Patterson and crew. Despite the Horned Frogs motto of, 'One Game At A Time' West Virginia and Kansas State are up next in the run of eight straight conference games within the Big 12.

Ten years ago it was current Offensive Coordinator Sonny Cumbie who was the quarterback who put up 70 points on the Horned Frogs in a 70-35 defeat of TCU. A strange sort of homecoming.

Last week TCU showed no ill effects of a Waco hangover as the defense set the tone on Daxx Garman almost immediately. It began with an interception by Kevin White. It then became the Josh Doctson and BJ Catalon show en route to a 42-9 romp over the Cowboys.

"We definitely had to bounce back and get a confidence boost. That's what we're used to doing," cornerback White said. "Great teams have to bounce back. You can't let one loss define your season and define your team. We knew one loss wasn't going to define us, and we would just play harder, that's all we could do."

Kliff Kingsbury addressed what he anticipates this Saturday in Ft. Worth with TCU.

KK:

Yeah, offensively, you've got to start with the quarterback, I think. If you look at what he's done, his numbers, you've got to put him up there in the Heisman talk with the top three guys. He's been phenomenal. He's been as dominant a player as there is in the country when it comes to running the football and throwing it and really protecting it, only three interceptions, tons of skill. 

The running backs are as good as anybody in our conference. Wideouts, they can run as fast as any wideout in the conference. I've been really impressed offensively with what they've 

done there -- Coach Meacham, Coach Cumbie, adapting their personnel. 

Defensively, Gary is one of the best defensive minds in college football, always has been. It's the same deal. You have to earn every yard against him. They're not going to give you anything easy. They're going to be where they're supposed to be, and they're going to tackle well. It's a great challenge. They're playing as well as anybody in the country, we know that. We have to play our best game to hang in there. 

Gary Patterson addressed the media on October 20 on the arrival of Kliff Kingsbury, the defense, and of course the #10 ranking country according to the pollsters.

GP:

"Game seven for us. This is the fourth game of the October series. Oklahoma, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. We understood what we were getting into. November starts with West Virginia with Kansas State coming down right after that. We're going to keep our nose down and try to get to six wins."

(The Defense) "They care about what they do. They were embarrassed by the Baylor game, and they played their hearts out against Oklahoma State. It also depends on the perspective. I talked to coaches who said we played well all the way until the final eight minutes at Baylor. It is what it is. It's a three-point loss. That's the way I look at it."

Any thoughts on being ranked number ten and being a part of the national discussion as a possible Final Four team?

"We played two top-five teams in the nation. We won one and got beat by three. The voters showed us respect because we only dropped from ninth to 12th. I'm not worried about the polls right now. It's good for recruiting and Fort Worth, but it only takes seven days for that to go away. We need to go play. You have six games left including Kansas State, who is undefeated in conference play, and West Virginia, who plays unbelievably at home. They just got done beating Baylor and giving Oklahoma all they wanted. You have a Texas Tech team who had West Virginia beat at their place and played Oklahoma State tough. You have to get ready to play."

What is your thought process when the offense dictates the call and flow of a game?

"When you're going into a ball game and you know you're going to score points, as a head coach and a defensive guy, that's all you can ask. If you're having to hold them to 14 in this conference, you're going to have a lot of white hair, unless you have a really good day. Knowing you can score 30 or 40 points makes it easier on this side of the ball and how you do things.

"It makes a difference in how you call a ballgame. Whether people believe it or not, I'm just about winning. How do I need to call a game where we're winning? We're going to try to put a game plan together that is zero points. That hardly ever happens. Our game plan is zero and hopefully we get them to 17 or 21. So, how can you be aggressive but still do the things you need to defensively against a fast-paced offense. That'll be our challenge again this week." 

Clearly Gary Patterson is content to approach the remainder of 2014 one game at a time. He also offered any who within earshot a reminder of what one learns after a tough defeat even after 17 years.

"Nobody flinched. You can either look around and you can blame people or we can just roll up our sleeves. That's what we've done," Patterson said. "But that's what we've always done at TCU. You can't last 17 years, 14 as a head coach, without outlasting some hard times. Some close games. Some heartbreaks."

Congratulations are also in order for Mansfield's own Josh Doctson as he was named Big 12 Player Of The Week!

Josh Doctson totaled seven receptions for 225 yards and two touchdowns in No. 12 TCU’s 42-9 win over Oklahoma State. The 225 yards topped all FBS players on Saturday and were one yard short of the TCU single-game record (226, Jimmy Young vs. Wyoming, 2008). His 77-and 84- yard TDs came in a span of three plays to help TCU build a 21-3 first-quarter lead and were the Horned Frogs’ longest plays from scrimmage since 2012. Doctson posted his first career 100-yard receiving game and his 84-yard TD catch was the ninth-longest play in TCU history. 

No one knows better than Sonny Cumbie just how high powered Texas Tech can play offensively with Davis Webb leading the Red Raiders at quarterback (22 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 319 yards per game average). 

The two deep threats for Webb will be Jakeem Grant (50 catches, 629 yards 5 TDs) and Brad Marquez (41 catches, 517 yards, 7 TDs). TCU may get a test of sorts dealing with DeAndre Washington (622 yards, 1 TD, 5.6 yards per carry). 

Pete Robertson and Sam Eguavoen (103 combined tackles) will try to disrupt the play calling of Trevone Boykin (14 TD 3 Int 312 yards per game passing). Doctson leads all TCU receivers with five touchdowns on 497 yards). 

Statistically this looks to be a game on paper where TCU should roll. However recent history dictates the Horned Frogs fall into an offensive shootout or defensive juggernaut. 

And while TCU is ranked in the AP Top 25 Texas Tech is also ranked 10th in the FBS with 330 passing yards per game.

"If that's what we're having success at, we'll keep doing it," coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "At the end of the day, we've got to be able to throw it and win on the outside with our receivers and that is something that's still coming along."

KK:The running backs are as good as anybody in our conference. Wideouts, they can run as fast as any wideout in the conference. I've been really impressed offensively with what they've done there -- Coach Meacham, Coach Cumbie, adapting their personnel. 

I hope I am wrong on this one but something tells me this could be an afternoon where both defenses come up short and we see some funny bounces of the ball.

TCU by a 45-40 count.

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will