Not being able to put points on West Virginia's defense led to TCU head coach Sonny Dykes firing co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach A.J. Ricker on Sunday.
Ricker has been on Dykes' staff for several years, dating back to his time as the head coach at SMU during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, and then following him over to TCU in 2021.
The Frogs have really struggled to protect quarterback Jaden Craig this season, allowing 20 sacks in seven games, ranking 119th nationally. Part of the pass pro problems are a direct result of the obvious lack of a running game. The Frogs are now 124th nationally in that category, averaging just 110 yards per game on the ground.
In West Virginia's first four Big 12 Conference games, they allowed 220, 265, 141, and 233 yards on the ground. TCU only managed to collect 112 yards on 35 carries, which was by far their best performance against a Power Four opponent this season.
Sonny Dykes was visibly frustrated and rightfully so
While West Virginia's defense did a better job of getting stops and forcing turnovers, every single one of TCU's possessions crossed midfield. Four of those trips ended empty-handed due to an interception, two fumbles, a failed fourth down attempt, and a missed field goal.
In his postgame press conference, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes would go on a mini rant with each question he was asked, and you could tell that something was on the verge of changing.
“We outgained them almost two to one. The time of possession was almost two to one. We were 8/14 on third down; they were 4/12. I mean, all the things that you look at that you say, ‘Okay, you’re going to win the game.’ We had 29 first downs; they had 17. We almost doubled them in first downs, almost doubled them in yards. We almost doubled them in time of possession; we converted over 50% of our third downs, they converted 30% of theirs, and you lose. It’s just a matter of not being able to make plays in critical situations, and it’s happened to us over and over and over again this year.”
Before this game, the WVU defense's best performance against a Power Four team came against Virginia, where they allowed 27 points. Since then, they have allowed 41, 45, 52, and 42 points. Scoring 20 against a unit that had been struggling mightily was certainly the final straw.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter for the latest news and updates on the West Virginia Mountaineers
Add us as a preferred source on Google