TCU returns home trying to rebound from its UCF loss, but No. 10 BYU arrives unbeaten with one of the nation’s most productive rushing attacks.
The TCU Horned Frogs return to Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday needing a response, but the opponent waiting for them won’t make that easy.
No. 10 BYU visits Fort Worth at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN, bringing a 3-0 record and an offense averaging 481.7 yards and 44 points per game. TCU, meanwhile, is 2-2 after a frustrating 21-13 loss at UCF in its Big 12 opener.
That matchup puts immediate pressure on one of TCU’s biggest strengths: its defense.
The Horned Frogs are allowing just 264.8 yards and 12.5 points per game, while holding opponents to 86 rushing yards per contest.
That unit now has to deal with a BYU ground attack averaging 262.7 rushing yards per game, ninth-best in the FBS.
The centerpiece is senior running back LJ Martin, who has 328 rushing yards and three touchdowns. His biggest performance came against Colorado State, when he exploded for 176 yards and three scores on 15 carries.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier gives the Cougars balance. He has thrown for 642 yards with six touchdowns and one interception while completing 71 percent of his passes. Freshman receiver Legend Glasker has emerged as another major threat, totaling 270 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
BYU coach Kalani Sitake has emphasized consistency rather than hype.
“There is a higher expectation,” Sitake said before the season, “but at the end of the day we just want to win games.”
TCU’s offense has its own weapons. Jaden Craig has thrown for 1,213 yards and seven touchdowns, while Ed Small leads the receiving corps with 371 yards. Jeremy Payne has rushed for 355 yards.
But the Frogs are coming off their worst rushing performance of the season, managing only 33 yards against UCF. Craig threw for 310 yards in that game, but two interceptions helped derail the comeback attempt.
That makes Saturday’s matchup fairly clear: TCU can’t afford another one-dimensional offensive performance.
If the Frogs can slow Martin, avoid turnovers and make BYU work through long drives, they’ll have a chance to turn their season back in the right direction.
If not, the Cougars have enough balance to make it a long night in Fort Worth.
