College Football Predictions: BYU vs. TCU Preview

Written by Jake Thompson
Friday, 28 October 2011 04:44

It’s time for score predictions in Friday’s college football game between BYU and TCU.

The BYU Cougars (6-2) and the TCU Horned Frogs (5-2) are all ready for Friday’s game, and our preview will breakdown both squads before releasing predictions on the final score.  Start time of the BYU vs. TCU game is set for 8:00 PM ET and you can catch the college football action live on the ESPN channel.

BYU started their season off with a nice 14-13 win at Mississippi, but then lost 2 straight against Texas and Utah.  The Cougars have rebounded with 5 straight victories over Central Florida, Utah State, San Jose State, Oregon State, and Idaho State, but are expected to face a stern test in the form of the Horned Frogs in this game.

TCU was upset in a 48-50 road loss against Baylor in their opener but then righted the ship with victories over Air Force, UL-Monroe, and Portland State.  The Horned Frogs then threw up a clunker in a 33-40 overtime loss against SMU before besting San Diego State and New Mexico most recently.

The Cougars have seen plenty of success since switching from the highly-touted Jake Heaps (1029 yards, 54.9%, 3 TD, 6 INT) to the veteran presence that is Riley Nelson (833 yards, 61.8%, 11 TD, 3 INT).  Whereas Heaps is a prototypical drop-back passer, Nelson adds another dimension because of his ability to scramble and make plays with his legs.  The BYU offense has shown solid improvements since Nelson took over, but you also have to realize that the Cougars haven’t been facing strong defenses recently.

TCU’s defense has played well at home but, like the Cougars in recent games, they’ve done much of their damage against lesser squads.  The Horned Frogs do a nice job against the run and the pass statistically, but they’ve given up big points this year to teams that have high-end air attacks.  BYU doesn’t really fit the mold with Nelson at quarterback, and I expect the Cougars to struggle quite a bit more than they have in their past few outings.

Casey Pachall (1566 yards, 69.7%, 17 TD, 4 INT) has been terrific as the new gunslinger for the Horned Frogs, and TCU complements him with a rushing attack that puts up 217.4 yards on the ground a game.  BYU’s defense has also fared well against the run and the pass, but they’ve struggled against teams that can pound the ball on the ground.

TCU has won outright in the last 3 meetings against BYU, including winning by an average of 26.5 in the 2 games they’ve been at home during that stretch.  The Horned Frogs are currently listed as 13.5-point favorites at 5Dimes Sportsbook for Friday’s clash, and we recommend betting on the BYU vs. TCU game with them because of the 50% cash bonus they are giving away to our readers.  Click that link we just provided to claim your bonus!

I like what the Cougars have done since Nelson took over the offense, but ultimately they are in a tough road environment and playing against a team that can take away the most successful facets of what BYU can do on offense.  TCU has incredible balance on offense and I think they can move the ball fairly consistently against a solid Cougar defense.  Look for the Horned Frogs to force a few turnovers and remind BYU fans why Nelson was on the bench to begin the season.

BYU vs. TCU Score Predictions:

BYU 17

TCU 41