Heisman hopeful Trevone Boykin had some ups and downs in Week 1, and it’s safe to say he has plenty of work to do in the coming weeks if he hopes to remain one of the heavy favorites to win the coveted award this December.
Boykin and the Horned Frogs got off to a hot start against Minnesota, scoring a quick 10 points to open the game in the first quarter. It appeared the Golden Gophers were outmatched after Boykin hit Josh Doctson in stride for an easy 11-yard touchdown.
However, Minnesota’s defense stiffened soon afterwards, and Boykin missed a few easy throws that would have ended up being huge plays for the Horned Frogs.
By halftime, the electric quarterback had what appeared to be nice numbers on the surface, having completed 14 of 22 passes, but he only gained 94 yards. His 4.27 yards per attempt would be nice if it was a rushing total, but it’s just downright nasty as a passing stat.
Things didn’t get much better in the second half, either. He missed two wide open receivers in the end zone and was generally off throughout the contest. Whether it was nerves or Minnesota’s secondary playing tougher than anyone expected, or both, Boykin never got into a rhythm.
Boykin did manage to showcase his trademark athleticism with an outstanding 19-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
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However, he also threw a costly interception right after missing another receiver who was wide open, which typified his evening on the road in Minnesota.
TCU did pull off the win 23-17, but Boykin’s first game of the 2015 season didn’t go down the way he planned. In the end, he completed just 26 of 42 passes (62 percent) for 246 yards with one touchdown and one interception, adding 92 yards on 18 carries with one rushing touchdown.
The Horned Frogs were lucky to walk out of TCF Bank Stadium with a win, but they’ll take them any way they can get them. As for Boykin, he surely knows he must play better than he did in order to not only keep his Heisman bid alive, but also to keep his team’s chances of making it into the playoffs alive as well.