TCU needs to win final two games for bowl
TCU continues to move ahead to try to salvage its season after last Saturday’s 47-10 blowout loss at West Virginia, the Horned Frogs’ fifth defeat in their past six games.
TCU (4-6, 2-5 in Big 12 play) travels to Baylor on Saturday afternoon with the goal of playing in a bowl game still within reach. The Horned Frogs will have to win Saturday and then at home against Oklahoma State to reach the postseason — a tough row to hoe for a team that’s suffered multiple injuries to key players and, at times, can’t seem to get out of its own way.
The Horned Frogs had their worst offensive showing of the campaign in the loss at West Virginia, managing season lows in points (10) and yards (222). They finished with minus-7 rushing yards, a number affected by four sacks of quarterback Mike Collins.
“We have to do a better job with the pressure aspect of things,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said. “The answer really is our whole group, not just the quarterback, all of us have to make more plays. When we get a chance to have a critical catch, you can’t drop it on third down. Runs, we’ve got to make sure we do things. We can’t hurt ourselves with penalties.”
TCU has now scored 28 or fewer points in eight straight games, the first time that’s happened since it went 1-10 in 1997.
“We’ve got to do a better job of helping him (Collins),” Patterson said. “As far as him mentally and doing things, I think he’s been all right. He hasn’t been flustered. Obviously, we need him to keep playing better for us to have an opportunity to win the next two ballgames. We haven’t been displeased with him.”
Patterson refuses to say that the Horned Frogs’ injuries are the reason for their struggles this season.
“You’ve got to teach it a little bit different as far as making sure you keep them up and doing the things you need to do,” Patterson said. “But also understanding this program is used to winning and you need to find a way and how are we going to grow up and improve so we don’t allow this to happen again?”
