The Horned Frogs won a nerve-racking season opener Friday, Aug. 30, on the road against Stanford.
Despite two crucial turnovers and seven penalties for 100 yards against TCU, the Frogs defeated the Cardinals 34-27 at Stanford Stadium.
“What it comes down to is effort, and we played hard,” said TCU linebacker Johnny Hodges.
That effort was apparent on the offensive side for TCU, achieving 23 first downs and 457 total yards.
The passing attack was the team’s main strength, with quarterback Josh Hoover totaling 353 passing yards and two touchdowns. He connected well with wide receiver Jack Bech, who six caught passes for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Wide receiver Savion Williams was another bright spot for the Frogs, leading the team in receptions with 11 and scoring TCU’s first touchdown of the season on a powerful goal-line fade.
Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles’ use of play-action and run-pass option plays created open looks for Hoover across the middle of the field, where Hoover demonstrated extreme accuracy.
Two first-half fumbles limited TCU’s offense to just 10 points, but the team rebounded in the second half, avoiding turnovers and scoring 24 points.
On the defensive side, coordinator Andy Avalos lived up to his reputation as a coach who can generate pressure for opposing quarterbacks, delivering a strong performance in his debut with the Frogs.
TCU’s defense sacked Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels four times and consistently pressured him to escape the pocket throughout the game. As a result, Daniels threw for just 165 yards and converted on 33% of the team’s third-down opportunities, including three conversions by a defensive penalty.
The biggest third-down stop occurred late in the 4th quarter when edge rusher Marcel Brooks recorded his second sack of the day, forcing the Cardinals offense into a 4th-and-17 situation.
TCU’s defense struggled early on the ground, allowing 99 rush yards in the first half. However, the Frogs improved in the second half, holding Stanford to only 24 rush yards and 10 points.
The Frogs’ performance improved in the second half, but improvement is necessary moving forward.
“Obviously, there are things we need to clean up, but when we needed to make plays, we made plays,” Hoover said.
“We were mentally tough. When we had to get stops, we got stops. When we had to score touchdowns, we scored touchdowns,” head coach Sonny Dykes said.
TCU made enough successful plays to enjoy a 1-0 start to the 2024 season. The Frogs will aim to build on their first-game performance as they host Long Island University at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
