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TCU finally got the result it needed Saturday night, beating Baylor 17-6 in Waco and picking up its first Big 12 victory of the season.
The Horned Frogs didn’t play perfect football, particularly on offense, but the defense delivered one of its most complete performances of the season. Baylor ran 87 plays, gained 310 yards and never found the end zone.
That win gets TCU back to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
As I wrote in my reaction to TCU’s defensive performance against Baylor, the Frogs finally finished the job.
While the Frogs were taking care of Baylor, several other Big 12 games gave us a better picture of what lies ahead. West Virginia showed how dangerous its offense can be, Kansas State dominated on the ground, Texas Tech continued separating itself from much of the conference, Houston won a shootout, and BYU knocked off the second-ranked team in the country.
Each result tells us something different about the Big 12. Some matter more to TCU than others.
This is the game TCU fans should pay the most attention to.
West Virginia is coming to Fort Worth after putting up 45 points and 598 yards against Cincinnati.
Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. threw for 464 yards and three touchdowns while adding another 77 yards and two scores on the ground.
Those numbers should get the attention of everybody in TCU’s defensive meeting room.
The thing that makes a quarterback like Hawkins difficult isn’t just his ability to throw or run. It’s what he forces the defense to think about before the ball is even snapped.
As a linebacker, you can’t just fly downhill every time you see run action. You’ve got to account for the possibility of the quarterback keeping the ball, and the second you hesitate, the running back has already gained two or three yards you might have stopped.
That’s how one player can change the way an entire defense has to play.
But the most impressive thing Hawkins did Saturday wasn’t necessarily reflected in his final statistics.
With the score tied at 42, West Virginia took possession at its own 1-yard line with 2:05 remaining. Facing third-and-9 from the 2, Hawkins completed a 41-yard pass to Prince Strachan. Later in the drive, he connected with Strachan again for 39 yards to help set up the winning field goal.
That’s what caught my attention.
Everybody loves talking about quarterbacks who can put up big numbers. I want to see what they do when the game is on the line and everybody in the stadium knows they have to make a play.
Hawkins answered that question Saturday.
TCU’s defense has played well this season, but West Virginia presents a different challenge from Baylor.
The opportunity for the Frogs is on the other side of the ball.
Cincinnati gained 622 yards and scored 42 points against West Virginia. That’s a defense TCU should be capable of moving the football against.
TCU finished with just 33 net rushing yards against Baylor. That total includes yardage lost on sacks, but the offense still needs more consistency on the ground, regardless of how well the defense is playing.
Saturday’s matchup raises two questions: Can TCU’s defense contain a quarterback who just accounted for 541 yards, and can its offense take advantage of a defense coming off a game in which it allowed 42 points?
West Virginia isn’t the only upcoming opponent giving TCU something to think about.
Kansas State rushed for 359 yards against Kansas, with running back Joe Jackson gaining 159 and quarterback Avery Johnson adding 132.
That’s the kind of production that creates problems for a defense because you’ve got to account for more than just the running back.
When a quarterback becomes a legitimate part of the running game, the defense has to find an answer for that extra ball carrier. Depending on the offensive scheme and defensive call, somebody has to account for the quarterback without leaving another gap exposed.
That’s easier said than done.
TCU faces Kansas after West Virginia, with Kansas State coming later in November. Both teams are still on the schedule, and Kansas State’s performance gives the Frogs another reason to spend extra time preparing for quarterbacks who can hurt them with their legs.
That preparation also puts a premium on the reliable depth TCU needs behind its starters.
Texas Tech continues to look like one of the most complete teams in the conference.
The Red Raiders put up 53 points against Arizona State and led 43-10 at halftime. They had already gained 404 yards before the break.
But the number that caught my attention was what happened defensively.
Arizona State finished with just 35 rushing yards on 28 attempts.
When I see a team hold somebody to 35 yards on 28 carries, I want to know what all 11 defenders are doing, not just the guys up front.
Are the defensive linemen controlling their gaps? Are the linebackers getting downhill without having to fight through offensive linemen? What’s the secondary doing to help? Are the safeties getting involved in run support? Are the corners setting the edge and forcing the ball back inside where the help is?
