The Horned Frogs started out strong, but got shutout in the second half leading to a 24-21 loss.
“I watched the same game you all did and I don’t have any explanation for it,” said head coach Sonny Dykes. “How do you have 318 yards at half time and 100 in the second half. It shouldn’t have happened.”
Quarterback Chandler Morris had a 59-yard pass three minutes into the quarter to wide receiver JP Richardson for their first touchdown. TCU had three touchdowns in the first half giving them a 21-14 lead.
The Frog defense was able to make stops until quarterback Garrett Greene rushed 35-yards for the touchdown, making it 7-7.
TCU regained the lead closing out the first quarter. Morris scrambled out of the pocket and found his way into the end zone bringing the lead to 14-7. The last time the Frogs would touch the board was in the second quarter with 24 seconds left.
Wide receiver Dylan Wright caught a 36-yard pass to bring the score to 21-14.
Up front the offensive line did not have any success on pass protection, leading to quarterback Chandler Morris getting sacked five times.
Dykes said he has never seen anything like the third quarter offensive performance.
“That offense was the poorest I’ve seen since I have been coaching… I don’t know that had any first downs, maybe one,” he said.
TCU also struggled to kick the ball. Kicker Griffin Kell went 0-3 on field goal attempts.
The first miss came after an intentional grounding call on 3rd and 14 at West Virginia’s 28 yard line that forced TCU back seven yards to the 35. Griffin Kell missed the 53-yard attempt.
Kell made two more field goal attempts in the fourth quarter that were both blocked by the Mountaineers. On 4th and 1 with 4:47 on the clock the 46-yard attempt was blocked by Mike Lockhart. And the second kick, 55-yards, was blocked by Sean Martin.
West Virginia took the game with a 49-yard field goal on 4th and 9 with 9:31 left in the game.
Dykes said West Virginia was able to make plays when they weren’t. He said this is the second time this season the Frogs have had an opportunity to win a game down the stretch.
“This is the second time that we haven’t been able to put a drive together at the end of the game,’ he said. “Kick a field goal, score a touchdown and win the game. We haven’t been able to do it and its not what we are accustomed to.”
The Horned Frogs will have a lot of work to do this week if they want to win on the road against Iowa State who are also 1-1 in conference play.
The two teams will go head-to-head on Saturday October 7th, kickoff is at 7 pm.
