Roadmap to an Upset: TCU vs Texas 10/03/20

An upset can happen in a lot of ways, the journey is just as fun as the destination. In this feature we look at the key moments and trends that led to TCU‘s upset of Texas.

Setting The Stage

Texas and TCU were coming off high scoring conference battles in the previous week. The Longhorns pulled out a come from behind 63 – 56 win over Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs on the other hand came up just short in 37 – 34 loss to Iowa State. Texas was favored by a bout 12 points at home, but the Horned Frogs never looked like an underdog on Saturday.

Trading Touchdowns Early

The game started slow, neither team was able to get into a rhythm, and the flags were flying (a trend that would continue throughout the game). In the first three possessions of the game the two teams combined to run 11 plays for 20 yards, with all three possessions ending with a punt. The offensive struggles would come to an end the next possession, triggering a flurry of touchdowns.

TCU took over on their own 33 yard line and went on an 11 play 67 yard drive to score the game’s first touchdown. The Horned Frogs were balanced and methodical behind quarterback Max Duggan, running the ball 6 times and throwing five times on the touchdown drive. Texas would respond with a long touchdown drive of their own, covering 75 yards on 10 plays and tying the game at 7. The Horned Frogs struck back quickly with a 4 play, 75 yards drive for touchdown of their own. True freshmen receiver Quentin Johnson made the big play on the drive, hauling in a 50 yard pass for the big chunk play on the drive. He got a one on one match-up deep, adjusted to the ball and made a touch contested catch, then fought for extra yardage after catch. Johnson is quickly becoming a big play threat on the perimeter for the TCU offense.

Again, the Longhorns would respond with a four play drive of their own, capped by a 45 yard touchdown pass to Brennan Eagles. The early game malaise was a thing of the past, the offenses were marching up and down the field, and gamblers who had the over were getting excited.

TCU Dominates The Game, But Not The Scoreboard

TCU moved the ball again on their next drive, but the drive stalled at the Texas 37 yard line, resulting in a punt. The Horned Frog’s defense stepped up and stopped the Texas offense forcing a punt after just six plays and only one first down. The offense methodically marched down the field again, gaining 70 yards on 14 carries, but they were not able to pay off the drive with a touchdown and settled for a field goal. TCU took a 17 – 14 lead with a minute and change to play in the half.

Texas’ attempt to respond was quickly thwarted by a Horned Frog’s defense that was starting to settle in. On the first play of the drive, Sam Ehlinger attempts a pass to his slot receiver but defensive back, La’Dendrick Van Zandt, steps in front of the receiver to make the interception, then proceeds to return the ball to the Texas 5 yard line. Unfortunately, a fifteen yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty would push the offense back to the 20 yard line but TCU was back in business.

TCU was unable to move the ball and would again settle for a field goal. With the Horned Frogs ahead 20 – 14, Texas ran out the clock to end the half. TCU received the opening kickoff and again quickly made their way into Texas territory behind two good runs from Kendre Miller, totalling 43 yards. Continuing the disappointing trend we saw in the middle of this game, TCU again stalled out in Texas territory and settled for yet another field goal. The Horned Frogs had built a 23 – 14 lead but it could have been much bigger.

Over about 16 minutes of game time from the early second quarter to the early third quarter, TCU outgained Texas 152 to 9 and forced a turnover which gave the Horned Frogs possession in the red-zone. It’s too bad that yards don’t always equal points, as TCU only gained a 9 point advantage on the scoreboard during the same stretch. If TCU had been able to convert touchdowns instead of field goals on two of those drives, this game may have become a comfortable TCU win, but then again that would have robbed us of some late game heroics.

Leaders Make Big Plays Late

Over the next quarter and a half Texas was able to contain the TCU offense and get two touchdowns of their own to take a 29 – 26 lead in the fourth quarter. It was fair to wonder at this point if TCU had squandered their opportunity to pull out the win when they failed to capitalize on their many opportunities earlier in the game. Quarterback, Max Duggan, decided to look forward, instead of worrying about the past, and led his team down the field one more time.

The Horned Frogs took over on the Texas side of the fifty with just over six minutes to play. After moving the ball to the Texas 26 with a couple of short passes and runs, TCU was facing a second and five. They came out in an empty set to spread out the defense and Texas obliged by vacating the middle of the field. At this point, it was a matter of the offensive linemen making their blocks and if Max Duggan was fast enough to split the gap and score. The answer was a resounding yes on both counts and TCU was back in the lead.

The Longhorns had one last shot to take the lead. On three the plays they had marched down to the TCU 1 yard line and were looking at first and goal with a chance to take the lead. This time it was the Horned Frogs’ defense that made the big play. Texas attempted to run the ball up the middle with running back, Keaontay Ingram, who was met at the line of scrimmage and attempted to stretch the ball across the goal-line for the score. He was hit right at that moment by star linebacker Garret Wallow who knocks the ball free while driving Ingram back. TCU emerges from the ensuing pile up with the football and the victory.

A Tale Of Two Quarterbacks

The one truth that everyone can agree on, is that quarterback is the most important position in football. On Saturday, TCU got better play from the quarterback position and that was their biggest advantage in the game. Max Duggan was poised and consistent throughout the contest, while Sam Ehlinger had too many ups and downs to secure the victory.

Duggan was a steady leader for his team on Saturday. He completed 20 of 30 pass attempts for 230 yards and avoided committing any turnovers. He was also the leading rusher for the game, gaining 79 yards on 17 carries and running in two touchdowns. The Texas defense attempted to pressure him but Duggan made the right plays and most importantly did not make mistakes. This is a big step forward for Duggan who had an up and down season a year ago but appears to be very much in control of the TCU offense in 2020.

Sam Ehlinger was erratic most of the game and missed several throws on Saturday. Though he had four touchdown passes in the game, he only completed 17 of 36 passes for 236 yards and did throw that one interception. Ehlinger also ran for 48 yards in the game and made a few big plays on the ground, but most of his yardage came on one big run for 36 yards in the third quarter. He was unable to find consistency on offense and missed as many plays as he made on Saturday. While, TCU’s defense was not able to completely contain him, they were able to slow Ehlinger down and force some mistakes which ended up being the difference in the game.

In the end, TCU played a better game on Saturday and deserved to win the game. They out-gained the Longhorns in total yardage, they won the turnover battle and they controlled the time of possession. Still, Texas was a double digit favorite at home and had the lead late in the game. The Horned Frogs showed a lot of poise and character to regain control of the game and secure the victory. After a tough loss last week, this was the kind of win Gary Patterson and his team needed to get back on track in the Big 12.

For more TCU content visit the team page.

For more content like this don’t forget to subscribe to our website.

For the latest content follow us on twitter @saturdayscfb & @cfbsaturdaysC or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CFBSaturdays