Run the Ball

In case you missed this key to the game for the last few games, here it is again. The Longhorns need to run the ball a lot against TCU to establish the tempo they want to play at. Texas ran the ball 60 times against Oklahoma, wearing down the defense just enough to give Case McCoy the confidence he needed to make accurate passes. 255 yards on the ground against Oklahoma is an accomplishment that cannot be ignored and the Longhorns need to use that game as a blueprint for the rest of this season. TCU has a solid defense that is good at forcing turnovers. McCoy is the most likely member of the offense to turn the ball over so the obvious thing to do would be to let the backs lead the offense and wear down the Horned Frogs. Texas is more successful when they rack up tons of carries.

Win the Turnover Battle

Although the Horned Frogs have thrown many interceptions this season, there is no denying that the defense can neutralize this with the ability to do the same. TCU has picked off eight passes and forced 12 fumbles this season, a big reason why its defense has forced a Big 12-best 19 turnovers this year. Texas has yet to lose the turnover battle in a game this season and it has to keep that up against TCU to have a chance at winning this weekend.

Pressure the Quarterback

Texas did a solid job of getting pressure in the backfield against the Sooners and were rewarded with a resounding 16-point victory. TCU’s young quarterback, sophomore Trevone Boykin, has proven to be turnover-prone this season and the Longhorns should fully exploit this by putting tons of pressure on him from the very start. Boykin can run when the pocket breaks down so Texas should keep this in mind when rushing five or more players. But a nice dose of pressure should force Boykin to make passes he is not yet comfortable making. Pressure should lead to a dominating performance for the surging Longhorns.