PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB Darius Anderson is by far TCU’s most explosive and dependable playmaker but has tapered off some as his opportunities have been reduced throughout the season. He’s become the flash-and-dash runner to Sewo Olonilua’s grind-it-out option. Anderson will be leaned on even more now that the Horned Frogs have lost QB Shawn Robinson to a season-ending injury and WR KaVontae Turpin faces a likely suspension from the team after his domestic violence arrest. But Anderson carried a season-high 20 times for 95 yards in TCU’s 27-26 loss last week to Kansas but also fumbled in the final minute to cost the Horned Frogs a chance to win; Anderson now has 488 yards and three touchdowns on 87 carries for the season.
–QB Michael Collins, a transfer from Penn, has taken the reins of the team after Shawn Robinson was forced from the loss to Oklahoma with a season-ending shoulder injury. Collins passed for 351 yards and one touchdown and ran for 33 more yards and two additional scores in the loss to Kansas.
–LB Ty Summers has been Mr. Production for TCU, now needing just 30 tackles to become the all-time tackling leader in the Gary Patterson era. He played quarterback in high school, so he has position flexibility, too, playing linebacker and defensive end. Summers ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash in the spring and has recorded a 36-inch vertical. He has 43 stops, 3.5 of them for them for a loss, two quarterback hurries and a sack through the first eight games. Summers has been ruled out of this week’s game with Kansas State with an undisclosed injury.
–DE Ben Banogu, a senior, made a huge splash in his first season with TCU. After transferring from Louisiana-Monroe and sitting out the 2016 season, he became one of the nation’s top defensive ends. Banogu was first in the Big 12 with 16.5 tackles for loss and was second with 8.5 sacks last year. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder was named Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year, First-Team All-Big 12, First-Team AP All-Big 12 and Honorable-Mention Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year. He had a season-high eight tackles, 4.5 of them for a loss including two sacks in the loss to Kansas; Banogu now has 31 stops, a forced fumble that led to a TD return, a fumble return for score, five sacks and five quarterback hurries for the season.
SERIES HISTORY: TCU leads Kansas State 6-5. Since beginning Big 12 play in 2012, TCU has split its six meetings with Kansas State. The road team has won four of the six games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Listen, we have been here before. I said before the season we were young. I knew what the motto was. We have had injuries. I am not making excuses. You can write what you want. We are 3-5, might be 3-9 before it is done. But the bottom line is we are going to keep fighting, we are going to keep moving forward so we can get better for next year.” — TCU coach Gary Patterson after the loss to Kansas
