3 Things TCU Football Needs to Show Against Baylor

Three things to watch as the TCU Horned Frogs face the Baylor Bears on Saturday night.

It’s no secret that the TCU Horned Frogs have failed to live up to expectations this season. They sit at 2–3 and are still searching for their first conference win.

After a much-needed bye week and an opportunity to work through the issues that have plagued them this season, the Frogs travel to Waco to take on the Baylor Bears in a showdown between bitter rivals.

There is plenty to keep an eye on, but here are three things I will be looking for when the Frogs meet the Bears in the Revivalry.

Is There Some Fight?

The Frogs want to win. That feels like an obvious point to make, but their desire to improve has come through in their conversations with the media. This is a team that knows it has underperformed but is welcoming the challenges and pushing to get better.

Whether that translates to the field remains to be seen. It has been a recurring frustration: knowing the issues, knowing the need to be better, but failing to make the changes when needed.

The bye week gave the Frogs time for some internal soul-searching and a closer look at what needs to change. The question is, can they fix it?

With the rivalry matchup on deck, this game will say a lot about the program’s character and where its heart is. This is a “show up no matter what happened in previous weeks” affair. Can the Frogs do that and potentially surprise some people?

Anything can happen in a rivalry game.

Is the Offensive Line Better?

It’s easy to point fingers and place blame for offensive struggles. Everyone has done it, myself included. Sometimes, it feels like the problems are easy to see. That includes an offensive line that has underperformed relative to expectations and needs a “prove it” game to get some confidence back.

Baylor presents another difficult test up front. The Bears have allowed just 97.4 rushing yards per game and 2.9 yards per carry this season. Given TCU’s struggles handling defensive-line stunts, the Frogs should expect Baylor’s defense to test their communication and assignments.

After the BYU loss, I asked Ben Taylor-Whitfield about those struggles. He said the group is aware of the issue and working hard to fix it. He also believes they have improved over the past few weeks.

With the bye week behind them and extra time to work on the fundamentals, it’s time to see some positive change. Better pass protection, fewer missed assignments and the ability to move the line of scrimmage in the running game would make a world of difference in Waco.

For more on the offense’s search for answers, read how TCU’s tight ends fit into the picture.

Can the Defense Hold?

The highlight of the Frogs’ season has been the defense, which has given them a chance to win every game despite the offense’s struggles. Andy Avalos’ unit has been the team’s most consistent strength.

Against FBS opponents, the Frogs rank No. 9 nationally in scoring defense, allowing 15 points per game, and No. 8 in total defense, surrendering 266.3 yards per game.

They would obviously love to continue their strong play and have the pieces to do it, but another good performance cannot be taken for granted. Even when the offense has put them in difficult positions, the defense has repeatedly kept games within reach.

If the offense struggles again, even more will fall on the defense’s shoulders. The question is whether the Frogs can continue playing at this level and make the stops they need when the game is on the line.

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