Preview and Prediction for BYU at TCU
BYU is 4-1 and coming off a bye week as it travels to Texas to take on the TCU Horned Frogs. TCU is 3-3 and coming off consecutive losses to West Virginia and Iowa State. Today, we'll preview BYU-TCU and predict the final score.
TCU vs BYU Preview
Game Information
BYU and TCU were conference peers in the WAC and the Mountain West. BYU is 5-6 all time against TCU, but the two teams haven't played each other since 2011 when BYU was playing its first season as an independent program. The last time BYU played at TCU was in 2010 when the Horned Frogs dominated the Cougars 31-3. TCU went on to finish the the season undefeated and beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.
BYU and TCU will face off on ESPN on Saturday afternoon. The game will kick off at 2:30 PM local time. The weather is forecasted to be in the mid 70's by kickoff with sunny skies.
TCU Quarterback Situation
The top storyline heading into this game is the quarterback situation for TCU. Starting quarterback Chandler Morris left the game last week with an injury against Iowa State. Morris has been ruled out for this game against BYU and redshirt freshman Josh Hoover will start in his place. This will be the first college start for Hoover. After Morris left the game, Hoover fumbled his first play from scrimmage. On the next drive, Morris threw an interception. Once he settled in, Morris made some nice throws and finished with 119 yards passing.
BYU Injury Updates
On the other sideline, BYU is hoping to get a few players back in the lineup after a week off. BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick announced that wide receivers Kody Epps and Parker Kingston will be back in the lineup. Other players like Weylin Lapuaho and Ben Bywater are hoping to return to the field as well.
Keys to the Game
On defense, BYU will be tasked with shutting down TCU running back Emani Bailey. Bailey ranks second in the Big 12 in rushing yards with 690 yards on the season. Without their starting quarterback in the lineup, the TCU offense will rely heavily on Bailey to move the football. BYU will have to be stout enough against the run to put Hoover in third-and-long situations. In limited reps, Hoover shown the tendency to throw the ball into traffic and make mistakes. If BYU can't stop the run, they won't have as many opportunities to force Hoover into mistakes.
Speaking of mistakes, this game might come down to turnovers. In BYU's only loss of the season against Kansas, BYU turned the ball over three times. In the four wins, BYU is +7 in turnover margin. A turnover or two could swing this game one way or the other. BYU's defense will aim to confuse Josh Hoover, pressure Josh Hoover, and force him into mistakes.
On offense, BYU needs to continue to take advantage of red zone opportunities. BYU ranks 14th nationally in red zone efficiency and that's the primary reason why the Cougars rank 56th in scoring offense despite ranking 117th in total offense. BYU might struggle at times to move the football - TCU's defensive speed will cause some problems. BYU's offense can cover a lot of sins by making opportunistic plays like they have made all season.
Taking care of the football will be another priority for BYU. Like we mentioned above, the turnover margin has been critical in every game this season. BYU can't give away points to the Horned Frogs like they did against Kansas.
Credit: BYU Photo
Finally, BYU needs to establish some level of a rushing attack. BYU has proven that it doesn't need to rush for 100+ to win, but it needs to run well enough to force the defense to account for the run. Against Kansas, BYU had no rushing attack to speak of, and a few drives stalled in the red zone as a result.
BYU vs TCU Prediction
From top to bottom, TCU has one of the best rosters in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs are loaded with speed and athletes that, frankly, BYU doesn't have at every position. Playing in Fort Worth has always been a challenge for BYU and the Cougars haven't fared well in afternoon kickoffs on the road. Emani Bailey is good enough to rush for 120+ in this game and take the pressure off redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Hoover.
In college football, however, the quarterback position is the great equalizer. In the opinion of this author, BYU has the distinct advantage at quarterback with veteran Kedon Slovis. There's an opportunity for BYU's run game to improve after a bye week. The Horned Frogs have allowed 207.5 rushing yards per game over the last two games. A more balanced attack will be just enough to score in the high 20's or low 30's, and BYU's defense forces at least one interception by Josh Hoover. BYU pulls off the upset on the road.
BYU 28 | TCU 24
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