Oct 3, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs wide receiver Josh Doctson (9) stiff arms University of Texas Longhorns cornerback Duke Thomas (21) in the second quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Third-ranked TCU has been tested in each of its last two Big 12 road games. It is expecting another tussle this Saturday at Iowa State.
Last Saturday’s game at Kansas State was particularly dicey as the Horned Frogs had to rally from an 18-point halftime deficit to post a 52-45 victory. And two weeks earlier, TCU needed a last-minute touchdown to pull out a 55-52 win at Texas Tech.
That leaves coach Gary Patterson worried about only one thing — winning the game. He doesn’t care that Iowa State (2-3, 1-1) is struggling or that outsiders feel this is a contest in which the Horned Frogs (6-0, 3-0) should be looking for style points.
“I am just trying to win,” Patterson said at a press conference.
“I am not trying to be the No. 1 team in the nation. I am just trying to be an undefeated team and now I am trying to beat Iowa State. That is all we can control. We cannot control the voters or anybody else. I am tired of hearing about style points. It is hard just to win, so we just tried to win.”
The Horned Frogs have tied the school record of 14 consecutive victories — accomplished twice previously — and that is the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Ohio State’s 19.
TCU also has a 10-game winning streak in Big 12 play and an impressive school-record streak of five consecutive games of scoring 50 or more points. The Horned Frogs are third nationally in scoring (51.0) and total offense (615.5 yards per game).
Perhaps those pinball-like numbers should account for style points. Patterson, though, isn’t concerned.
He’s quite aware that TCU is the game circled on the schedule of all the other Big 12 teams.
“Everybody sees where we’re ranked,” Patterson said. “We’re going to get everybody’s best shot. That’s why I’ve been proud of my kids. We’ve gotten everybody’s best shot to this point, but they’ve found a way to win it and they’ve found a way to fight back.
“Some teams, when it’s not going their way, they quit, especially on the road. But these kids, even though they’re young on defense, they’ve found a way to get stops at the end of ballgames.”
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Trevone Boykin continues to be one of the top players in the country and has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 21 consecutive games, matching Andy Dalton’s school record. He scorched Iowa State for 460 yards and four touchdowns last season and finished with a career-best 559 yards of total offense. Boykin has topped 300 yards passing in four consecutive games and has passed for 2,103 yards and 21 touchdowns against five interceptions.
–WR Josh Doctson is having one of the top all-around receiving seasons in the country; he has 50 receptions for 877 yards and 10 touchdowns through six games. The yardage and touchdown receptions rank second nationally and the catches stand third. Doctson set the school record of 11 receiving touchdowns last season and is set to obliterate the mark. His 151 career receptions rank fifth in school history, one behind fourth-place Stephen Shipley (1989-92).
–DT Davion Pierson is nearing top form after a concussion caused him to miss three games earlier this season. He recovered a fumble against Kansas State to help seal the victory — the second fumble recovery of his career. Pierson has started 33 career games, and his 21 tackles for loss are more than any other active TCU player. He can make a big impact now that he’s healthy.
