Looks like we've got a game this week, everyone! Tech heads to Amon G. Carter in Fort Worth for a late-season meeting with the TCU Horned Frogs. But how can the Bulldogs come out on top as 21.5 point underdogs?
1) Win on the Ground
If last week's win over North Texas taught us anything, it's that if Tech puts its nose to the grindstone and wins the trenches, we can actually move the ball! With two freshmen starting at Tackle after opt outs, transfers, and NFL declarations, I was nervous going into Denton. But Skip, Walter Hankinson, Dakota White, and even Jacob Adams proved that they can run block. To beat a team like TCU, Tech will have to be balanced on offense - but the key to victory will be outrushing the Horned Frogs. In TCU's five victories so far this season, they have outrushed their opponents by an average of 166 yards. In their four losses? They've been outrushed by an average of 58 yards. They've only lost once when they've outgained their opponent on the ground: a 21-14 decision against Kansas State, who they outrushed by 17 yards.
2) Stop the deep ball
As Ben pointed out in his PFF analysis of TCU QB Max Duggan, Tech is going to live or die based on how well we can defend against deep throws. So far this season, SEVEN of Duggan's nine passing TDs have come on throws of 20+ yards. Duggan is also a threat with his legs, leading the team in rushing yards (513) and touchdowns (9). The last time Tech played a P5 team with a dual threat QB was 2018's trip to Starkville to face Nick Fitzgerald. From the eye test, Fitzgerald was a semi-decent passer, but his real threat was in the run game... kind of like Duggan. In that game, Tech's secondary was absolutely destroyed, as Fitzgerald racked up four first half passing TDs for what I assume was the only time in his career. Tech cannot allow Duggan to turn into a passer rating god tomorrow if they want to win.
3) Get creative, have fun
Two weeks ago, this game wasn't even happening. Hell, two weeks ago I was pretty sure there wouldn't be any more games this season. Yet here we are, getting paid a few hundred thousand dollars to come play TCU. What a wild ride 2020 has been. This game, as most P5 out of conference matchups we play, doesn't really matter. It's not going to make or break our program to beat TCU in a pandemic year. On top of that, we're starting down the barrel of the end of the season. Sure, we'll probably get a bowl invite... But who can say with 100% certainty that a bowl game would actually get played? My point here isn't to be pessimistic... It's to encourage the players and coaches to treat this game as a potential bowl game. Let the young guys get some playing time, call some outlandish plays you normally wouldn't, and just... hang loose! And since Tech and TCU's only matchup in history came in a Bowl game, and Tech's only game so far at Amon G. Carter stadium was a Bowl game... let's just call this one a Bowl game too. Maybe the BleedTechBlue.com Bowl? I'll get Ben right on that.
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Evan is also a contributor to gtpdd.dog, a lighthearted Louisiana Tech blog. Be sure to check out @gotechplsdntdie on Twitter.
