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Horned Frogs reach midseason in style

The Sports Xchange

October 07, 2015 at 12:02 am.

Oct 3, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs quarterback Trevone Boykin (2) scrambles against the University of Texas Longhorns in the third quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Oct 3, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs quarterback Trevone Boykin (2) scrambles against the University of Texas Longhorns in the third quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

After dealing with adversity, No. 2 TCU is in a great position as the midway point of the season arrives this Saturday.

The Horned Frogs have survived a plethora of injuries on the defensive side and last Saturday’s 50-7 demolishment of Texas was an example of a team now clicking on all cylinders. TCU might be down seven defensive starters, but it simply looks like a team headed toward a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff.

Of course, coach Gary Patterson despises that type of chatter. He knows it’s the end goal, but he certainly doesn’t like discussing it in early October.

“I’m not trying to be a playoff team just yet, I’m trying to win the next ball game,” Patterson said on the Big 12 conference call. “I just want to win game six. I’m not going to lose perspective. I was the guy that got left out last year, so right now that can’t be the final goal.

“The goal has got to be to win more than you lose, and that’s what I want to get accomplished.”

The Horned Frogs (5-0, 2-0) look to take another step when they face Kansas State this Saturday. The rout of Texas marked the fourth straight contest in which TCU scored 50 or more points and gained more than 600 yards.

Senior quarterback Trevone Boykin has already thrown 19 touchdown passes while leading the charge. Like Patterson, he’s also trying to tame the season-long expectations.

“We’re all just out there trying to have fun, and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s mainly about,” Boykin said. “We always talk about making routine plays. We’re not asking you to jump over a building — just go out there and make routine plays and routine reads.

“If we do that, we can live with the results. We’re really just trying to build a resume and leave a legacy that will be remembered forever.”

NOTES, QUOTES

PLAYERS TO WATCH

–QB Trevone Boykin keeps rolling up the yardage and touchdowns. The senior passed for 332 yards and five touchdowns in the rout of Texas and has thrown for 1,802 yards and 19 scores. Boykin has thrown for four or more touchdowns nine times in his career and has thrown five in two of the past three games. He also has 74 career touchdown passes to supplant Andy Dalton (71 from 2007-10) as the school record-holder.

–WR Josh Doctson had seven receptions for 129 yards against Texas for his third consecutive 100-yard outing. His second touchdown of the contest was the 23rd of his career to surpass the school mark held by Josh Boyce (2010-12). Doctson has 42 receptions for 722 yards and eight touchdowns after getting off to a slow start. He has two or more touchdown receptions in each of the past three games.

–LB Montrel Wilson is one of several Horned Frogs playing ahead of his time. The plethora of injuries on the defensive side of the ball has created opportunities, and the true freshman is certainly taking advantage of the situation. Wilson had a career-best 13 tackles against Texas, including a sack among his 1.5 tackles for loss.