Quick Thoughts: TCU 31, Arkansas State 7

While presumptive top wideout Jordan Dwyer has been sidelined with injury to open the season, sophomore receiver Ed Small has taken the reins as the Horned Frogs No. 1 target, averaging 110 yards per game through non-conference play.. His connection with QB Jaden Craig was on full display Saturday night vs. Arkansas State, putting on a show with seven catches for 164 yards and a beautiful touchdown grab. In addition to the TD, four of those catches resulted in big first downs, leading to points. Overall, outside of a deep ball into coverage for an interception, the TCU pass game was crisp, with Craig completing 72% of his passes for 337 yards and 3 scores, while the TCU pass catchers were credited with zero drops after dropping five passes last week. With Dwyer potentially set to return to the field next week in Orlando, expect Small to still be on the other end of the critical conversion plays.

TCU Football in the Sonny Dykes era has struggled mightily with the “middle eight,” the four minutes prior to halftime and the four minutes to open the 3rd quarter. It’s a key part of the game that can turn a tight contest into a blowout or a comfortable advantage into a dangerous toss up.

Against North Carolina, just before half TCU had a failed drive that resulted in a punt snap flying into the end zone for a safety. The Frogs forced a fumble on the ensuing possession, taking over near midfield with 46 seconds to play in the 2nd quarter and timeouts in hand. TCU took that opportunity to net negative-9 yards and run the clock out, going into halftime without even attempting to earn points from that opportunity and clutching to those timeouts as if they could be cashed in later.

On Saturday vs. A-State, TCU again started a drive with two timeouts and a minute remaining until halftime. Instead of attempting a drive for points before the break, TCU lets the clock tick all the way under 10 seconds before picking up a first down at midfield. Despite holding two timeouts, TCU had to settle for an unsuccessful Hail Mary attempt to close the half clinging desperately to a 14-7 advantage. To make matters worse, the Frogs came out of the locker room with the same laissez faire attitude, opening the half with a quick three-and-out, putting the game very much in doubt. Until…

There are moments in games and in seasons where a team comes to a fork in the road, a moment where you can hang your head and spiral down the toilet or cowboy up and tell the god of death “not today.” Early in the second half Arkansas State was driving with an opportunity to tie the game in Fort Worth. Red Wolves QB Trey Owens scrambled for a big gain, setting up a first and goal from the 7. Owens attempted the QB keeper on 3rd down and Max Carroll shut down that idea, stonewalling him at the goal line. Inches away from tying the game, A-State put the ball in its QB’s hands again, rolling out to his right; with no room to run he looked for a receiver in the endzone only for TCU’s Jordan Lester to break it up. It’s the closest the Red Wolves would get to putting any more points on the board the rest of the game. Turnover on downs, TCU takes over at its own 1 yard line leading just 14-7.

The defense did its job, but the goal line stand wasn’t enough to fully flip the game on it’s head. The offense had to do something, with 99 yards of green grass ahead of the other Frog-skin purple endzone. You want to see what dominance looks like? How about 14 plays and 8 minutes of game time to go the full length of the field culminating with a giant tight end head-topping your defensive back for a backbreaking touchdown. The key drive featured a 4th down conversion from Craig, big runs from Payne & Pitchford, dynamic catch-and-runs from Ed Small & Kari Ashley before Ka’Morreun Pimpton headtopped some unfortunate ASU DB. TCU then forced a quick A-State punt and went on an 11-play 7-minute drive that resulted in a FG and put the game fully out of reach with the time remaining. In a flash the game flipped: from a tied contest being a yard away to a victory sealed in two possessions.

Look, nobody wants to see the punter on the field, but if called upon you want that punter to deliver. On Saturday, TCU specialist John Hoyet Chance put up one of the best punting performances in Horned Frogs history. The Frogs required punting services three times vs. Arkansas State and received elite output of 158 total punt yards, averaging 52.7 each with two being downed inside the 20. Field position is important and a trustworthy punter is a luxury; Chance repeatedly flipped the field vs. the Red Wolves and is a valuable asset even if TCU may prefer he remain on the sideline.