FORT WORTH — After recovering a fumble on its own 27-yard line with 1:38 to go in the game, TCU ran out the clock to clinch a 35-34 victory over Texas Tech at home on Saturday.
Trent Battle was an option for the Horned Frogs, but head coach Sonny Dykes decided to put the ball in the hands of his better running back: wide receiver Savion Williams.
The fifth-year senior led TCU in rushing on Saturday, accumulating 72 yards on 11 carries, including his final run of the day that picked up a first down to all but secure the win for his team.
This was the second straight game the Horned Frogs have deployed Williams as a running back, after he had 72 yards on 7 carries last Saturday in a 13-7 win over Utah.
Dykes is confident that Williams is just his best football player, and that he needs to have the ball in his hands as much as possible for TCU’s offense to be effective.
“He’s going to find ways to help you win the football game,” Dykes said. “We’re very confident that when we need a big play, we can go to him, and he’s going to do what he has to do.”
Williams not only helped ice the win, but also scored two long touchdowns out of the backfield, showing how difficult he can be to cover from his new alignment. On TCU’s opening drive, Williams took a handoff, ripped past the line of scrimmage, spun past a linebacker who was the last line of defense, and coasted into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. Later in the first quarter, he ran an angle route and snagged a pass over the middle before outrunning all of the Red Raiders for a 75-yard score.
Williams’ more prevalent use as a running back appears to be helping quarterback Josh Hoover turn a corner in his first year as the full-time starter. The Utah game was the first time this season Hoover did not throw an interception, and while Texas Tech did force three turnovers from him on Saturday, he led a game winning drive for the first time in his career.
Hoover said he’s thrilled to have a player with the wide receiver’s athleticism in the backfield, because it provides him with the perfect security blanket. When the Horned Frogs have needed a big carry or a big completion the last couple of weeks, they’ve been able to rely on Williams.
“He’s just a football player, man,” Hoover said. “He’s a receiver, he’s a running back, he’s a tight end, he can play whatever he wants to play. You can’t have enough guys like that on your football team.”
The Horned Frogs had 132 rushing against Utah and 117 rushing yards against Tech, their first time eclipsing 100 rushing yards in back-to-back games this season. The offense overall has looked much better for TCU the last couple of weeks since it has discovered the ability to run the ball with authority. Dykes knows his team is going to need to maintain the momentum it’s found on the ground with Williams if it’s going to compete for a Big 12 championship.
“I think we were effective running the ball today, right around five yards per carry, and we just have to continue to do that the rest of the way,” Dykes said.
