TCU seems to be this year’s West Virginia for me, where I just didn’t buy in to the potential for reasons relating largely to a failure to think carefully enough through the possibilities. In particular, I just wasn’t sure the defense would make much of a leap and I didn’t trust Kenny Hill. What’s more, I figured the allure of initiating the Shawn Robinson era might be too tempting for the Frog staff to pass up.
I was wrong on both counts. The defense is making better overall use of their team speed in the secondary this year and the DL is improved with better nose play from Blacklock, more good 3-tech play from Bradley (in place of Aaron Curry), good DE play, and then just lots of experience in the LB and S “interior five” to say nothing of the team speed there as well. These Frogs probably still won’t “choke everyone out” like Dana Holgorsen said of some of the other units we’ve seen from Ft Worth this decade but they look improved. They’re playing less cover 1 as a result as they now have the experience and athleticism to do justice to Patterson’s preferred quarters coverages.
Kenny Hill is making solid decisions with the ball and their strategy puts a lot more on their ability to run the football (whole lot more inside zone this year and less outside zone) and the ability of guys like Kavontae Turpin and Kenedy “Mach” Snell to create explosive plays in the passing game off quick routes and screens. They’ve got multiple contenders on this team for the “Darren Sproles water bug trophy for most outstanding tiny person” award.
Their game against West Virginia this weekend will be most illuminating. I think most likely the Frogs will cement themselves as the true contender out of the preseason dark horse group of Texas, TCU, and West Virginia.
Cameron
Not to get too simplistic, but the lesson here might be that when TCU returns most of its pieces on offense and defense, then Patterson will make the most of it in the off-season. On defense in particular, everybody seems a lot more comfortable with their assignments, e.g., run fits.
ianaboyd
That’s not a bad lesson to take but they’ve certainly been getting smaller and faster as well.
Cameron
True. That is an emerging part of Patterson’s strategy.
I was just remembering Bill C’s preview on TCU, and him noting part of the reason for S&P’s optimism was how many returning pieces the Frogs had in 2017. And for a lot of coaches, I’d take that with a grain of salt. But with a guy like Gary Patterson … that could make a huge difference on the field.
ianaboyd
So it would seem, they are much improved. I should have known, really.