Post-game thoughts — TCU 33, Texas 31

Going to keep this rather short for the sake of time after spending three and a half hours watching a recording of the game. I’m sure all Longhorn fans are feeling just as frustrated right now.

Heartbreak. Absolute heartbreak.

Approaching next weekend’s Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma with a chance to be 3-0 atop the Big 12, the last thing Texas could afford was a home loss to TCU. Yet, once again, here we are. More self-inflicted wounds and inconsistency on offense proved to be costly. It remains true, the TCU Horned Frogs still own Tom Herman and the Texas Longhorns. Texas is now 2-12 when trailing at halftime under Herman.

First of all, kudos to TCU for once again going into Austin and coming out with a win. Especially in the secondary, that group made life difficult on Ehlinger and the Texas offense today. Their quarterback Max Duggan is the truth.

Offense

Team don’t win conference championships without strong offensive line play. Texas sure makes it look hard to run the ball up-the-middle right now. They simply can’t run effectively behind Kerstetter and Okafor. And that’s a major problem.

You could hear someone from the crowd or sideline scream “what are we doing Herb” on the television broadcast as Texas’ offensive line was getting demolished on the second play of the game.

Not being able to run the ball well allowed to TCU’s defense to sit back in coverage and zone in on Ehlinger.

Absolutely loved the decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 down 23-21 after a TCU offside penalty. The playcall was even better. Ehlinger probably had Ingram for a touchdown on a similar play later in the game. But he threw a jump ball to Eagles instead.

It’d be nice to see Texas utilize their running backs more in the passing game. Gotta get them in space more with big-body receivers Black and Eagles blocking ahead. That halfback wheel route to Ingram was money in this game.

Let’s be real. You have to score more than four touchdowns to win games in the Big 12. The offense didn’t get the job done today.

Defense

This loss wasn’t particularly on the defense. Despite being banged up throughout the game, they responded pretty well after taking some heat all week.

There was a lot more pressure on the quarterback. Ossai was in Duggan’s grill consistently. DeMarvion Overshown had himself a game, too. Juwan Mitchell was playing well at linebacker until he was ejected on that ‘targeting’ hit to the chest. His loss had a domino effect on the run defense — who was gashed on designed quarterback runs up-the-middle.

The typical TCU offensive gameplan revolved around motions, reverses, and screens. They had enough success with all of that to setup several timely called quarterback runs. Horned Frogs offense did what they needed to do to win.

Player of Game — Joseph Ossai (11 tackles, 3.5 TFL, sack, FF)

Special Teams

After having a whole week to correct all those embarrassing special teams mistakes from last week, what a disappointing start to the game after D’Shawn Jamison nearly took the opening kickoff to the house. Negated by a holding penalty. What a start that would have been — Texas needed the early momentum.

Jamison has now had two big returns called back due to holding penalties this season.

A couple of unneccessary personal foul penalties on special teams backed Texas’ starting field position within its own 10-yard-line twice.

Penalties, penalties, and more penalties

Don’t care if this was the first ever game this officiating crew reffed together with each other — what a poorly officiated game on both sides. The game flow in the first half honestly made it hard to watch.

There were at least five-to-six costly penalties on the Longhorns, which makes this result look even uglier. Thanks to a questionable ineligible lineman downfield penalty on a 30-yard gain, Texas’ offense stalled after Ossai’s forced fumble with a prime opportunity to take a 28-23 lead. That felt like a game-changing call at the time.

Inexcusable for those refs to pick up that blatant holding penalty on TCU, which led to their first touchdown. And they also missed a blatant defensive pass interference on a play where Brennan Eagles was nearly tackled.

Big 12 officiating continues to be an embarrassment on a week-to-week basis.

TCU true freshman WR Quenton Johnson

Sigh. He should be a Longhorn.

Overall

Disappointing to say the least. But season goals are still in front of this team. Now, it’s all about how they respond to this loss. Beat OU.