TCU 28, Baylor 21: What We Learned

6bcf044604132bbfc5cc37c0ba236988Patterson’s prowess. Even as he turned his offense over to the dark side of the fast-break, high-scoring Big XII, Gary Patterson continues to show his moxie as a defensive mind. Granted, Friday’s game featured elements that made offense miserable and an opponent playing its third-string quarterback, but Patterson’s defense did the rest. Baylor entered the game averaging nearly 650 yards per game, 300 rushing and 350 passing. While the Bears slogged their way to 273 yards on the ground, TCU held Baylor to just 62 yards passing, the Bears’ lowest single-game total since 2002. Baylor QB Chris Johnson completed six passes in regulation, all in the first half. His only second-half completion came in overtime, a touchdown to Dillon Chafin. TCU also kept Baylor off the scoreboard in three different periods. It had been since 2013 that Baylor hadn’t scored in at least two quarters of a game. Turpin lost, then found. Freshman KaVontae Turpin has been one of the most explosive players on the TCU offense throughout the season, and with Josh Doctson out, Turpin entered the game as the Frogs’ leading receiver. But he was MIA throughout regulation with just one rush and one catch, each for two yards. He re-emerged in overtime, catching two passes, one to set up the tying score in the first overtime and another for the winning score in the second overtime. His speed and ability to get outside against a Baylor defensive front that controlled the box against TCU throughout the night made the difference in overtime. Where’d the O go? With all due respect to the improved defenses of Baylor and TCU, Mother Nature proved to be the great equalizer on Friday night. Torrential rain and constant wind made conditions impassable. Without having to worry about downfield threats such as KD Cannon, Corey Coleman, Emmanuel Porter and Kolby Listenbee, and neither quarterback able to complete short passes consistently, defensive coaches loaded the box and took away running lanes from Shock Linwood, Dillon Chafin, Aaron Green and Kyle Hicks. Amon G. Carter’s grass surface took a beating, leaving runners no other option than to go straight ahead, where Baylor’s Andrew Billings and TCU’s Ty Summers led their respective units. Summers stood tall in the end, stuffing Chafin on fourth down in the second overtime to seal TCU’s win.