Horns take aim at ‘elephant’
ORT WORTH — Texas doesn’t get the better
of TCU coach Gary Patterson often. Since the Horned Frogs entered the Big 12 in 2012, they have won seven of nine against the Longhorns. They’ve lost just once at Amon G. Carter Stadium, back in 2013, and will be eager to extend a current two-game series winning streak this Saturday when Texas (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) comes to Fort Worth.
“We’re not naive to the elephant in the room,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday.
With three upcoming games against undefeated conference opponents (No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 19 Oklahoma State and No. 21 Baylor), the Longhorns can’t afford to stumble against TCU (2-1, 0-0) again.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
How will Texas handle QB Max Duggan?
In two career starts against Texas, TCU quarterback
Max Duggan has completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 504 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also has rushed for 152 yards and three scores while leading TCU to two comeback victories.
So keeping Duggan contained will be paramount to Texas’ chances of survival in Fort Worth. But Texas struggled against another mobile quarterback earlier this season — Arkansas’ KJ Jefferson rushed for 73 yards in the Razorbacks’ 40-21 win Sept. 11,
“Max is a good player,” Texas linebacker Luke Brockermeyer said. “He’s deceptively really fast. I mean, you can see it on film. He’s running by guys. He’s big, too. He’s physical — he can run you over. So we’re just gonna have to do a good job of keeping him in check.”
Which five-star RB wins the day?
According to the 247Sports composite rankings,
Texas sophomore Bijan Robinson was the nation’s top class of 2020 tailback; Houston North Shore’s Zach Evans was No. 2. And this Saturday, the two budding superstars will share the same field.
Through three games, Evans has rushed for 330 yards and two touchdowns on 7.9 yards per carry while adding 84 yards and another score through the air. Robinson has totaled 581 yards and scored seven times in four games.
Both programs have been gashed on the ground at times this season. Arkansas rushed for 333 yards and four touchdowns against Texas in Week 2. SMU last week gained 350 yards on 52 carries in its 42-34 road upset of TCU.
Can Texas get Joshua Moore going?
Texas leads the Big 12 in scoring offense and is second in total offense. The bulk of the production has been provided by a deep backfield and a talented tandem of receivers in redshirt sophomore Jordan Whittington and true freshman Xavier Worthy.
But fourth-year wideout Joshua Moore, Texas’ leading receiver in 2020, has been noticeably absent from most of the fun. He has just seven receptions for 63 yards and hasn’t found the end zone through four games, a troubling sign after he scored nine times in eight games last season.
Sarkisian has worked in creative ways to get Whittington and Worthy the ball, but as those two draw more attention from opposing defenses, Texas will need others to step up. Moore is the likeliest and most talented candidate, and he’s been cleared to play Saturday after suffering an ankle injury in practice earlier this week.
Will Texas’ OL regress or advance?
The Longhorns’ offensive line has quieted most
doubters since getting tormented by Arkansas, allowing just one sack and one quarterback pressure in the two wins since. But TCU will present a stiffer challenge than Rice or Texas Tech, particularly with defensive end Khari Coleman and defensive tackles Corey Bethley and George Ellis III expected to return to the field.
Bethley is a two-time honorable mention All-Big 12 selection, and Coleman last year was both a freshman All-American and Big 12 co-defensive freshman of the year. Their return should help a TCU defense that uncharacteristically ranks just eighth in total defense and sacks and ninth in rushing defense and third-down defense in the Big 12.
Can Casey Thompson keep rolling?
In its past two games, TCU has allowed California
quarterback Chase Garbers and SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai to throw for a combined 554 yards and six touchdowns, though the latter also threw three interceptions.
Still, the Horned Frogs’ pass defense has proved beatable of late. And Texas junior quarterback Casey Thompson, who’s led the Longhorns to points on 24 of his past 27 drives, could continue his sizzling stretch against a vulnerable TCU secondary.
But given how TCU always rises to the occasion against Texas, Thompson isn’t taking them lightly.
“They have some good athletes in the secondary, and they have really good D-lineman as well,” Thompson said. “I expect that we’ll get TCU’s best shot this week.”