Oklahoma Schedule Preview: TCU Horned Frogs

Lincoln Riley looks to continue his success against Gary Patterson when the Sooners play host to the Horned Frogs in October.

A week after the annual showdown with Texas, Oklahoma will return home to square off with Gary Patterson’s TCU Horned Frogs on Oct. 16.

Playing the Horned Frogs after Texas a year ago, Spencer Rattler and the Sooners handled TCU with relative ease, winning 33-14 in Ft. Worth.

Many of the skill position players on the offensive side of the ball will return for the Horned Frogs as they hope to avenge last year’s loss.

Max Duggan returned from an offseason heart procedure to start at quarterback for TCU, leading the team in both passing and rushing.

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Oklahoma Sooners 2021 Schedule

• Sept. 4: at Tulane Green Wave
• Sept. 11: vs. Western Carolina Catamounts
• Sept. 18: vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
• Sept. 25: vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
• Oct. 2: at Kansas State Wildcats
• Oct. 9: vs. Texas Longhorns
• Oct. 16: vs. TCU Horned Frogs
• Oct. 23: at Kansas Jayhawks
• Oct. 30: vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
• Nov. 13: at Baylor Bears
• Nov. 20: vs. Iowa State Cyclones
• Nov. 27: at Oklahoma State Cowboys

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Throwing for 1,795 yards and 10 touchdowns, Duggan added 526 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He only threw four interceptions last year, and the Horned Frogs will hope he only grows to be more efficient in his junior year.

Helping Duggan out on the ground was a three-headed monster of Darwin Barlow, Zach Evans and Kendre Miller last year.

Though Barlow entered the transfer portal in May, Evans and Miller should return to help keep the pressure off of Duggan. The duo combined to rush for 803 yards and six touchdowns last year.

Duggan’s top two targets return in 2021 as well in wide receivers Quentin Johnston and Taye Barber.

Former 4-star wide receiver Quentin Johnston led TCU in receiving in 2020 :: Kevin Jairaj / USA TODAY Sports

Reports out of spring football are that Johnston appears primed for a breakout sophomore year after racking up 487 yards and two touchdowns in his freshman year for TCU.

But the offensive line will be a major question mark. Losing tackle T.J. Storment to Texas Tech via the transfer portal, most of the unit which underperformed last year will return. They will get guard Wes Harris back, who had his season cut short by injury, as well as continue to work Garrett Hayes into the fold, who picked up more and more playing time toward the end of the year as a freshman.

While the offense tries to take a step forward, Patterson’s defense will have to replace some key players.

Jim Thorpe Award winner Tre’Von Moehrig was taken in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, and linebacker Garret Wallow went in the fifth round to the Houston Texans.

The secondary also lost Ar’Darius Washington, who was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens after he went undrafted.

Patterson will have a pair of excellent corners in Noah Daniels and Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlison, but expect Lincoln Riley and the Sooners to test the young TCU safeties downfield early and often.

To try and turn up the heat on opposing quarterbacks, the Horned Frogs will return a bulk of their defensive line, including Big 12 Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year Khari Coleman, who will play opposite of Ochaun Mathis. Mathis finished 2020 with nine sacks, tied for fifth best in the country.

Ochaun Mathis will continue to anchor the TCU defense in 2021 :: Reese Strickland / USA TODAY Sports

Linebacker Dee Winters will have to step up and try to fill Wallow’s shoes after totaling 65 tackles in 2020, including 9.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.

A year ago, the Horned Frogs finished 30th in total defense, just one spot behind the Sooners. If they wish to return to the Big 12 title picture, their youngsters will have to step up and grow into stars in their expanded roles in 2021.