TCU hosted West Virginia on Saturday with a prime opportunity to stack wins after defeating Baylor in Waco. Facing a struggling Mountaineers defense, it was a chance for TCU’s offense to continue building momentum.

As our West Virginia scouting report outlined, the Mountaineers had defensive vulnerabilities the Frogs could attack.

On paper, TCU had an opportunity to put up plenty of points. In reality, it did not.

TCU scored just 20 points despite racking up 484 total yards of offense in a 24-20 Homecoming loss.

What went wrong for the Frogs on Saturday? Why are the same issues repeating themselves?

TCU’s Offense Continues to Make Costly Mistakes

Turnovers. Turnovers. Turnovers.

How many times are we going to repeat ourselves when discussing the TCU offense?

The Frogs moved the ball against the Mountaineers, even converting difficult third downs. TCU went 8-for-14 on third down, and at times, it felt as if West Virginia’s defense couldn’t get off the field.

TCU punted only once.

Every TCU possession reached West Virginia territory, yet the Frogs came away with points just four times: two touchdowns and two field goals.

How did they not score more?

Three turnovers and a collection of costly mistakes.

As our immediate takeaways from TCU’s Homecoming loss explored, the statistical advantage did not translate into the result the Frogs needed.

How TCU Wasted Scoring Opportunities Against West Virginia

West Virginia scored on its first two possessions, taking a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. TCU was driving to answer when a botched exchange between quarterback Jaden Craig and Major Everhart gave the ball back to the Mountaineers.

The Frogs’ first turnover ended a promising drive.

Later in the quarter, Nate McCashland missed a 43-yard field goal. What could have given TCU the lead late in the first half instead left the game tied at 10.

The next missed opportunity came on TCU’s final possession before halftime.

After a defensive stop, the Frogs once again moved into West Virginia territory. A holding penalty pushed the offense back near midfield, but TCU stayed aggressive.

Craig targeted tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton downfield, and the pass ended in an interception.

With 1:04 remaining before halftime, TCU had let another scoring opportunity slip away.

The second half brought more frustration.

On its opening possession, TCU had an opportunity for a bigger play on a pass intended for Ed Small, but the connection did not materialize. The Frogs eventually settled for a field goal.

On their next possession, Craig took a 13-yard sack that pushed TCU out of comfortable field-goal range and led to its only punt.

TCU did find the end zone later in the third quarter, taking a 20-17 lead on Craig’s 2-yard touchdown run. But after West Virginia answered, the Frogs could not score again.

In the fourth quarter, TCU turned the ball over on downs at West Virginia’s 20-yard line.

Finally, with a chance to win, a 17-play drive ended with Craig losing a fumble on a sack. West Virginia recovered with 34 seconds remaining and ran out the clock.

TCU moved the ball, which is encouraging. But that doesn’t mean much when the scoreboard doesn’t reflect it.

Why Do Jaden Craig and TCU Keep Turning the Ball Over?

Saturday wasn’t the first time we’ve seen turnovers contribute to a TCU loss.

Unfortunately, Craig has been involved in several of the offense’s most damaging mistakes.

Against UCF, a late interception ended TCU’s opportunity to rally. Against BYU, another interception contributed to a game in which the Frogs struggled to produce points.

Even in the win over Baylor, there was a reminder of the problem. On a reverse flea-flicker, pressure disrupted Craig’s throw, and the Bears came away with an interception.

Our breakdown of Craig’s performance and TCU’s offensive game plan against Baylor examined both the progress in the passing game and that costly decision to get aggressive.

There were plenty of good moments from Craig against West Virginia. He made throws that kept possessions alive and helped the Frogs move down the field.

But the damaging plays continue to overshadow the productive ones.

That does not make every mistake solely the quarterback’s fault. Protection, exchanges, receiving execution and play calling all matter. A quarterback can make the right decision and still see a possession unravel.

Still, TCU needs its quarterback and the players around him to finish possessions with greater consistency. The Frogs cannot keep creating opportunities and then giving them away.

TCU’s Big 12 Yardage Advantage Hasn’t Produced Enough Wins

The Frogs have outgained all four Big 12 opponents they have faced:

Those totals don’t all jump off the page. Gaining 259 yards against BYU, for example, does not mean the offense played well simply because the defense allowed fewer.

But the numbers do show why these losses have been so frustrating. TCU has had opportunities to win games without needing its offense to be unstoppable.

The Baylor report card highlighted a similar concern even after a victory: The passing game showed promise, but the offense still left opportunities unfinished.

Against West Virginia, that problem became even harder to ignore.

The Frogs can drive the length of the field. They can convert third downs. They can create chances for their playmakers.

What they haven’t done consistently is turn those opportunities into enough points.

Turnovers are a major reason. Penalties, sacks and missed connections have compounded the problem.

Until TCU finishes more possessions, don’t expect the win column to improve simply because the yardage totals look better.

What Do You Think?

Can TCU fix its mistakes? What changes would you make to this offense?

Join fellow fans in the TCU vs. West Virginia game discussion in the Scott & Wes Frog Fan Forum.

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