Manhattan, Kansas — After a convincing win over BYU last week, TCU was looking to continue that powerful offensive showing over the Kansas State Wildcats, but it was the complete opposite. Kansas State dominated TCU, 41-3.
The major issue was the lack of an offensive line and the lack of ability to stop the run game for TCU. Last weekend, it seemed like quarterback Josh Hoover had all day to go through his progressions and find the open pass, but not this game. Hoover had little to no time to throw the ball and found himself scrambling every offensive possession, causing the offense to struggle.
Josh Hoover went 23 of 43 for 187 yards, while star running back Emani Bailey rushed for 100 yards.
Kansas State stuck to their game plan by having two quarterbacks rotate every other possession. Will Howard and Avery Johnson both saw significant playing time, and on paper, they played equally well.
Will Howard went 10 of 16 for 154 yards with 3 touchdowns, and Johnson went 5 of 10 for 90 yards with 1 touchdown.
The biggest difference between these two is flashiness. Johnson is very quick while running the ball, which raises eyebrows, but Howard plays more of a traditional game but gets the job done.
The biggest issue for TCU was not being able to stop the run by letting them have 343 total rushing yards. Consistency has been huge for TCU, and they just can’t check that box. One day the secondary struggles, and the next day it’s the struggling against the run game.
Until TCU can learn to protect the quarterback and come together as a whole on defense, this could be a long season, and bowl eligibility might even be out of reach.
The good news for TCU is that they are heading into their bye week, which hopefully will give them time to regroup.
