TCU will be without up to eight Horned Frogs when it welcomes No. 10 BYU to Fort Worth. Can Sonny Dykes and company overcome these injuries in an already tough matchup against the Cougars?
TCU is back inside the friendly confines of Amon G. Carter on Saturday evening, but more than a handful of Horned Frogs will not be suiting up against No. 10 BYU.
According to the final injury report handed in by the program, seven Horned Frogs are confirmed to miss out on facing the Cougars with a potential eighth listed as a game-time decision.
These names for TCU include offensive lineman pair Devan Robison and Creese Brister, running back Joe Pitchford and wide receiver Cooper Reid.
On defensive, the Horned Frogs will be without linebacker Michael Short, corner back Devondre McGee and defensive tackle Perry Cole Jr. remains questionable.
Finally, usual starting kicker Kyle Lemmerman is out in what could be the biggest loss for TCU.
Although TCU remains plagued by numerous injuries, there was a big piece of good news that came from the final report on Saturday afternoon.
Senior edge rusher Zach Chapman moved from questionable to active, as he is set to make his season debut for the Horned Frogs following a four-game hiatus.
With dynamic quarterback Bear Bachmeier in the backfield, TCU will need all the help it can get to contain him, and by extension the Cougars offense, with Chapman offering a big boost to the unit up front.
Meanwhile, BYU is set to have five of its players out due to injury, which is an improvement from the eight that were initially listed on reports throughout the week.
However, one key position for the Cougars that remains affected by absence is on the offensive line, as Caden McGee will not be on the field for BYU.
It is a slight improvement for BYU, which originally had three of its offensive lineman listed on earlier reports, to only miss out on McGee.
But with the aforementioned addition of Chapman, the lack of depth in the trenches could be the prime opportunity for him to make a big statement in his return for the Horned Frogs.
This final injury news only further confirms what TCU has known all week long ahead of the matchup -- the Horned Frogs are serious underdogs to the top 10 team heading to Fort Worth.
With two losses already on their record, the Horned Frogs need to defend their hometown regardless of who is in or out of the action and there are still plenty of weapons able to do so.
Quarterback Jaden Craig has shown his ability to rack up yards, but he needs to be able to turn that into points for TCU. Wide receiver Jordan Dwyer making his home debut is a prime target to make that happen.
He also needs to rely on explosive running back Jeremy Payne to take the pressure off of his abilities alone.
TCU hosts No. 10 BYU at 6 p.m. CT inside Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday night.
