Spring Game recap
TCU’s annual spring game is always a battle that sees you excited when the offense scores, but at the same time feel anxious about the defense.
Many fans weren’t feeling much with this game with the “spring” temperatures sitting in the mid-30s, but that’s just another wrinkle for Gary Patterson’s team to deal with. A late October game in Kansas and a mid-November game at West Virginia means this probably won’t be the last time the Frogs have to play in that weather.
The best highlight for the offense came on the game’s opening drive where Shawn Robinson completed three of four passes to get the scoring started.
Robinson picked up a big chunk of yards on a pass down the sideline to KaVontae Turpin and a long run on third down out of the Wild Frog formation for Sewo Olonilua set up the touchdown.
LJ Collier got his first of two sacks on the day when he got to Robinson in the backfield. The quarterback was in a red jersey signifying that he can’t be hit, so a pat on the chest counted as a sack.
That set up third and goal from near the 10. Robinson was able to step up into the pocket and deliver a sidearm throw through traffic to Olonilua for the lone score by the first string.
Collier had a big day with the two sacks and a tackle for loss to lead the defense. That side of the ball picked off TCU quarterbacks three times, one time each of Michael Collins, Grayson Meuhlstein and Robinson. Kerry Johnson got Collins in the end zone. Tony James got his off a tipped pass from Meuhlstein and his high school teammate Niko Small stepped in traffic and picked off Robinson.
The offense also had a fumble on a sloppy hand off from Robinson to apparent fourth-string running back and probably sixth-string defensive end walk-on Jacques Guillot, which was recovered by Terrell Cooper.
Guillot in the backfield is part of the reason fans shouldn’t worry much about this day’s result. Expected starters Ben Banogu, Ty Summers, Julius Lewis, Garrett Wallow and Ross Blacklock didn’t even play for the defense, Kennedy Snell didn’t play as the third running back for the offense and the offensive line is still a fluid situation.
The starting offensive line today was (from left tackle): Austin Myers, Cordel Iwuagwu, Kellton Hollins, Chris Gaynor and David Bolisomi. The second string was: Anthony McKinney, Quazzel White, Coy McMillon, Nate Guyton and Bolisomi getting more work.
Gary Patterson said after the game that McKinney might just work himself into a starting role by the fall. Neither Hunter nor Wes Harris played in this game either as the beefed up offensive line continues to shuffle and players rest for the fall.
The other touchdown for the offense came late in the game as Taye Barber tipped a short pass to himself from Collins and went untouched for the short score.
This was a pretty basic playbook we saw today, but it was good to see Darius Anderson get a few touches early after missing the last few games last year. Barber is going to be explosive as well as the Frogs worked the ball to him on swing packages and screens.
With Barber, Jalen Reagor, Anderson and Turpin on the field all at once, that’s four guys that can score everytime they touch the ball.