Baylor vs. TCU: Game Grades, Analysis for Bears and Horned Frogs

Revenge is a dish best served cold...and in a driving, frigid rain.

No. 19 TCU delivered that message to No. 7 Baylor Saturday night, avenging the only loss of its 2014 season in a 28-21 double-overtime victory in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Horned Frogs (10-2) used a stingy defense and some clutch play from Trevone Boykin in overtime to beat the Bears (9-2), who saw their playoff hopes wash away in the soggy Amon G. Carter Stadium turf.

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	D	F
Run Offense	B	B+
Pass Defense	A	B
Run Defense	A	A
Special Teams	C	B-
Coaching	B	B-

Pass Offense

Chris Johnson stepped in and played well when Jarrett Stidham went down against Oklahoma State last week, but he struggled in the rain and against TCU's defense Saturday night. The sophomore signal-caller completed just seven of 24 passes for 62 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was particularly ineffective in the second half and the overtime periods, completing just one of his 11 passes for four yards.

Run Offense

Johnny Jefferson and Shock Linwood paced the most productive offensive attack of the game early as Baylor piled up 130 yards and both of its touchdowns on the ground in the first half. The Bears finished with 273 rushing yards with Devin Chafin leading the way with 119 yards and two touchdowns.

Pass Defense

Boykin returned to the TCU offense after missing last week's game against Oklahoma, but the Bears defense did a good job of limiting his production. The Horned Frogs managed just 148 yards through the air, but the secondary broke down in overtime when KaVontae Turpin got open for the easy go-ahead touchdown catch. 

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Run Defense

With Boykin still hobbled with an ankle injury, Baylor was expecting to see a heavy dose of the run. The Bears front seven held its ground well, especially in the first half when it allowed an average of just 2.6 yards on 20 carries. The Horned Frogs ground game found some momentum in the second half as Aaron Green accounted for 72 of TCU's 154 rushing yards.

Special Teams

Baylor's special teams had a huge blunder early in the game when Lynx Hawthorne muffed a punt that set TCU up in scoring position in the first quarter. The unit made up for it in the third quarter when it flipped the field effectively after the Horned Frogs had pinned the Bears deep, and it nearly made the game's defining play when Terrance Williams blocked an Ethan Perry punt. 

Coaching

Baylor came in with a conservative game plan, which was a smart play with the attrition at quarterback and the horrendous conditions. The Bears ran on 13 of their first 16 plays, helping them build an early 14-7 lead in the first quarter. But Art Briles maintained his aggressiveness, dialing up fourth-down conversions in key spots in the first and fourth quarters. But it wasn't enough against the Horned Frogs because Johnson wasn't ready for this stage. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	D	C
Run Offense	F	C-
Pass Defense	A+	A+
Run Defense	C-	D
Special Teams	B+	B
Coaching	A	A

Pass Offense

Much like Baylor's Johnson, Boykin struggled with the elements and a defense that was able to pin its ears back and attack the pocket. The Horned Frogs were missing Josh Doctson as Boykin threw for just 148 yards, but he did toss two touchdowns, one of which was the go-ahead score in double overtime.

Run Offense

With the passing attack struggling, TCU offensive coordinator Doug Meacham leaned heavily on a running game that struggled to gain traction. The Horned Frogs ran for just 51 yards on 20 first-half carries, but Green continued to hammer away in the second half, helping TCU get 101 rushing yards in the second half and overtime. 

Pass Defense

Baylor came into the game ranked ninth nationally in passing yards per game, averaging an incredible 350.7 yards per game. But with Seth Russell and Stidham out, Johnson couldn't maintain the momentum as he completed a miserable seven of 24 passes for 64 yards with one touchdown and one interception. 

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Run Defense

The Horned Frogs got bulldozed by the Bears Saturday night, surrendering 273 rushing yards on 71 carries. Chafin, Jefferson and Linwood pounded away at the Horned Frogs front seven, combining for 77.3 percent of Baylor's total offense on the night. 

Special Teams

It looked like special teams were going to lose TCU the game in regulation when Shawn Oakman devoured TCU punter Ethan Perry late in the fourth quarter, resulting in an eight-yard punt that set Baylor up at midfield. But that was the lone blip in an otherwise solid outing from the special teams units in a game where field position could have swung the outcome either direction. 

Coaching

Gary Patterson and Meacham did what they could with Boykin, who was clearly hobbled and unable to run the offense as effectively as he usually does. The best coaching of the game came in overtime as the Horned Frogs scored with ease on their two possessions, while the defensive staff deserves credit for holding the Bears to a season-low 21 points.