Longhorns Look For Statement Win Over No. 4 TCU

A win over the Horned Frogs inches the Longhorns closer to Arlington.

Statement wins only come by so often. When the moment arrives, good teams find ways to win. 

Great ones find avenues to prove it was never a competition. 

What type of team are the No. 18 Texas Longhorns going into Saturday's matchup against No. 4 TCU? Better yet, what version of Texas will take the field in the second half? 

Will it be the version that nearly thwarted Alabama's than-perfect season by holding the offense to 10 points in the second in a 20-19 loss? Will it be the version that allowed Texas Tech to march back and score 23 unanswered points en route to a 37-34 overtime upset?

Neither option should be on the table for Texas (6-3, 4-2 Big 12 ) if it hopes to make a statement against perhaps the biggest surprise among Power Five programs this season. The Horned Frogs (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) are known for being a second-half team, meaning that any slip-up could lead to more chatter of Steve Sarkisian's inability to close out games. 

"They do a good job of staying the course," Sarkisian said of the Horned Frogs. "They do a good job of playing hard and continuing to play with good effort. They’re obviously a well-coached football team. They’ve got good players. Then once you start to have some of those games like that, they’ve got a great deal of belief that they’re never out of it. It definitely shows up.”

Among its nine-game winning streak, TCU has scored 187 of its 388 total points in the second half. The Horned Frogs have also been the comeback story of the Big 12, defeating both Oklahoma State and Texas Tech thanks to fourth-quarter surges by the offense. 

In large part, TCU built its offense around the consistency of quarterback Max Duggan and running back Kendre Miller. Duggan, who replaced initial 2022 starter Chandler Morris in the second half of the season-opener against Colorado, ranks top-10 in passer rating (179.7) and touchdowns (24). 

Miller, who became the focal back after sophomore Zach Evans elected to transfer to Ole Miss this offseason, is currently averaging a Big 12-leading 6.6 yards per carry. He also has tallied six 100-plus rushing performances this season, including a 153-yard, two-touchdown outing against Kansas State. 

"This is a great challenge for [our defensive line] this week obviously with their ability to run the football first with [Kendre] Miller," Sarkisian said. "Those guys can run it."

In a sense, Texas controls its destiny with a win over the Horned Frogs and first-year coach Sonny Dykes. The victory would not only mark the first time the Horns have beaten a top-five program since facing Oklahoma in 2018, but it also would give them a cushion. 

A win — plus a loss by Baylor against Kansas State — would give Texas the lead for second place in the Big 12 standings. Should they pick up wins over Kansas and Baylor to close out the season, the Longhorns would punch their ticket to the Big 12 championship for the first time in five years. 

Sarkisian said earlier this week that his roster has overcome adversity on more than one occasion this season. Last week against Kansas State, the Longhorns held on to win 34-27 thanks to a forced fumble by Keondre Coburn fumble in the closing minutes. Texas held on in a 24-21 victory over Iowa State three weeks prior thanks to a forced fumble by safety Anthony Cook. 

In games against offenses such as the Wildcats and Cyclones, sluggish second-half performances could work. That won't be the case against TCU, which currently ranks No. 3 in scoring (43.1 points per game) and 13th in rushing (219.7 yards per game). 

Texas scored three points in the second half of both games against Oklahoma State and Kansas State, respectively. Versus an offense that's scoring 48 percent of its points in the final 30 minutes, a field goal won't be enough. 

Said Sarkisian: "It’s hard to always just sack the quarterback, but if you can affect the quarterback that can be impactful as well.”

The Longhorns have not beaten a top-five program at Royal-Memorial Stadium since 1999 when Major Applewhite threw two late touchdowns in a 24-20 win over No. 3 Nebraska. Kickoff from DKR is set for 6:30 p.m. 

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