Study the identify Sonny Dykes. Google Max Duggan. It’s time to get to know the contender no one noticed coming.
TCU, picked to complete seventh within the Large 12, unranked getting into the weekend, coming off a five-win season and with a brand new head coach, emphatically introduced itself as a risk Saturday afternoon.
The Horned Frogs didn’t simply beat Oklahoma. They emasculated the Sooners. They obliterated them, 55-24. They served discover to the remainder of the Large 12 — and the nation as properly — that Fort Value, Texas, is dwelling to one of many higher groups within the nation.
Coming off a top quality win at SMU the place, as Mustangs coach, Dykes engineered a big turnaround with three straight bowl appearances, TCU took a mammoth leap ahead. Duggan, the senior quarterback who's already midway to his career-high in landing passes, threw for 302 yards and three scores and ran for one more 116 yards and two extra touchdowns. The Horned Frogs piled up 668 yards of offense, have scored a minimum of 38 factors in every of their first 4 video games and are 4-0 for the primary time since 2017.
The 52-year-old Dykes inherited a program that was beginning to grow to be irrelevant, failing to win greater than seven video games in any of the previous 4 seasons. It completed tied for ninth within the Large 12 final 12 months, outscored by 73 factors.
The roster is just like what it was final fall, however the play at quarterback is drastically totally different. After freshman starter Chandler Morris suffered a knee harm in a season-opening rout at Colorado, Duggan entered the sport and has taken off, finishing over 74 p.c of his passes. In opposition to Oklahoma, he placed on an absolute present, wanting nothing just like the underwhelming participant he was in his first three seasons. He has but to commit a turnover and towards Oklahoma grew to become the second participant within the final 15 years with a 60-yard dashing and 60-yard passing landing within the first quarter, in accordance with ESPN Stats and Information. The opposite participant: Lamar Jackson.
Oklahoma, it must be famous, was coming off a seven-point loss to Kansas State, and star quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered what gave the impression to be a head harm within the first half. TCU has extra challenges forward. First up is undefeated — sure, undefeated — Kansas adopted by top-10 foe Oklahoma State and Kansas State. It’s early to say TCU is the group to beat within the Large 12. But it surely has been arguably the largest shock in faculty soccer, already proudly owning two street wins and this assertion victory over Oklahoma.
The one adverse from this offensive outburst was that TCU couldn’t make good on its Twitter account’s trolling at halftime, when it tweeted: “Who hits 62 first? Like for TCU, RT for Aaron Choose.”
Neither hit the mark Saturday. There’s at all times subsequent week for Dykes, Duggan and Co. They definitely appear able to placing up outrageous numbers.
Now we all know
Two weeks in the past, I wrote that the true Clemson would reveal itself in its subsequent two video games, that we might discover out if the Tigers had grow to be simply one other program or if final 12 months was merely an anomaly. I received my reply: Clemson is again.
First, it survived at Wake Forest in a double-overtime shootout behind 5 DJ Uiagalelei landing passes, and Saturday it overwhelmed N.C. State in Demise Valley, limiting the Wolfpack to 34 dashing yards and forcing two turnovers. Uiagalelei wasn’t as dynamic because the earlier week, however he produced three touchdowns (one throwing, two dashing) and hasn’t thrown an interception in his final 104 passing makes an attempt.
The trail is now clear for Clemson to run the desk and return to the playoff. Solely two doubtlessly difficult regular-season video games stay: Visits to improved Florida State and .500 Notre Dame. Uiagalelei is just getting higher and the protection, loaded with expertise, confirmed its potential towards N.C. State. Dabo Swinney’s group is a contender once more.
One thing’s Bruin
USC has acquired all of the hype, however UCLA has essentially the most noteworthy victory by an LA faculty. Friday evening, the Bruins improved to 5-0 for the primary time within the Chip Kelly period after overwhelming Washington, 40-32, organising an intriguing showdown towards Utah, which has rebounded properly from its Week 1 loss to Florida with 4 consecutive blowout victories.
It was poetic that one of many greatest victories for Kelly in Westwood got here with quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson performing so properly, throwing for 315 yards and producing 4 touchdowns. Thompson-Robinson has been UCLA’s quarterback since Kelly took cost — he was considered one of his first huge recruits — and the 2 had but to achieve expectations collectively. That modified towards the Huskies. Possibly it will probably proceed.
Post a Comment