TCU-Baylor, North Mesquite-Westlake highlight Slovacek's I-35 Showdowns

Slovacek's logoTo honor the loyal football fans that travel great distances to support their favorite team, DCTF and our friends from Slovacek’s in West, Texas are proud to present The Slovacek’s I-35 Showdowns of the Week. TCU (9-2) vs. Baylor (9-1) 6 p.m. Friday at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth At one point, this match up between the Horned Frogs and Bears looked as if it might be a de-facto national quarterfinal between two of the most prolific offenses in recent memory. While it is still a match up of Top 20 teams and another installment of one of college football’s fiercest rivalries, this autumn has taken a toll on the marquee for this tilt. Neither of the dueling Heisman-to-Biletnikoff candidate pass-catch duos that were to headline this game- Trevone Boykin and Josh Doctson of TCU and Seth Russell and Corey Coleman of Baylor – will be intact on Friday. Doctson and Russell are out for sure, as is Russell’s original replacement, Jarrett Stidham - and may very well be joined on the sideline by Boykin, who is still nursing an ankle injury suffered against Kansas. That’s not to say that there won’t be a bevvy of offensive playmaking ability on display. Recently converted wide receiver Chris Johnson became the latest quarterback to thrive under Baylor coach Art Briles when he replaced the injured Stidham against Oklahoma State, and he’ll have several weapons at his disposal including the afore-mentioned Coleman, the equally dangerous K.D. Cannon and the ever-productive tailback Shock Linwood. For TCU, senior Bram Kohlhausen is the likely trigger man if Boykin cannot play. He looked completely un-phased in making play after gritty play coming off the bench to lead the near-miracle comeback against Oklahoma last week. Fellow senior Aaron Green has shown the ability to put the team on his shoulders at times this year, and TCU’s coaching staff will likely continue to get creative in finding ways to get the ball in the hands of a pair of ultra-versatile freshmen receivers in Shaun Nixon and KeVontae Turpin. As is the case in many match ups between headline-producing offenses, the game may come down to which defense performs best. The Frogs’ young and injury-plagued 4-2-5 has been hit and miss this season – but the stretches in which they’ve played well have been reminiscent of what we’re accustomed to seeing from a TCU defense. Baylor’s superior defensive front led the way for the Bears’ best defensive effort of the year last week in Stillwater, and their run-stopping ability and penchant for creating turnovers may be especially key in the nasty weather in the forecast for game time. North Mesquite (10-2) vs. Austin Westlake (11-1) 2 p.m. Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium Two of the defenses that shined brightest in last week’s playoff action will be travelling from different ends of I-35 to face one another on Saturday afternoon in Waco when the Chaps from Austin Westlake meet the Stallions from North Mesquite. Westlake put on a dominant defensive effort playing against The Woodlands on the road in the Houston area last week, holding the Highlanders to just 176 total yards and eight total first downs in a 28-3 victory. The Chaps’ secondary completely shut down the passing game, but their biggest challenge this week will be stopping the Stallions’ rushing attack. North Mesquite quarterback Ja’Quez Gooch, along with running backs Dreshawn Minnieweather and Dominique McBride have combined to rack up an eye-popping 3,556 yards on the ground and 46 touchdowns while averaging more than 7 yards per carry as a group. In one of the state’s few defensive slugfests last week, North Mesquite outlasted Killeen Shoemaker 14-13 in an overtime contest that ended regulation all knotted up at 7 points apiece. It marked the sixth time that the Stallions have held their opponents to 14 points or fewer this season, which includes a shutout registered against South Garland in non-district play. Lining up across the ball from the North Mesquite defense will be an incredibly potent offense, led by quarterback Sam Ehlinger and receivers Reed Klubnik and Chase Cokley. Ehlinger, a junior already committed to Texas, has thrown for 2,867 yards and 35 touchdowns while adding 1,001 yards and 17 more touchdowns on the ground. Cokley and Klubnik have combined to haul in 112 passes for 1,904 yards and 24 touchdowns.