It was a bleak day on Saturday, weather conditions notwithstanding, as the Texas core of the soon to be “new-look” Big 12 took a collective gut punch with Texas Tech, Baylor and TCU all losing opening games in which they were heavily favored. The Bears were stunned in Waco by the 27½ point underdog Bobcats of Texas State, 42-31. The Red Raiders went on the road to face a 13½ point underdog in the University of Wyoming, losing 35-33 in double overtime. And then there were my Horned Frogs, who lost to Coach Prime in his much anticipated and much hyped Colorado debut, 45-42, under a blazing Fort Worth sun and scorching temperatures. I’m not sure exactly where to start with the on-field ugliness that unfolded (unraveled) with the Frogs, but let’s take a look how they lost a game in which they were 20½ point favorites, and honestly, looked overmatched for most of the afternoon.
First things first. It took a casual, post-game comment by noted TCU football historian J. Grigsby Turner for me to realize that the Frogs have now lost three of their last four games. I must admit that caught me a bit off guard – but it’s accurate. And in those last four games the Frogs’ defense has allowed, in reverse order, 45 points to Colorado, 65 points to Georgia, 51 points to Michigan, and 31 points to Kansas State. Granted, there are some powerhouse teams in that mix, but that’s an average of 48 points per game, and that’s not good no matter who you’re playing.
But for now, let’s focus on the defensive meltdown (heat pun intended) that happened on Saturday. Deion’s son and brand new Colorado QB, Shedeur Sanders, became the first Buffaloes quarterback ever to eclipse 500 passing yards in a game. He completed 38 of 47 passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions, and had four different teammates go over 100 yards receiving – another Colorado first. Freshman running back Dylan Edwards had a team-high 135 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns, and one rushing score. Wide receivers Jimmy Horn Jr. and Xavier Weaver combined for 235 receiving yards on 17 catches. The Buffaloes, who went 1-11 last season, recorded their first road win since 2019, and snapped a streak of 24 consecutive losses as an underdog of 21 points or more. Ugh.
“It was terrible,” TCU head man Sonny Dykes said post game, in what strangely still feels like an understatement to me. “I thought it was a really bad defensive performance.” So Sonny saw what I saw. But what to do now? My first inclination is to break out the bat signal for Gary Patterson and his defensive genius to come save us. After all, he was willing to play the role of coordinator in Austin, so…but let’s be realistic, that’s not gonna happen. Did the Frogs defense come into the game believing their own hype, being favored by more than 20? If that was the case, consider the wake up call made.
No doubt the defense was horrendous, and our defensive backs at times looked like they had no concept of whatever coverage they were supposed to be playing. But let us not excuse the Horned Frog offense, led by QB Chandler Morris, which underwhelmed as well. Granted, if you score 42 points, you feel like you should probably win the majority of those games. But the old eyeball test told me this is not the same offense the Frogs rolled out last year with playmakers Max Duggan, Kendre Miller, Quentin Johnston, Taye Barber, and Derius Davis (all recruited by Patterson by the way).
Morris completed only 24 of 42 attempts and threw two interceptions, one of which was a late third quarter momentum killer as the Frogs were inside the 10-yard-line and looking to take back the lead. His passes were rarely on target, his top receiver was his tight end Jared Wiley with just 69 yards, and he averaged only 6.6 yards per completion – compared to Sanders’ 13.4 yards – so the downfield game for the Frogs was pretty much non-existent. One of the few bright spots for TCU was junior RB Emani Bailey, who rushed for 164 yards on only 14 carries. Why didn’t he get more attempts? I guess we’d have to ask new offensive coordinator Kendall Briles that question. Yes, I said Briles, a last name Horned Frog fans remember all too well, and honestly, fair or not, with much disdain. His play calling this game certainly did nothing to improve that relationship.
Now I don’t want to seem all doom and gloom after just one tough game. Colorado may end up with double digit victories this season, average 50 points a game, and this loss won’t look nearly as bad in the rear-view mirror. We’ll just have to wait and see. But for now, this was a tough one to swallow. Is the proverbial honeymoon between Sonny Dykes and Frog fans finally over? A honeymoon phase is defined as “a temporary euphoric period of the relationship where everything seems and feels perfect.” I must admit it suddenly doesn’t feel quite so perfect anymore. But hey, even if it is over, twenty-two months was one heck of a long honeymoon. And like with any relationship, once the honeymoon ends, that’s when the real work begins.
- Side note here concerning early September day games in Texas. Yeah, I know it was the Fox “Big Game” of the week, but a 97-degree high in the 2nd half was not only incredibly uncomfortable, it’s also dangerous for players and fans alike. On a day when a record attendance for a TCU home game was announced at 53,294, the seating bowl was never close to being filled. Fans ducked into concourses for relief from the sun and club-seat holders never emerged from their air-conditioned dens. And guess what? We were probably lucky on the weather front, with the National Weather Service projecting a high of 105 at end of this week in North Texas. Just something to think about as future schedules and day vs. night games decisions are made.
