#9 BYU Cougars -1 (6-0) 2-3 ATS, 0-3 O/U at TCU Horned Frogs +1 (6-1) 4-2 ATS, 2-4 O/U Thursday, October 16 Amon G. Carter Stadium (44,358) Fort Worth, Texas 8 p.m. EST
By Wilson of Predictem.com
The TCU Horned Frogs will host the No. 9 team in the country Thursday night when the BYU Cougars come to town. Both teams have six wins on the season but it’s TCU with the lone loss between them.
The Horned Frog’s only loss came at the hands of then No. 3 Oklahoma 35-10. TCU’s defense simply could not handle the high powered Sooners. This week they will once again attempt to knock down a highly ranked team in BYU. TCU boast one of the top defenses in the nation but they were a bit sluggish last week versus Colorado State in a 13-7 win. However, they did manage to hold the Rams to just seven points, which is well under the Horned Frog’s average allowance of 11.4 per game.
The Horned Frogs were way below their total points per game average of 33.7 as they only managed to put up thirteen points. TCU was favored by fifteen points over Colorado State but failed to cover the spread.
TCU quarterback, Marcus Jackson was 16-of-26 for 166 yards and zero TD’s. Jackson also rushed for 54 yards on 19 carries. Perhaps the weather played a role in the team’s overall dismal performance as it was a chilly 39 degrees at kick-off time. The cold temperatures may be why Jackson fumbled five snaps with one leading to a turnover.
In order to stand a chance against BYU the Horned Frogs will need to be more productive offensively and the defense can’t afford a sluggish start.
BYU is coming off of a 21-3 win over New Mexico. The Cougars are averaging 37.8 points per game while just giving up 10.2 to their opponents.
Cougar QB Max Hall continued his attack on opposing defenses by going 22-of-34 for 265 yards and 3 TD’s. Hall’s favorite target, wide receiver Austin Collie caught 9 passes for 162 yards and 1 TD. It was Collie’s fourth consecutive 100-yard game. The Horned Frogs have a capable defense as they did not allow a touchdown for the third time in four games, but it will be no easy task shutting down the Cougars.
BYU kept its nation’s longest win streak alive by winning their 16th straight game. Although they had their lowest scoring game of the season with just 21 points, but they got the win and that’s all that matters!
In four home games BYU has out-scored their opponents 165-20. Maybe it’s a good thing that TCU is hosting because the Cougars are too deadly at home. If TCU plans on the big upset they will have to apply constant pressure on Max Hall. Hall clearly leads the Cougars attack but TCU has the defense to cause some friction in the backfield. I like the idea of TCU bringing guys frequently on the blitz. We’ll see Thursday night if BYU will meet up with a defense that can even the playing field.
Wilson’s Pick: TCU knows exactly what they need to do- pressure, pressure, pressure. I think this game will be a great contest to see who has the better defense. Both teams can get it done offensively but I give BYU the win. It may be a good idea to take a look at the under on this game when the line comes out. Luck to ya.
