Gary Patterson called No. 2 TCU's four-game stretch before its bye week the most important one of the season.
The Horned Frogs are halfway home.
TCU (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) followed a back-and-forth 55-52 win at Texas Tech (3-2, 0-2) with one of their most impressive wins under Patterson, a 50-7 home thrashing of Texas last weekend.
Patterson and the Horned Frogs have a pair of road games left; Saturday at Kansas State (3-1, 0-1) and on Oct. 17 at Iowa State (2-2, 1-0) before finally getting a week off.
TCU's unbeaten start has been particularly impressive considering that they've lost more than half of their starting defense to injuries. But Patterson said that defensive end Terrell Lathan could be back for this weekend's game against the Wildcats.
"They've had a lot of resiliency. I've been proud of them. With everything that's happened to them, they just keep fighting," Patterson said.
TCU's success came at the expense of reeling Texas (1-4, 0-2) which has dropped back-to-back games to the Horned Frogs for the first time since 1958-59. It won't get any easier this week.
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The Longhorns limp into the annual Red River Showdown with Oklahoma in Dallas with the second-worst record in the Big 12 behind Kansas (0-4, 0-1).
"They're eager to get back on the field and let people know that wasn't our team," coach Charlie Strong said.
But Oklahoma was in a similar spot two years ago as a heavy favorite against the Longhorns -- and got beat 36-20.
"It's safe to say that that will be brought up," Stoops said.
