close
close
Boos fill Amon G. Carter as cougars beat frogs at home

FORT WORTH – At halftime, TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium was filled with boos as a Houston team that had been suspended for two straight games before Friday's game against the Horned Frogs put up 24 first-half points and TCU won 30:19.

Here are five takeaways from the game:

Zeon Chriss dominates, controls the pace of the attack

Houston scored zero points in the final eight quarters. They entered the match with three losses in a row.

That narrative changed when Zeon Chriss showed no signs of struggling against TCU.

Sports summary

Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more.

In the first half alone, Houston totaled 139 rushing yards, with Chriss' 71-yard rushing touchdown increasing the number at the end of the first half.

The offense finally found success in the passing game after failing to score in two games. Chriss went 15 of 18 for 141 yards and led the team with 97 yards on 11 attempts. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry.

Houston's defense lights up the TCU offense

The 27th-ranked defense confounded TCU's offense.

Defensive back AJ Haulcy was the force that limited TCU in the first half.

Haulcy was the recipient of Hoover's two interceptions. He also recorded seven tackles, five solo tackles and one pass breakup. With WR Jack Bech's success this season, Haulcy's aggressiveness limited his dominance in TCU's offense.

The unit held TCU to just six points in the first half.

Run game is a success, Cam Cook leads for TCU

There aren't many positives to TCU's performance, but the running game is one of them. After struggling to get the unit going this season, RB Cam Cook has been great on the ground.

True freshman Jeremy Payne had TCU's only rushing touchdown, but Cook put up strong numbers.

He led TCU's RB room with 77 yards on 14 attempts. His longest gain was a 19-yard gain in the second quarter.

Josh Hoover's inconsistency and turnovers destroy momentum

TCU quarterback Josh Hoover (10) loses the ball when he is hit by the Houston defensive linemen...
TCU quarterback Josh Hoover (10) loses the ball as he is tackled by Houston defensive linemen Keith Cooper Jr. (5) and Zykeius Strong (90) in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 ) is taken in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)(Richard W. Rodriguez/AP)

Today's game was Hoover's third straight game with an interception. It's his second with two.

Despite the success he has had, his performance in the last three games has been marred by errors. Despite the win, the offensive unit had three turnovers against Kansas.

Tonight the offense had four turnovers, bringing the total to 12 in the last three games.

Hoover still passed for over 250 yards with two passing touchdowns and completed 23 of 37 passes.

Improved run defense, struggling secondary for TCU

The defense was able to meaningfully stop Houston's running game, but the secondary struggled to stop the Cougars.

On Houston's first drive of the game, TCU's Abe Camara was ejected for a targeting call. This gave Houston a free 15 yards and a first down, giving them the fuel they needed to score.

Although Chriss' 71-yard rushing touchdown boosted the stat line for Houston, TCU's defense limited the RB space. Aside from Chriss, RB Re'Shaun Sanford II had 38 yards on six attempts and an average of 6.3 yards per carry.

On the line, LB Nambi Obiazor led the defensive unit with 11 total tackles, six solo tackles, one sack, two TFLs and one forced fumble.

Twitter: @sarsmithsports

    For Sonny Dykes, TCU, the difficult season continues as Houston defeats the heavily favored Frogs
    TCU Prediction: Will the Josh Hoover-Jack Bech duo prove too much for Houston?

Find more TCU coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

By Vanessa

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *