No Waymon James, no problem. The junior running back was lost for the season with a knee injury earlier this week. Matthew Tucker got the lion’s share of the carries in James’ absence and wasn’t great (13 carries, 50 yards) but TCU’s defense was. The Horned Frogs, who have allowed 13 points in three games this year, beat Virginia, 20-0, at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday afternoon, extending their winning streak to 11 games — the longest in the country. Here are five observations from TCU’s win:
1. Cain all over the place
Kenny Cain, the only senior starter on TCU’s defense, was responsible for the first three turnovers forced by the Horned Frogs. He recovered a fumble forced by Elisha Olabode at the beginning of the second quarter and picked off Virginia quarterback Michael Rocco twice — once later in the second quarter and again on the Cavaliers’ first possession of the third. TCU, who had three takeaways in its first two games combined, forced a fourth turnover on a Phillip Sims fumble in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
2. Carter has another big day, Boyce sets school record
After setting career highs in receptions and yards in the Horned Frogs’ 20-6 win over Kansas last week, Brandon Carter had another big game. He racked up 111 yards on his first two receptions, both one-handed grabs, the first a 68-yard touchdown catch over the middle. Carter ended up with 5 catches for 128 yards and has 13 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games.
Redshirt freshman LaDarius Brown made his first career touchdown catch on the Horned Frogs’ final drive in the fourth quarter, a 17-yard reception on 4th-and-4. Junior Josh Boyce was on the receiving end of the second of Casey Pachall’s three touchdown tosses, his 18th career touchdown catch, setting a TCU school record.
3. TCU finally allows a touchdown
Phillip Sims’ five-yard touchdown pass to E.J. Scott late in the final minutes of the fourth quarter — a few plays after Jason Verrett dropped a sure interception in the end zone — marked the first time TCU allowed a touchdown this year. Dating back to last season, that was the first touchdown scored against the Horned Frogs in 36 drives by their opponents. The closest Virginia came to finding the end zone before Sims’ score was when Chris Hackett drilled Cavaliers wideout Darius Jennings as he was hauling in a pass from Rocco on the goal line in the third quarter, jarring the ball loose.
4. Red zone turnovers still an issue
TCU committed multiple turnovers in the red zone for the second straight week. Pachall was picked off for the first time this year on 3rd-and-goal from the 8-yard line in the second quarter and, one play after Trevone Boykin’s fumble was recovered by the Horned Frogs, Skye Dawson fumbled out of the back of the end zone after catching a long pass over the middle from Pachall, who fumbled out of the back of the end zone last week.
5. Oberkrom shows off range
Jaden Oberkrom hit two long fields in the third quarter — a 46-yarder and a 47-yarder. The true freshman was 2-for-3 last weekend against Kansas, connecting on attempts of 37 and 22 yard but missing a 45-yarder.