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Sonny Dykes On TCU’s Ugly Loss To UCF: 'Never Saw It Coming!'
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- Sonny Dykes On TCU’s Ugly Loss To UCF: 'Never Saw It Coming!'
FORT WORTH - Sonny Dykes didn't bother trying to dress it up.
TCU's 21-13 loss to UCF on Saturday was bad, and the Horned Frogs' head coach sounded every bit as frustrated as the performance deserved.
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MORE: TCU Conquered By UCF 21-13 in Disappointing Big 12 Opener
"I am very, very disappointed in our performance today," Dykes said afterward. "I didn't see this coming."
Neither did TCU.
The Horned Frogs entered their Big 12 opener riding consecutive convincing wins over Grambling State and Arkansas State, seemingly building some momentum after an ugly season-opening loss to North Carolina.
Instead, many of the problems from Dublin came roaring back in Orlando.
TCU committed double-digit penalties, repeatedly sabotaging drives and extending UCF possessions. A particularly damaging sequence in the third quarter included three penalties during a Knights scoring drive that helped push UCF's lead to 21-13.
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The offense wasn't much better.
Quarterback Jaden Craig threw for more than 300 yards, but the numbers disguised an uneven afternoon. Craig failed to throw a touchdown and was intercepted twice as TCU struggled to consistently finish drives. Protection problems, dropped passes and missed opportunities piled up around him.
That's especially troubling because TCU was supposed to be getting healthier.
Wide receiver Jordan Dwyer returned after missing the first three games and immediately showed why his absence mattered, finishing with five receptions for 100 yards. But even his production couldn't rescue an offense that continually got in its own way.
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TCU is now 2-2 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play, and the schedule isn't getting easier.
That's what makes Dykes' comment so revealing.
This wasn't supposed to be a rebuilding performance. TCU had two weeks of encouraging football behind it and entered conference play with an opportunity to prove the North Carolina loss was an early-season anomaly.
MORE: Jordan Dwyer Back As TCU Opens Big 12 Play At UCF
Instead, the Horned Frogs looked undisciplined, inconsistent and unprepared for long stretches.
Dykes said he didn't see it coming. The bigger concern now is whether TCU can keep it from happening again.
