TCU shows resiliency, running game in gritty win over Kansas

Resiliency hasn’t been something the Horned Frogs have shown a lot of over the course of the program’s last 16 games.

We know TCU can blow out a team if everything is rolling, but how the unit responds to adversity was a big question mark. In TCU’s 38-27 win over the Jayhawks, the Horned Frogs finally showed they can win a gritty, ugly game.

TCU lost the turnover battle and arguably their top defensive playmaker, Namdi Obiazor in the first half, but found ways to overcome in a game that could’ve easily gone the other way.

After a disastrous last two weeks, Sonny Dykes admitted he was relieved that his team was finally able to pull one of these games out. In fact he said it was one of the most important wins of his tenure.

“It was one of the best team wins I’ve been a part of in a long time,” Dykes said. “We dealt with some adversity and a lot of it was created by ourselves. Three turnovers and not getting a turnover until the end of the game, but we just kept fighting. There was no panic, as the game went on I think our guys got grittier and tougher.”

The Horned Frogs could’ve splintered apart like they did last season, but at least for this week TCU showed that the group still believes in its potential. Players like Jack Bech, who had another 100-yard receiving performance, had to remind his teammates that everything was still in front of them and that helped keep the group focused.

“This team is special, we suffered two hard losses, but like I said I couldn’t have more confidence in this team,” Bech said. “Instead of everybody pointing the fingers the last two weeks, everyone grew closer and worked harder. We knew there was going to be adversity, but we were prepared for it.”

Beyond showing mental toughness, arguably the biggest development from Arrowhead Stadium is that TCU’s run game finally showed a pulse thanks to a spark from freshman running back Jeremy Payne. Payne rushed for 65 of TCU’s 151 rushing yards on eight carries including a 32-yarder that was the longest run of the season for TCU.

After the game, Dykes said he believed Payne made a statement and earned even more reps in the running back rotation.

“He runs hard, he hits the holes and he finishes,” Dykes said. “He’s physical and I was really impressed with the way he ran the football. It wasn’t easy, none of it was easy. We had to earn every inch that we made, but our backs worked hard and I think the offensive line got more physical as the game went along.

JP Richardson, who is also from Missouri City like Payne, had a feeling that the young running back could make a big impact this season the first time they worked out together on campus.

“Jeremy Payne, that’s my guy, he’s representing Missouri City very well,” Richardson said. “He’s a dog, he’s such a great kid. He shows up and works his tail off everyday. He’s shifty as heck, I remember we were doing 7-on-7 in the winter and I was like this dude is shifty as heck. Little did I know he would be on the field as much as he is.”

Speaking of Richardson, his punt return in the third quarter could end up being a play we look back at as saving TCU’s season. At that point in the game, the Horned Frogs were trailing and the offense was stuck in neutral as Josh Hoover had two interceptions and nearly a fumble.

The confidence of the Horned Frogs was beginning to waver until Richardson made the game-changing play.

“We needed some momentum, when you lose like we did against Central Florida and had the disaster we did last week, I don’t care who you are, a little bit of doubt creeps in,” Dykes said. “I don’t know if doubt’s the right word, but you start to press a little bit. When you press, you kind of create your own problems sometimes. I think that punt return helped us relax and get our footing back.”

It was an encouraging site to finally see TCU endure throughout the ebbs and flows of the game while also establishing some semblance of a run game.

The victory over the Jayhawks doesn’t erase the concerns from the last two weeks, there’s a reason Kansas entered that game 1-3 after all, but it’s still a positive step forward for a team that seemed to be on the verge of another collapse when Cam Cook fumbled on TCU’s first drive.

It wasn’t pretty, but most games in conference play won’t be either. Suddenly if TCU is able to handle its business against a Houston team at the bottom of the league, then the Horned Frogs’ Oct. 19 matchup at No. 18 Utah could have massive implications in the Big 12 title race.