Sports

Patterson Says TCU Is Up To The Challenge And Ready For Purdue

September 13, 2019 / 8:37 AM CDT / CBS Texas

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Texas Christian University (TCU) coach Gary Patterson embraces a good challenge.

It's the reason he scheduled Ohio State, LSU and Arkansas in previous seasons and it's why the Horned Frogs are heading to Purdue on Saturday.

This weekend, though, could turn out to be more complicated than Patterson expected as Boilermakers quarterback Elijah Sindelar tries to work his way back from a concussion suffered last weekend.

"Hopefully, the quarterback is OK. You always want to play the best," Patterson said. "That's why you schedule the games."

Purdue coach Jeff Brohm hasn't provided many hints about Sindelar's status since announcing the injury Monday. Sindelar did not practice Tuesday but was on the field Wednesday during the portion open to the media. On Wednesday night, Brohm told radio listeners he was "optimistic" Sindelar, the national leader in yards passing, would play.

If he can't go, the Boilermakers (1-1) would likely turn to Jack Plummer, a redshirt freshman who has not yet taken a snap in college.

The uncertainty forced Patterson and TCU's defensive staff to dig deep into the film vault to prepare.

"We broke down their spring game, so we got a chance to watch their quarterback," Patterson said. "The other guy who plays because Sindelar didn't play in the spring game, the other guy (Plummer) took all the reps. They run the same, to be honest with you, with both of them they run the same offense."

The good news: TCU (1-0) had some extra time to get ready after taking last week off and has some experience working against two quarterbacks — its own.

Max Duggan and Alex Delton split the workload in a season-opening blowout over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and that poses a different kind of obstacle for the Boilermakers.

"You know, they're going to spread you out. They're going to do a lot of things. You're going to have to defend in space," Brohm said. "That's something we've got to get better at. We are pretty decent when guys load the box and put guys in there. We've got to get better when teams spread the field, and that means a mixture of playing coverage but it's still a mixture of getting after the quarterback."