#15 Texas Christian Horned Frogs at Kansas Jayhawks
Memorial Stadium – Lawrence, Kansas
Saturday, September 15, 2012, 12:00 pm Eastern, TV: FX
Opening Line: TCU -22
Current Line: TCU -21
Opening Total: 60
Current Line: 59 1/2
Opening Money Line: TCU -1450 / Kansas +950
Current Money Line: TCU -1500 / Kansas +1000
TCU makes it’s Big 12 debut Saturday as they travel to Lawrence to take on the Kansas Jayhawks. TCU has won 9 straight games overall and 24 straight conference games but those were all in the Mountain West. Kansas has lost 12 straight conference games. The Horned Frogs and Jayhawks are meeting for the 29th time in history, but this is the first meeting since 1997. TCU leads the series 16-8-4, including 9-6 in Lawrence. Kansas has won three straight games in the series.
TCU is coached by Gary Patterson. The #15 Horned Frogs opened the season last week at home against Grambling St. TCU was a 51 point favorite, and there was no total. The Horned Frogs scored 28 first quarter points, including touchdowns on a 70 yard punt return and a 28 yard interception return. TCU added 14 points in the second and third quarters to roll to a 56-0 victory.
TCU held the Tigers to 70 total yards with 5 first downs. Each team had one turnover. TCU had 531 total yards including 255 rushing yards.
TCU quarterbacks Casey Pachall and Trevone Boykin completed all 17 passes they threw. Pachall was 9/9 for 201 yards with 3 touchdowns. Boykin came in in the second half and was 8/8 for 75 yards and a touchdown, along with 5 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown run. Running back Waymon James had 5 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown, along with a catch for 30 yards. B.J. Catalon had 120 combined rushing and receiving yards. Wide receiver Josh Boyce had 4 catches for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 66 yard TD catch in the second half. David Bush had 4 catches for 36 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Carter also had a touchdown catch.
Kansas is coached by Charlie Weis. The Jayhawks are 1-1 this season with a 31-17 win over South Dakota St and a 25-24 loss to Rice, both at home. The Jayhawks are passing for 156.5 yards per game which is 112th out of 124 teams in FBS. Kansas is rushing for 227 yards a game though which is 27th. They are outscoring teams 27.5-21 this season. The Jayhawks are 0-2 ATS and the total is 0-1 this season.
Kansas was a 12 point favorite last week at home against Rice and the total was 62. The game was back and forth. Kansas took a 17-13 lead at halftime, and expanded the lead to 24-13 in the third quarter. Rice scored the last 12 points of the game including a 45 yard field goal as time expired to win 25-24. The Owls scored a touchdown with just under 5 minutes to go to pull within 24-22 but missed the two point conversion that would have tied up the game. Rice kicked off deep, and it resulted in a touchback. Jayhawk quarterback Dayne Crist threw his second interception of the game, and Rice drove down to the Kansas 27 for the winning field goal.
The game was sloppy on both sides as each team had 3 turnovers, and a combined 11 penalties. Kansas kicker Ron Doherty made only 1 of 3 field goals. Rice had 403 total yards including 167 passing yards. Kansas had 339 total yards including 195 rushing yards.
Crist has completed 51.6% of his passes for 313 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions through 2 games. Running back Tony Pierson has 39 carries for 244 yards with 2 touchdowns. Taylor Cox has 21 carries for 200 yards with 2 touchdowns. Receiver Kale Pick has 7 catches for 103 yards. Daymond Patterson has 11 catches for 99 yards. Jimmay Mundine and Mike Ragone each have a touchdown catch for the Jayhawks.
TCU is 11-5 ATS in conference games, 29-14-1 after rushing for 200 yards or more, 3-7 after allowing 20 points or less, 2-5 after a straight up win by 20 points or more, 1-5 after scoring 40 points or more, 1-7 after a cover, 0-4 after allowing less than 275 total yards, and 0-6 after allowing less than 170 passing yards.
Kansas is 11-5 ATS after passing for 170 yards or less, 13-6 in September, 8-17 in conference games,7-15 against teams with winning records, and 1-4 on fieldturf.
TCU will have much tougher games in the Big 12 than this, but this is a good way to get their feet wet. TCU would regularly be 21 point road favorites in the Mountain West, but Kansas is the only team in the Big 12 in which that will occur. Kansas has given up over 400 yards to South Dakota St and Rice so the explosive TCU offense should shred them. The only bright spot for Kansas is they have forced 8 turnovers so far in two games after they forced 18 all of last season. The Horned Frogs should roll against a rebuilding Jayhawk team.
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