Dykes on TCU's underdog label: 'Bring it on'

AUSTIN, Texas -- No. 4 TCU clinched a spot successful the Big 12 title crippled with a 17-10 win implicit Texas connected Saturday, a singular ascent for a squad that finished 5-7 past play and has a first-year manager successful Sonny Dykes.

Yet, occurrence hasn't seemed to adjacent respect for the Horned Frogs (10-0, 7-0 successful the Big 12), arsenic they rolled into Austin arsenic 7.5-point underdogs contempt being undefeated. After the win, Dykes said being doubted is conscionable portion of his team's communicative this season.

"I didn't truly cognize until astir Wednesday," Dykes said astir the underdog role. "We don't privation to beryllium fixed things. That's the 1 happening that we've talked astir each year. Let's gain this."

Dykes, who became the archetypal manager successful Big 12 past to triumph his archetypal 10 games, has continued to punctual his squad that it was picked seventh successful the preseason standings, and if it didn't perceive to outsiders then, wherefore commencement now?

"Nobody had immoderate expectations for this shot squad astatine each different than ourselves," helium said. "We recognize that's the mode it is. Our woody has been, 'Hey, bring it on.' If we've got to triumph 'em all, fine; let's effort to triumph 'em all."

The Horned Frogs had to set from their accustomed violative fireworks owed to Texas' antiaircraft pressure, alternatively utilizing a stifling defence of their ain to clasp Texas to 199 full yards, its fewest successful a location crippled since the Big 12 began play successful 1996. Bijan Robinson had conscionable 29 rushing yards connected 12 carries, his fewest successful the past 2 seasons, and Texas' 3 violative points (the Longhorns' lone touchdown came connected a fumble instrumentality precocious successful the 4th quarter) were its fewest astatine location since a 66-3 nonaccomplishment to UCLA successful 1997. And TCU did it successful beforehand of 104,203 fans, the second-largest assemblage successful Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium history.

Since TCU joined the Big 12 successful 2012, the Horned Frogs are 8-3 against Texas, including 5-1 successful Austin.

Linebacker Johnny Hodges, a transportation from Navy successful his archetypal play with TCU, said it was "crazy" the Frogs were underdogs, stating that the defence has taken enactment of disapproval from the College Football Playoff committee astir its performance.

"We person our ain chips," Hodges said, "[like] evidently the disrespect that we get from the nation. I deliberation our defence has a small chip, a small thing to prove."

Dykes called the unit's show "as bully arsenic I've ever been around" arsenic a caput coach.

"I thought [defensive coordinator] Joe Gillespie did a large job, had a existent consciousness of what Texas was trying to bash and made immoderate large calls," Dykes said. "I mean, to clasp this discourtesy to 3 points, are you kidding? This is an discourtesy afloat of aboriginal NFL players, draught picks. I thought it was a hellhole of a performance."