TCU prepares for focused Oklahoma squad
Don’t bother reminding TCU coach Gary Patterson that his team won a Big 12 Conference championship just two years ago in part because they beat Oklahoma.
“Title goes through Norman, so you got to get ready to play,” he said. “You got to find a way to win one of those. Very well coached. Coach (Bob) Stoops has been there a long time and done a great job.”
The two teams kick off at 4 p.m. Oct. 1 on FOX.
The Sooners (1-2) are led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has completed 55 passes for 793 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions; running back Samaje Perine, who has 33 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns, and Joe Mixon, who has 28 carries for 235 yards and a score; and receiver Dede Westbrook with 17 catches for 154 yards.
“Really really good tailbacks,” Patterson said. “Mixon every week gets more and more involved in their offense.
“(Mayfield) hurt us a year ago,” he added. “Don’t let him run. You have to try different things. They’ll get him on edges so he can see the field. You have to tackle all those guys in space. You can’t let him stand back there forever. You have to have a couple of different angles.”
The defensive statistics might be deceiving since the Sooners have played two teams ranked in the top seven and lost to both. For Patterson, however, he sees the same style of Oklahoma defense.
“They surround you, they’ll try to place their will on you if you allow them,” he said.
As for the TCU (3-1, 1-0) offense, quarterback Kenny Hill continues to excel. He has completed 119 passes for 1,487 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions and 33 carries for 166 yards and six scores. Running back Kyle Hicks has 52 rushes for 314 yards and five touchdowns.
Still, Patterson said the key to winning isn’t necessarily with the players everyone knows about.
“It’s not how you win championships with the guys on media days, it’s the guys you don’t know anything about,” he said. “Some guys have opportunity to get back and be a part of the mix.”
One such player might be receiver John Diarse, who transferred from LSU. Patterson said he has been a great addition to the team for reasons beyond what he does on the field. Diarse has 16 catches for 290 yards and a score.
“He represents what you’re trying to get to as a football team,” the coach said. “A guy who’s tough, mature, you can talk to him like an adult. We needed an older guy to step up at wide receiver, and he’s been that the last couple of weeks.”
The coach, who is a former defensive coordinator, said he has been fixing the secondary the last several days.
“I’d been fixing things with man coverages,” he said. “One way or the other we needed to get better in zone coverages. You got to know what your strengths are, you can’t get yourself in harm’s way.”
Since the Horned Frogs beat SMU Sept. 23, they had an extra off day that proved beneficial for the team, Patterson said.
“Having one day, you can tell it’s made a difference in our team the way we ran around on (Sept. 25),” he said. “That was even a help for us. It really helps you on the other end of it. It gives us an opportunity to get some guys back and work on some things and get more time to prepare.”
