Longhorns face struggling TCU

FORT WORTH, Texas — No. 15 Texas is preparing to face an offense that ranks in the bottom half of the Big 12 for the second consecutive week with a visit to TCU on Saturday.

Not that it did the Longhorns much good the first time around.

A last-play field goal in a 50-48 win over Kansas last week spared the Longhorns (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) a disastrous loss as they try to stay on track for a return to the conference championship game after losing to No. 5 Oklahoma.

But it didn’t do much for the sagging confidence of a defense that ranks ninth in the 10-team Big 12 in total yards allowed and last in passing yards.

“None of us are OK or satisfied with that defensive performance just because we won the game,” coach Tom Herman said. “Are we happy to win the game? Absolutely. They don’t count them any different, but we expect to play much, much better, especially defensively.”

The Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2) are committed to freshman quarterback Max Duggan despite consecutive road losses and an offense that ranks seventh overall and ninth in passing. As usual, though, TCU’s hopes start with the Big 12’s top-ranked defense.

“I don’t know if we’ll win a shootout,” coach Gary Patterson said. “Now I’d like to win a shootout, but for us at home I think you have to be in the game going into the third, fourth quarter and finding a way win.”

Sam Ehlinger saved the Texas defense with 399 yards passing and four touchdowns against the Jayhawks, but also put that unit in a tough spot with his only interception after a rare stop with a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Receiver Jake Smith lost a fumble — again with a seven-point lead — later in the fourth.

“When you’re starting nine freshmen or sophomores on defense and you turn the ball over twice in the fourth quarter where we turned it over, that’s not real good complementary football,” Herman said. “So although the numbers say we played really well offensively, I would argue that situationally we didn’t help our defense.”