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No. 7 Texas faces another stern test in its pursuit of a conference championship and keeping its College Football Playoff chances alive when it squares off against upset-minded TCU on Saturday in a key Big 12 Conference dustup in Fort Worth, Texas.
It’s the final scheduled meeting between the longtime rivals, as Texas (8-1, 5-1) will move to the Southeastern Conference in 2024. The Horned Frogs (4-5, 2-4), who played in the CFP championship game last season but have struggled to find consistency this year, would like nothing more than to damage Texas’ hopes of reaching the playoffs.
The Longhorns head north after a thrilling 33-30 overtime win at home over then-No. 23 Kansas State last Saturday to win their third consecutive game and remain tied atop the conference standings.
Bert Auburn’s final of his four field goals, a 42-yarder, produced the deciding points and Texas’ defense stopped Kansas State on fourth down from the UT 4-yard line on its possession in the extra period to clinch the victory.
Maalik Murphy passed for a career-high 248 yards and a touchdown to Adonai Mitchell in his second start but also was intercepted twice. Jonathon Brooks ran for 112 yards and a score for the Longhorns, eclipsing 1,000 yards for the season. CJ Baxter added 90 yards that included a 54-yard TD run for Texas.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian likes where his team is at right now and will prepare the Longhorns for the challenges that will come against the Horned Frogs.
“I know it’s been a long time coming to be in this position in November,” Sarkisian explained. “You have visions of how you want your job to go and a program to go when you take over something. For us to be in this situation … that’s what it’s all about. It’s critical that we have great poise and composure when we go into these environments on the road.”
Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers could play this week after missing the past two games with a right (throwing) shoulder sprain. Sarkisian said Ewers is throwing and listed him as day to day.
TCU returns home after a 35-28 loss at Texas Tech last Thursday and gets an eight-day period to prepare for the Longhorns. The Horned Frogs have dropped two straight.
TCU’s offense came alive to help the Horned Frogs scramble back into the game after trailing the Red Raiders 20-7 at halftime. TCU led 21-20 in the third quarter before falling behind for good. Josh Hoover passed for 353 yards, most of that in the second half on three long scoring drives, and Emani Bailey ran for 57 yards and two touchdowns for TCU.
Bailey has 908 rushing yards on the season to lead the Horned Frogs.
“We’ve got to get our guys to play good,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said. “Our best players are not playing very well and guys that are good players that have played well for us in the past are not playing particularly well.”
Hoover is set to start again for TCU but Chandler Morris, who’s been out since the third quarter of the Horned Frogs’ loss at Iowa State on Oct. 7, is closer to returning. “(Morris) is still a little banged up — none of us were really comfortable playing him (against Texas Tech),” Dykes said.
–Field Level Media
