The Texas Christian secondary will not be surprised. It knows Cincinnati will attack through the air Saturday. It’s something the Horned Frogs can expect every week until they stop someone’s passing game.
In the last three games, opponents have attacked the TCU defense with success. The 10th-ranked Frogs gave up more passing yards in those games than they did in the first six games. To continue its undefeated season, TCU (9-0) likely will have to stop that trend.
“I think we just got a little relaxed,” senior cornerback Tyrone Sanders said. “I feel like everyone hasn’t really been doing their job. We have to get back to doing our own job and we’ll get back to where we were.”
In the last three games TCU has surrendered 1,189 passing yards, 396.3 yards per game. The Frogs, who finished last season as the No. 1 defense in the country, now are ranked 48th.
The secondary was jolted in the fourth game of the season when Marvin Godbolt, the only returner to start every game last season, injured a knee. He had four interceptions and 23 tackles, but his season was over.
“Injuries happen,” Sanders said. “A team is all about having the next person step up. It’s hurt us, but the young guys have stepped up and are playing very well for us.”
In the two games following Godbolt’s injury, against Army and South Florida, TCU gave up a total of 280 passing yards. But that was against the 68th and 90th passing attacks, respectively, in Division I football.
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Through the first six games, TCU gave up average of 197.3 passing yards and the defense was ranked No. 4 in the country. That ranking began falling against Alabama-Birmingham. The Blazers attacked the Horned Frogs with deep passes, and while UAB had only 11 completions, they went for 296 yards.
Houston and Louisville each threw for more than 400 yards in TCU’s past two games. Many of those yards came on short and medium-range throws, but broken tackles — or missed tackles by TCU — accounted for large chunks of yardage.
“There no excuse for it — it’s just a lack of concentration,” said junior cornerback Mark Walker, a Thorpe Award semifinalist. “It’s just more focus in practice and wrapping up after the guy catches the ball — things we can correct on our own.”
The Frogs will get a chance to show how much they’ve improved their tackling since the Louisville game against Cincinnati. Bearcats quarterback Gino Guidugli, who completed 18 of 28 passes for 287 yards last season in a 36-29 victory against TCU, throws a lot of high-percentage passes and has completed 165 of 302 for 1,842 yards this season.
“They are going to try to test us because everyone else is trying to test us,” Sanders said. “I’m pretty sure they’ve been talking to other coaches. We’ve got to step up to the challenge and keep them from throwing.”
The Horned Frogs also might want to put a little more pressure on Guidugli than they’ve put on quarterbacks recently. TCU had two sacks in the past three games, after 27 in the first six games.
“Our whole thing is built around pressure,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said. “And if we’re not getting it, then people are put in one-on-one situations. The biggest thing is we just haven’t been making plays.”