TCU Gives BYU a Wake-Up Call in Blowout Loss

The Cougars were outclassed against the Horned Frogs on Saturday afternoon

Casey Lundquist | Oct 14, 2023

BYU had its "Welcome to the Big 12" moment - and it lasted four quarters. TCU outclassed BYU in every phase from the opening kickoff to the final whistle in a 44-11 blowout victory. It was a wake-up call for a BYU football program playing its first season in a Power Five conference. This game served as a reminder that BYU still has steps to take before it can compete for Big 12 championships.

TCU was faster at every position. TCU was got more push in the trenches. And TCU showed why recruiting matters in a Power Five league. Gone are the days when BYU can compete week after week with under-recruited, diamond-in-the-rough prospects. BYU will have to recruit better at every position to compete with programs like TCU in the Big 12.

The game started with a Kedon Slovis pick-six and BYU never recovered. BYU, who was coming off a bye week, looked rusty and lethargic in the first quarter and that set the tone for the rest of the game.

The Cougars struggled to move the football throughout the game, finishing with just 243 total yards of offense. TCU, on the other hand, threw the ball all over the field with redshirt freshman Josh Hoover. Hoover was brilliant in his first career start with 439 passing yards and 4 touchdowns.

After a nightmare start, BYU had a glimpse of momentum towards the end of the first half when Keelan Marion scored a touchdown on a jet sweep. BYU went for two and converted, cutting the lead to 24-8. On the next drive, BYU had TCU in 3rd & 10 when Crew Wakley was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct. TCU was given a first down and 15 free yards. That penalty was costly. BYU went from potentially getting the ball back to allowing a TCU touchdown and trailing 31-8 at halftime.

TCU got the ball first to start the second half and marched right down the field for a score. The Horned Frogs never looked back and BYU didn't score a touchdown in the second half. It was a disappointing performance from a BYU team that had two weeks to prepare for TCU.

BYU will now be tasked with moving on and preparing for a good Texas Tech team at home next week. That is an important game for BYU's bowl hopes.

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Published Oct 14, 2023

CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.