FORT WORTH, Texas — Truth be told, BYU’s receivers and tight end struggled all day to get separation from TCU’s speedy and athletic defensive backs, and the Cougars’ rushing attack failed to show up for the sixth time this season.
BYU’s defense was also played horribly, missing tackles and failing to even mildly rattle TCU backup quarterback Josh Hoover, who was making his first college start.
“I didn’t (get it done) today. If I want to give our guys a chance to be in this game, I gotta play better. So it starts with me.” — BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis.
But after the Horned Frogs’ convincing 44-11 romp over BYU on a beautiful fall afternoon in front of 44,599 at Amon G. Carter Stadium, BYU graduate transfer quarterback Kedon Slovis shouldered the lion’s share of the blame for the program’s worst loss since 2017, a 40-6 setback to Wisconsin.
“I didn’t (get it done) today. If I want to give our guys a chance to be in this game, I gotta play better, so it starts with me,” Slovis said.
“I think everybody in the building probably feels the same way. We can do as much as we can to prepare and get ready to compete, but we gotta get ready to compete on Saturday.”
For whatever reason, the Cougars simply were not ready.
Slovis’ first passing attempt of the day, on third and 5, was ill-advised and picked off by TCU’s Millard Bradford, who returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to get the crowd into it immediately, and it all went downhill from there for the visiting Cougars.
Both Slovis and head coach Kalani Sitake said the Cougars had two great weeks of practices, but it didn’t show. Special teams coordinator Kelly Poppinga predicted that the Frogs would be motivated and desperate, and boy, was he right.
BYU was lethargic, rattled and exposed in all three phases of the game.
“Offense, defense, we got better (in practice),” Slovis said. “We gave ourselves the opportunity to perform well and prepare well, but you gotta actually go out and do it. I don’t think we did today.”
On BYU’s second possession, Slovis overthrew Parker Kingston on first down, then after a 1-yard run by LJ Martin, he threw a 1-yard pass to Isaac Rex, Rex’s only catch of the day.
The next time BYU faced a third-and-long, Slovis was sacked and the Cougars had to punt. Many times, the Pitt transfer had time but couldn’t find an open receiver and had to throw the ball away.
Given the opportunity to put some blame on his receivers for not getting open, Slovis refused to point fingers.
“There was enough (separation),” he said. “I take pride in being able to make a lot of throws. There were some plays here where you are hoping maybe for a little grab or a (pass interference call). I thought guys fought through it the best they could, but again, as a quarterback I have to anticipate them breaking out of their routes and throwing it well.”
Slovis finished 15 of 34 for 152 yards and the interception, for a passer rating of 75.8. Receiver Keelan Marion scored BYU’s only touchdown, on a 3-yard run.
Slovis found Chase Roberts in the end zone for the two-point conversion. Roberts, who is clearly BYU’s WR1 now, caught three passes for 63 yards.
Kody Epps played for just the second time this season, and caught two passes for 14 yards. Texan Keanu Hill was targeted just twice, and had one catch for 2 yards.
“You can always give them credit. They are a good team and they did some things well, but they didn’t do anything that we weren’t prepared for,” Slovis said. “You would like to think a good offense beats a good defense. So it starts with myself. I can do a lot of things better.
“We had plays to be made. We didn’t make them. Again, I had plays to be made. I didn’t make them. I have to be better to give us a chance to win going forward.”
The Cougars played without RB1 when the season started, Aidan Robbins. He didn’t make the trip. Injured offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho started after missing the Cincinnati game with an arm injury.
Defensively, the Cougars were without starting middle linebacker Ben Bywater, starting cornerback Kamden Garrett and starting safety Tanner Wall.
Converted receiver Preston Rex, at best BYU’s sixth-string safety when the season began, played nearly half the game.
The Frogs threw for 447 yards, surprising the Cougars.
“Yeah, we expected them to run the football with that new quarterback in there,” said BYU linebacker AJ Vongphachanh. “But they did a good job of just executing and winning the one-on-ones at the end of the day.”
Slovis was hit while attempting a pass in the second quarter, and lost control of the ball. It was ruled a fumble, and TCU recovered.
He was looked at by trainers as he came off the field after the hit, but the medical tent wasn’t utilized and he was back in there on BYU’s next series.
“Yeah, I was fine,” he said. “I just felt kinda weak in my shoulder for a little bit. … So I feel fine. It was really the tackle, it wasn’t the throw, the fumble, if that makes sense.”
Really, nothing made sense for the Cougars or their transfer quarterback Saturday. TCU saw to that early, and often.