Texas Tech football: Turning points in loss to Horned Frogs

Adrian Frye can’t pick off a deep pass, instead tips it to TCU receiver

Still desperately needing something good to happen in the first quarter, Tech needed a stop on the ensuing drive.  But that didn’t happen as the Frogs drove 83 yards in 9 plays for a TD to claim a 17-0 lead.

The key play on this drive, the moment when Tech had an opportunity to turn the tide, was a 43-yard reception by TCU’s Taye Barber (remember that name because we’ll talk about him again). The play set the Frogs up with a 1st-and-goal at the 7-yard-line.

But what is so hard to stomach about this play is that Red Raider safety Adrian Frye, who was in man-to-man coverage with Barber, had both hands on the ball and should have picked it off.  The pass was underthrown by TCU QB Max Duggan and Frye had a much greater shot at coming down with the ball than Barber.

Unfortunately, all he served to do was tip the ball right into Barber’s hands.  Frye has struggled in coverage this year after moving from corner to safety in the offseason but on this play, he was in perfect position, which makes it all the more ironic that he couldn’t make the play.

For the last two games, the sophomore has played with a soft cast on his hand but this week, he did not have that encumberment.  Still, he couldn’t catch this ball.

It’s not that Frye has hands of stone.  In fact, last season he picked off five passes to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors.  But this year’s he’s been a liability for this defense.

This marked the first time since the UTEP game that Tech did not come up with at least one takeaway on defense.  Wells pointed to that fact as one of the reasons his team wasn’t able to win.

After all, Keith Patterson’s defense plays a high-risk scheme for no other reason than to try to force turnovers.  This was the best shot Tech had at taking the ball away from the Frogs on Saturday and it came at a time when the game was getting away from the home team.

Had Frye been able to come down with this ball, Tech would have snuffed out TCU’s third drive and could have gotten up off the mat before the game was too lopsided.  But instead, TCU scored 24 combined points on its first four drives, including this possession, which was aided significantly by Frye’s misplay.