Fort Worth, Texas (AP) Texas was struck by the enemy of the upcoming Southeastern Conference in the only other road game of the season. In recent years, when Horned Frogs was defeated, Longhorns became a remedy for TCU’s victory.
For Longhorns, who will enter the Big 12 Road Opener on Saturday, I feel something is different this time. This will be their first visit to the opponents of the conference since they and Oklahoma in 6th place accepted the invitation to join the SEC by the 2025 season.
The Longhorns (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) have been scoring at a blazing pace since Kays Thompson started the quarterback and Bijan Robinson ran free. They scored 128 points on Thompson’s two starts, for a total of 600 yards on both. Texas hasn’t punted in a series of games for the first time in its history.
Steve Sarkian, Texas’s first-year coach, said Thompson owns a game plan because he studies and knows what they’re trying to do. The coach says he knows how to get everyone in line and may even remind him of the destination of the checkdown pass with a running back.
“That’s because he’s really well prepared,” Sarkian said. “I think he’s benefiting from that, obviously we too.”
The TCU (2-1) is still in the smart Big 12 opener, from Home Loss to Dallas / Fort Worth’s rival SMU. The aftermath of Mustang and the post-match flag flap was as much talked about as Texas when Gary Patterson met the media this week.
Horned Frogs has been 7-2 against previous Southwest Conference rivals since joining the Big 12 in 2012. The last four wins of the TCU in the series followed last week’s defeat, including the last two years with Max Dagan in the quarterback.
“We were fortunate enough to have been able to fight them well over the last two years,” said Duggan. “But that doesn’t mean anything to help us win this week. They’re another team, we’re another team.”
Texas differs from the 40-21 loss at Arkansas, which ran 333 yards. Longhorns dragged 33-7 before winning the TD on Thompson’s two drives.
Thompson’s two starts have 15 TDs on 17 drives and he has 33-of-41 passes (80%) on 467 yards and 7 TDs. The only drive Texas didn’t score was after his two passcuts. He defeated Texas Tech 70-35 last week, occupying six TDs (five passes, one rush).
“He’s just playing theater,” Patterson said. “They got better. You have a new head coach, and when you have new staff, you get better every week. It’s like having a new player.”
Top runner
TCU’s sophomore Zach Evans leads the Big 12, rushing 110 yards per game, averaging 7.9 yards with 42 carries. Robinson is just behind Evans at 109 yards per game. However, among the long horns’ top four running backs, Robinson has the lowest average of 6.2 yards per carry.
Protect Dagan
Dagan has hurt Texas as a runner and passerby for the past two seasons. KJ Jefferson rushed 73 yards when Texas last faced a mobile quarterback in Arkansas. Texas defensive back Josh Thompson, who returned a TD passcut last week, called Dagan a “good runner.” A smart physics player. “
Special team
Texas kicker Cameron Dicker is also in charge of the punt mission, but much of his work is in additional points and kickoffs. He hasn’t tried field goals since the second quarter in Arkansas. And be aware that Texas is blocking the punt. Keilon Robinson, a transfer RB from Alabama, slammed off the edge and blocked the punt against rice. He went to another for Texas Tech, but was punished for his helmet crossing the line of scrimmage before the snap.
Secondary suspect
The Longhorns’ aggressive explosion masked some issues, especially with regard to secondary defenses. Texas defenders were burned by Texas Tech on TD passes of 40, 69, and 75 yards when coverage was broken or when the receiver was simply run by them in a one-on-one situation. Texas is 112th in pass-efficient defense and 80th in overall defense.
Better than most
Patterson’s seven wins against Texas are the second most frequent coaches of the Big 12 era (since 1996), following the eleven times of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.
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Jim Vertuno, an AP sports writer in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.
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Different Senses of Texas Participating in Big 12 Road Games on TCU | WGN Radio 720
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