As a sea of burnt orange erupted following the touchdown off a fumble by the punt team, you could feel it. No, I am not talking about the mayhem caused by 80,000 Longhorns fans or the cannon being shot off after Texas seemingly put the game out of reach at 27-10. What I refer to is the collective cringe and gasp felt by players, coaches, students and everyone else associated with TCU football. Now, I was an unbiased spectator in the press box, but I could imagine that the second half felt like a swift kick to the groin after a French kiss for a first half. Do you think Jamaal Charles and the Texas defense thought to themselves at halftime, “I’m gonna punch (TCU) in the ovary, that’s what I’m gonna do. A straight shot. Right to the babymaker?” I am pretty sure even Veronica Corningstone felt Charles’ 39-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown run from San Diego.
Needless to say, I avoided listening to “Tiny Dancer” when it popped up on my iPod following the game.
Saturday’s running game was as frustrating as any collective performance I have seen in my three-plus years at TCU.
When one of my friends makes a pass at a girl and he does not get a phone number within 15 minutes, it is an obvious sign that he’s not making himself enough of a presence to get the girl’s attention and subsequently, her phone number.
In the case of the running game, the offensive staff kept pestering UT’s rush defense hoping they would break through and get a phone number, or in this case, substantial rushing yards. Although fumbles by Andy Dalton and Derek Wash skewed the final rushing totals, it was clear that the rushing presence or lack thereof without Aaron Brown exposed the Frogs’ backfield as a point of concern for the rest of the season if Brown cannot bounce back.
Even with the humbling performance in Austin, Gary Patterson and Co. are not feeling bad for themselves and the TCU community should not feel bad for them either. Immediately following the game, the team was talking about Thursday’s Air Force game, and quite frankly, I do not blame them. Even if the Frogs won, Thursday’s game would have still be considered the ultimate “trap” game, and with a loss, it just makes the game that much more important.
I am going to go ahead and say it: I am petrified of this game. With a new head coach with NFL coaching experience, a newfound stability on both sides of the ball and a group of players that feel they have to prove something on every down this season, Air Force wants to do what Utah did a year ago when it took advantage of the Frogs the week following a crushing defeat to BYU.
The UT loss aside, this season still has potential to be something special. Adjustments need to be made, but it’s not like the team is Britney Spears and in need of a head-to-toe overhaul. Being able to adjust to Saturday’s misfortunes is just the next step in a journey that is, from here on out, whatever you want it to be.
Before I bounce, remember that the UT game was just that: a game. We should be grateful knowing that sports can still provide a distraction from reality. You are going to hear a lot about that tragic, midsummer day in New York City today, so I will keep this brief and say that I am as proud as ever to be a New Yorker by birth, and that sports has made the six-year healing process that much easier.
By comparison, a kick-to-the-groin type of loss does not hurt as much, does it?
