TCU head coach Gary Patterson said Wednesday that he does not like his team’s attitude following a close loss to Texas Tech last Thursday.
“Feeling sorry for themselves,” Patterson said when asked how his team has been in practice this week. “If they don’t do any better, they’ll only win one ball game, and they already won that one.”
The offense is one area that needs to be better. In QB Trevone Boykin’s first start last week, the team gained over 400 yards of total offense, but had two turnovers and scored only 10 points. Patterson said Boykin tried to do too much against the Red Raiders.
“Just slow down, hand the ball off,” the coach said. “Throw to the guy that he needs to. Don’t try to run and make all the touchdowns himself, and he’ll play a lot better. It’s no different than last year. When he tried to do too much we lost. When he played within the offense, we won. He needs to play within the offense.”
The players’ attitude following the loss has made them difficult to motivate, according to Patterson.
“Yesterday, I about had a heart attack trying to drive them,” he said. “Today, I told them, 'I’m not making my wife a widow.' They have to want it as much as I do.”
Big 12 admits blunders:
While Big 12 officiating supervisor Walt Anderson said Friday that the referees interpreted two controversial calls correctly, Patterson said the conference admitted to him that up to twelve other calls were incorrect.
The two calls Anderson addressed were the invalid fair catch called against Brandon Carter on a punt return and when the ball was given to Texas Tech despite the fact that DeAndre Washington fumbled the ball before getting into the end zone on a supposed touchdown run.
Anderson did not address when the referees called kick-catching interference against TCU when Texas Tech muffed a punt and the Horned Frogs appeared to have recovered the ball, or when RB Kenny Williams appeared to have fumbled for Texas Tech but the referees said he was down by contact after watching the replay.
Patterson said how a game is officiated is out of the team’s control. He said his team needs to learn to fight and get better despite that.
“You’re not in charge of the officials,” he said. “You get a couple breaks, you could have won the ball game. Bottom line is, you’ve got to grow up.”
Briefly:
Patterson would not comment on the status of DE Devonte Fields, but said he has not practiced this week. Fields limped off the field in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game and did not return. WR Griffin Gilbert has had surgery on his back, according to Patterson, and is done for the season. Gilbert was injured against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 7.
James Dunbar, who has been playing mostly at offensive guard this season, will move back to tackle, Patterson said. Dunbar, Aviante Collins and Halapoulivaati Vaitai will rotate at the tackle position.
