TCU fell to UCF 21-13 in its Big 12 opener to take its second loss of the season and the Horned Frogs looked strikingly similar to the version that got upended by North Carolina at the start of the year.
TCU dropped its second game of the season and its first of the Big 12 schedule, as the Horned Frogs were out-dueled by UCF 21-13 on Saturday.
Although TCU looked to have found its rhythm recently, the outing in Orlando was shockingly similar to the first defeat.
Several issues and concerns that plagued the Horned Frogs against North Carolina in Dublin reared their head again and cost TCU in yet another pivotal contest.
After seeming to turn a corner in its past two games, TCU's offense failed to reach the end zone past the first quarter in Orlando.
That also happened once before this year, which was in the aforementioned opener to the Tar Heels.
Staying with the offense, quarterback Jaden Craig was held in check by the Knights after surging to the top of the Big 12 in passing yards heading into the matchup.
While he still tallied an impressive 300 or so yards, Craig could not cash in when it mattered most with an equally unsightly zero touchdowns on the night.
In addition, Craig turned the ball over twice on two costly interceptions in a one-possession game after only throwing interception in the previous three games combined.
This lackluster performance from Craig has taken place only one previous time. That would be, of course, the loss to North Carolina.
There were bright spots in the loss, as the defense remained solid yet slightly weaker than it was in the first three weeks.
Jordan Dwyer also made a statement in his return by finishing as the Horned Frogs' leading receiver in his first action of the entire season with 100 yards on five catches.
However, all of these positive notes will be quickly forgotten in the midst of another disappointing loss before the calendar flips to October.
It is still early in the season for TCU, but some serious signs are emerging for the Horned Frogs that can almost assure a loss when they are repeated.
The road does not get any easier, at least not immediately, for the Horned Frogs, as awaiting them back in Fort Worth is No. 10 BYU.
The Cougars are unbeaten and fresh off a bye week before making the trip to Fort Worth to begin their Big 12 slate.
If these eerie similarities are to be believed, however, there is a silver lining for the Horned Frogs.
They have yet to lose a game inside Amon G. Carter Stadium, so that could boost its chances in pulling the upset on BYU.
But it will ultimately take more than arbitrary trends to knock off a top 10 team, especially the way TCU has looked in both of its games against opponents of a comparable level.
The season is not totally over through four weeks for TCU, but it is hovering dangerously close to complete disaster if the Horned Frogs cannot correct these glaring issues sooner rather than later.
