It’s back to work for TCU after hitting the refresh button during the bye week. The focus for the No. 8 Horned Frogs now turns to a Top 25 battle with No. 23 West Virginia in Fort Worth on Saturday.
TCU goes into the game unbeaten at 4-0 and already has a win against a ranked team when they dominated then-No.6 Oklahoma State in Stillwater two weeks ago. The Mountaineers are 3-1, that lone loss to No. 16 Virginia Tech to start the season.
BREAKING THE TIE: This will be the seventh time both teams have met, with the series tied 3-3. After TCU and West Virginia arrived on the Big 12 scene in 2012, the road team won the first three meetings with each game decided on the final play. The Frogs won 40-10 in 2015 in the last meeting in Fort Worth.
SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineers roll into Amen G. Carter with one of the most high-powered offenses in the conference. Running back Justin Crawford leads the Big 12 and ranks No. 16 nationally in rushing yards per game with 112.8. Former Florida Gators quarterback Will Grier is now the signal-caller for West Virginia and ranks No. 7 in the nation with 343.5 yards passing per game and No. 6 in passing touchdowns with 13.
“I feel like they have a great team,” said safety and Arlington Bowie alum Niko Small. “They have a high-paced, fast offense. It’s a lot of things to prepare for so we have to make sure we come in ready to execute.”
BYE WEEK: TCU has won 12 of their last 15 regular-season games after an open date. The last time the Frogs were on the field, they knocked off Oklahoma State on the road. TCU used the bye week to rest but still hit the practice field to get ready for West Virginia.
“The off week is so different,” said head coach Gary Patterson. “You are not playing anybody so it’s like ‘why are we doing this’ until you get to about Thursday, then you have a game plan practice. They start catching on to what you are trying to get accomplished and what you are doing.”
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CLIMBING UP THE CHARTS: TCU started the season unranked but now sit in the eighth spot in the current poll and right in the mix of the Big 12 title conversation.
“We are a veteran team, said wide receiver Ty Slanina. “We’ve got a lot of guys on the team that has been ranked before so we are not really worried about it. The only thing we are really focused on is West Virginia.”
“We just got to keep our head level and focus on the next game,” added Small. “Everything is going to be a game at a time. There are no rankings if you lose. Either way, you just have to make sure you keep progressing and keep moving forward.”
TCU has opened 4-0 for the seventh time in the last 10 seasons and eighth time overall under Patterson.
“We’ve only played four ballgames,” Patterson said. “We’ve got a lot of football left to do. My first goal is to get to six ballgames. Got to win six because you want to be bowl eligible and then whatever you do from there is positive.”
GIVING BEYOND THE GAME: Wives of many NCAA football coaches have organized a fundraising effort to help raise money for victims of the recent natural disasters. The effort is called Giving Beyond The Game, started by Kelsey Patterson, wife of TCU head coach Gary Patterson. The not-for-profit project is raising funds specifically for the Houston Food Bank, Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Response Team & Feeding South Florida and will also address immediate needs for relief and recovery in Puerto Rico.
For more information, you can visit www.givingbeyondthegame.org. The donation form will be available through December 9.
