The Wildcats took a heavy exit from Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday night, where the defense struggled against a strong TCU offense, falling 42-21 in the loss to the Horned Frogs.
But even with Head Coach Keith Patterson’s defense giving up plenty, it still held TCU six points under eight-time Super Bowl-winning Bill Belichick’s North Carolina team just a few weeks ago.
Patterson acknowledged his team broke its own rules to win the ballgame: not giving up the big shots.
“Our key to victory was explosive plays, and we did exactly that,” Patterson said. “We gave up explosive pass plays, and I knew we had no chance to win a game if that was the case.”
TCU quarterback Josh Hoover threw for 337 yards and four touchdowns, scoring early and often, going into halftime with a 28-0 lead.
Freshman wideout Ed Small tore up the end zone with two scores for the Horned Frogs, along with Joseph Manjack’s 114-yard receiving performance.
The Wildcats’ offense did show a lot of positives, however. The team had 452 total yards, a season high, in this game after the Horned Frogs held Belichick’s Tar Heels to 222 in their opener.
Stone Earle, senior quarterback from Fort Worth, was a big part of that, having the best passing game of his career, throwing for 276 yards and two scores on 22-of-29 attempts.
Other offensive highlights:
- Running back Rovaughn Banks, Jr.: 105 rushing yards and a touchdown.
- J.B. Mitchell III: 88 receiving yards on five catches and a touchdown.
- Wide receiver Dallas Dudley: four catches for 78 yards.
Another positive: The Wildcats controlled the time of possession in this game by more than 13 minutes. That ball control gained the Wildcats 27 first downs, one more than TCU, much of it coming on third down.
“We didn’t do a good job the entire night defensively of getting off the field on third down,” TCU Head Coach Sonny Dykes said. “They were 12 of 17 on third down, and they converted way too many third downs. Can’t let that happen.”
Despite the positive offensive display, special teams loomed large, as both Brandon Perez, junior kicker from Crandall, and Kyler Meschi, sophomore kicker from Corpus Christi, missed two first-half field goals, and later Meschi missed an extra-point attempt.
“Way too many missed opportunities in the kicking game,” Patterson said. “You have to have great belief in what you’re doing. Don’t overthink it – you’re kicking a football.”
The Wildcats’ schedule turns over now as they are done with FBS play and look ahead to conference play against No. 22 Austin Peay. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Wildcat Stadium.
