Written by Jacob Freedman

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Four Storylines for Texas Tech at TCU

1. Week 3 of the Trevone Boykin Experience

After TCU’s senior starting quarterback Casey Pachall had to leave the team due to personal issues, a redshirt freshman in Boykin was thrown into the fray. His first game against Iowa State was a disaster as he threw three interceptions, fumbled, and the Horned Frogs’ 12-game winning streak came to an end with a 37-23 loss.

Week two was different by miles. In a 49-21 thrashing of Baylor, Boykin accounted for five touchdowns (four through the air) and didn’t turn the ball over. There is no doubt the new TCU signal-caller is a dual threat from in the pocket, but Texas Tech leads the Big 12 in pass and total defense. The Red Raiders will be the most difficult challenge yet for Boykin so he will need to build upon last week’s showing and keep turnovers to a minimum.

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2. Injuries to the Red Raider Receiving Corps

You know all is well in the world when the Texas Tech passing game puts up gaudy numbers while steamrolling opponents. Last week was a perfect example of this as quarterback Seth Doege threw for six touchdowns and 499 yards in a 49-14 thrashing of previously-unbeaten West Virginia. The news that emerged after the upset was not quite as sweet.

The Red Raiders found out this week that Javon Bell and Bradley Marquez, the team’s fourth and fifth-leading receivers, are both out for the season after getting hurt against the Mountaineers. Depth at wideout will allow the Red Raiders to plug in two more capable players, but the Tech faithful hope that Doege has little trouble adjusting to the loss of Bell and Marquez. Tight end Jace Amaro, the team leader in receiving yards, is also questionable for Saturday and looks to be a game-time decision. His role as Doege’s safety net cannot be understated, and his potential absence would sting even more than the loss of the two wideouts.

3. TCU’s Opportunistic Defense

TCU was known for its stifling defense before it moved to the Big 12, and nothing has changed during the Horned Frogs’ first season in their new conference. The D is allowing just over 300 yards per game, good for 11th in the nation. The best part is that the unit has forced 20 turnovers halfway through the season, 14 of them interceptions.

AccuScore projections have Seth Doege passing for over 300 yards through the air, but accumulating high yardage totals will be fruitless if TCU’s defense can pick off Doege from time to time. True freshman Devonte Fields already has 6.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss on the season, and a couple jarring hits from the young defensive end could put the ball on the ground as well.

4. Third Down Battleground

The Red Raiders are the nation’s best at converting on third down, moving the chains 57 percent of the time. They chew up the clock by sustaining long drives with screen passes and short routes across the middle rather than firing the ball deep downfield. Texas Tech is also second in the nation in time of possession, and their ability to keep possessions alive against the nation’s second-best third down defense (TCU allows just a 24 percent conversion rate) will be vital in making sure that TCU has less time with the ball on offense.

Prediction

TCU is favored by two points at home which shows that Vegas is not overly confident in the Horned Frogs ability to defeat ranked teams post-Pachall. The Red Raiders are ranked for the first time during the regular season since 2008, and I think Doege will follow up his overwhelming performance last week with another win over a Top 25 squad.

Texas Tech 34, TCU 31