Sometimes what makes a defensive front look dominant is the confidence those guys have in the players behind them.
When a safety consistently fits his run responsibility, the linebacker doesn’t have to worry about trying to do two jobs. Everybody can play fast because everybody trusts the guy next to him.
That’s what good team defense looks like. It isn’t always about having the biggest or fastest players. It’s about 11 guys understanding their responsibilities and doing their jobs.
TCU has shown that kind of defensive consistency this season. Texas Tech is showing what it looks like when a team can control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football.
The Frogs will get their opportunity to find out how they measure up when they travel to Lubbock later this season.
Houston’s victory over Oklahoma State was a different kind of football game.
Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman threw for 343 yards and five touchdowns. Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker answered with 365 passing yards.
Houston led 28-17 before Oklahoma State cut the lead to 28-25. The Cougars answered with a 48-yard touchdown pass, only to watch Oklahoma State score again and make it 35-32.
I’ve been part of games where the defense could barely get a drink of water before it was time to put the helmet back on.
That’s when leadership becomes just as important as anything happening on the field.
In those situations, you need leaders from both sides of the ball talking to each other on the sideline.
Sometimes it’s as simple as a defensive captain walking over to the offense and saying, “Hey, y’all just keep playing. We know if they don’t score, they don’t win. Y’all will find your rhythm, but until you do, we got you.”
That kind of communication matters more than people realize.
The last thing you want is an offense feeling like it has to score every possession because the defense can’t get a stop, or a defense getting frustrated because the offense keeps going three-and-out.
Once those two groups start pointing fingers at each other, you’ve got bigger problems than whatever the other team is doing.
Good teams understand that there are going to be Saturdays when one side has to carry the other.
Houston found a way to win a shootout. TCU has shown it can win with its defense.
Eventually, the Frogs are going to need both sides of the ball to pick each other up.
BYU’s win over then-No. 2 Notre Dame was one of the biggest results in college football Saturday.
The Cougars remained undefeated and strengthened their position in the national conversation.
For TCU, it also provides some perspective on the 17-10 loss to BYU two weeks ago.
The Frogs held BYU to 216 total yards, but the Cougars still found a way to put together a 72-yard touchdown drive late in the game.
Here’s something players understand that fans sometimes overlook.
Nobody in that locker room feels better about losing to BYU just because BYU turned around and beat Notre Dame.
You can look at the film and recognize that you did some good things against a really good football team, but that doesn’t change the result.
You still lost.
The encouraging part for TCU is that the defense has shown it can compete with that level of competition. Saturday’s performance against Baylor only adds to that evidence.
BYU has been finding ways to finish games against good opponents. TCU finally did that against Baylor.
Now the Frogs need to prove they can do it consistently.
Texas Tech is playing complete football. BYU is finding ways to beat elite competition. Kansas State has a rushing attack that can give defenses headaches, and Houston has shown it can survive an offensive shootout.
West Virginia might be the most interesting team of the bunch from TCU’s perspective because of what happens Saturday.
If I’m sitting in that TCU defensive meeting room this week, I’m not spending much time talking about holding Baylor to six points. That game is over.
I’m looking at a West Virginia quarterback who just threw for 464 yards and ran for another 77. I’m looking at how he led his team down the field from its own 1-yard line when the game was tied.
I’m looking at all the different ways that offense can put a defender in conflict and force him to make a decision.
On the other side of the ball, TCU’s offense should see an opportunity against a defense that just surrendered 622 yards.
Before Baylor, I asked the Frogs to break the script and show what they had fixed. They delivered the result. Now comes the next test.
West Virginia just proved it can win a game despite giving up 42 points.
TCU just proved it can win a game while its running game remained limited.
Saturday, those two teams with different challenges will meet in Fort Worth.
Something’s going to have to give.
Stay connected with TCU Horned Frogs On SI and KillerFrogs.com for TCU football news, Big 12 analysis and coverage leading into the Horned Frogs’ matchup with West Virginia.
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