TCU’s 2020 season started right where it’s 2019 campaign ended. With another gut-wrenching loss.
Six of TCU’s seven losses last season were in one score games and 2020 started with another in a 37-34 loss to Iowa State.
"Well it’s easy, I take full blame," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "Takeaway is tackling. You can’t allow big plays. Three-quarters of their yardage came on big plays. I didn’t think it was a bad first game, except you lost. There’s no good loss."
The Frogs had their chances to start this year with a win, but a too little too late quarterback change, a brutal turnover and a defense that allowed five plays of more than 35 yards made it tough.I just think we have to play better as a defense.
"It really came down to five plays -- those five plays really hurt us," TCU linebacker Garret Wallow said. "It comes down to execution. We have to execute our defense better, we cant give away big plays."
TCU starting quarterback Max Duggan missed most of training camp with an underlying health condition, but was cleared to play last week. Patterson had named back-up Downing the starter for this game Tuesday.
"They talked and they felt like they wanted to do that," Patterson said. "I thought (Duggan) started slow and got better as he went."
That lasted for the first half as Duggan took over after halftime after Downing completed 11-of-21 passes for 159 yards and a score to true freshman Quentin Johnston.
It took a drive for Duggan to get back into the swing of things, but he had a very efficient day as he completed 16-of-19 passes for 241 yards and three scores.
He threw a 27-yard score to Taye Barber, a 48-yard strike to Artayvious Lynn and a 31-yarder to Blair Conwright on the final play of the game.
The offense exploded through the air when Duggan got in the game, but a costly turnover really ended a chance at a comeback. With four minutes left and the Frogs down two, Duggan threw a pass that went off Barber’s hands and then his knee and a diving Iowa State defender made an interception.
The defense held for two plays, but on third and two, Breece Hall broke a 32-yard run to go up by nine with three minutes to play.
The big play is something Iowa State was able to connect on repeatedly in this game. Hall also had a 75-yard touchdown run in the first half. Kene Nwangwu scored from 49 yards out in the third quarter. The Cyclones also had a 49-yard completion in the second quarter that led to a field goal.
"There’s only one guy to blame -- I’m the guy who is supposed to get them ready and we weren’t ready," Patterson said. "You can’t play on defense if you’re not going to be accountable to what you do. We weren’t accountable."
The TCU defense got in on the scoring action as Lakendrick Van Zandt had a 24-yard fumble recovery on a really weird play as Brock Purdy was being sacked by Garret Wallow and just chunked the ball directly to Van Zandt.
The Iowa State defensive line dominated the inexperienced TCU offensive line to the tune of seven sacks and nine tackles for loss.
The Frogs will look to get their first win of the season at No. 8 Texas next Saturday.
