The TCU defense forced four turnovers, while Josh Hoover threw three touchdown passes and Kevorian Barnes rushed for over 100 yards as the Horned Frogs overcame a late meltdown (plus multiple lightning delays) to beat Baylor 42-36 in the annual “Bluebonnet Battle” on Saturday afternoon. With TCU one win away from bowl eligibility, we polled our X followers as the Horned Frogs prepare for a road showdown against West Virgnia.
I’m in the minority here. While I certainly despised the Bears as a TCU student (which I was from 2012-16, during what could be argued as the peak of the rivalry), I just feel like the rivalry has lost its luster a bit. Maybe some of that stems from the rivalry’s new branding as the “Bluebonnet Battle” or just getting older, but I think it’s up for grabs as to who the team’s biggest “rival” is at the moment. I even think an argument could be made that SMU, now in the ACC and a CFP qualifier last season, has made the Iron Skillet rivalry much more interesting (RIP). Historically, the TCU-Tech rivalry is almost even, with the Horned Frogs 31-33-3 over the last 100 years.
Could the rainy weather have altered TCU’s offensive gameplan? Perhaps, but regardless, it was really encouraging to see the run game stand out. Baylor entered as one of the worst run defenses in the Big 12 and after failing to capitalize against a mediocre Kansas State run defense last week, I was happy to see the Horned Frogs make a concerted effort to run the ball for all four quarters. It was the first 100-yard rushing game since UNC for Barnes, who looks like the player who won the 2022 Conference USA Freshman of the Year honor. Defensively, TCU has now forced eight turnovers in two Big 12 home games. Doing that on the road will elevate this defense to one of the best in the conference.
Although Jamel Johnson, who snagged his fourth interception of the season on Saturday, was named a Midseason All-American, I’ve been extremely impressed with former California transfer Kaleb Elarms-Orr. One of the team’s top reserves on defense last season, when he played behind Johnny Hodges and Namdi Obiazor, Elarms-Orr compiled 16 tackles on Saturday and has been a machine inside the box. It was the second game with 10-plus tackles for Elarms-Orr, who already has 64 total tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks in six games. TCU’s defense has improved significantly against the run and Elarms-Orr has been a major factor in that.
In hindsight, knowing the quarterback is an easy choice for a question like this, I would have included another player like tight end DJ Rogers or wide receiver Jordan Dwyer. But yes, Hoover has been TCU’s best offensive player and he’ll need to keep being the best offensive player in order for the team to succeed. Hoover has thrown for 2,124 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions over six games. His numbers are largely on par with what they were over the halfway point of last season. I’d like to see his completion rate improve closer to 70 percent (it’s currently just over 65 percent) and I’d like to see the TD:INT ratio keep improving (it’s currently 3.5).
