Week five is upon us in Big 12 country, and what better way to kick off a great weekend of football than some action on Friday night? Houston went to Corvallis, Oregon to face Oregon State while TCU headed to Tempe to take on Arizona State in a massive showdown.
It was a nice appetizer to prepare ourselves for Saturday. Between all the excitement and surprises, here are my four takeaways from Friday night in the Big 12.
Arizona State is Built Different
It may not always look great at times, but all Arizona State does is find ways to win close ball games. Sure, they fell short in Starkville a few weeks ago but that was the exception. The Sun Devils were outplayed early on against TCU and found themselves down 17-0 in the second quarter.
Most teams would have panicked and made mistakes but not Arizona State. They chipped away at TCU’s lead as Sam Leavitt led back-to-back scoring drives to pull his team within three before halftime.
Even when things didn’t go their way in the second half, whether it be a turnover or a missed opportunity in the red zone, Arizona State responded by making a big play defensively. That defensive line dominated and completely took over the game in the second half. They gave Sam Leavitt and the offense just enough opportunities to put up points. And when the game was on the line, Sam delivered and then some.
This was an incredible win for the Sun Devils. They are extremely well coached and as tough as nails. Nothing fazes this football team and that is the kind of toughness you need to see out of a championship caliber team. Some of you may have thought that Arizona State wasn’t as good as they were last year, and I would say that you are dead wrong.
TCU Blew It
Anytime you go up by three possessions, you are expected to win. For TCU, they were up 17-0 in the first half and were in complete control of the game. Even when the defense gave up a pair of scores in the second quarter, it felt like the Horned Frogs were still going to beat Arizona State. But things certainly didn’t turn out that way for TCU.
Josh Hoover started the third quarter with a costly interception at the goal line that could have put his team up by two scores. While he did lead a score in that same quarter, that ended up being the last positive thing for TCU’s offense.
When the defense came up with back-to-back stops in the fourth quarter, the offense couldn’t capitalize. And when the defense finally broke later, the offense was still stuck in the mud.
In a tie game with less than two minutes left, Josh Hoover fumbled the football while taking a sack that helped give Arizona State the lead. Despite that mistake, TCU still had a chance to win the game on the final drive, but Hoover once again made a costly mistake by throwing an interception to end the game. The Horned Frogs should have one this football game, but they simply made too many mistakes between the eight penalties and three turnovers.
Arizona State and TCU Are Contenders
After watching the game on Friday night in Tempe, one thing is for certain, Arizona State and TCU are Big 12 title contenders. Arizona State is as good as anyone in the conference and good luck to anyone trying to knock them off. They may be the toughest team in the Big 12. The Sun Devils are gritty and just find ways to win close games and they will not be easy to beat.
Meanwhile, TCU played poorly for an entire half and still had chances to take control of the game and win it. Josh Hoover by no means had his best day and yet, the Horned Frogs were still right in it until the end. You can say what you want about them blowing a lead, but they are going to be in the mix for a Big 12 title when November comes around.
What a Comeback
Despite being a two-touchdown favorite on the road against an 0-4 Oregon State team, Houston found themselves down 24-10 in the fourth quarter. The offense couldn’t get anything going and the defense played their worst game of the season.
Then all of a sudden, Houston woke up. After gaining just five total yards in their first four drives of the second half, Connor Weigman led the Cougars to back-to-back scoring drives to help tie the game at 24 with less than four minutes left to play.
Even when Houston punted the ball back to Oregon State, the defense gave up a big play late that helped put the Beavers in field goal range with just seconds left. But Houston’s defense came up big as they blocked the potential game winning kick to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, Houston’s defense came up with another big stop on fourth down to give the offense a chance to win the game. Then it was up to Ethan Sanchez to drill the game winning kick, and he delivered. With the win, Houston is now 4-0 for the first time since 2016.
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