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FORTH WORTH, Texas -- What the difference a year makes.
A then-No. 23 ranked West Virginia squad strode onto the field at Amon G. Carter Stadium with the idea of putting an end to then-No. 8 ranked Texas Christian University's chances of reaching the Big 12 Championship game.
Fast forward to this Saturday and it will be Gary Patterson's Horned Frogs (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) looking to put a clinch in the No. 9 Mountaineers' (7-1, 5-1) hopes of playing in their first conference title contest.
"Every game in the Big 12 is big when you think of it," Patterson said. "We still have hopes of salvaging our season and getting to a bowl and they are the guys with the big target on their backs."
Defense was the name of the game in the first half of that game as the Frogs took a 7-3 lead into the locker room at the half.
Twice WVU fought back in the second half and had a chance to force the game into overtime during the game's final three minutes. However, a questionable offensive pass interference call on the Mountaineers' David Sills V - on a 25-yard reception - caused WVU drive to stall out and TCU ran off the final seconds.
"We really have had a history of playing very, very close games when we get together," Patterson said. "It seems like every game has come down to the last series or has gone into overtime.
In fact, the first-three Big 12 meetings (2012-14) between the two schools were decided on the game's final play, including two in overtime. TCU won its initial two Big 12 games in Morgantown on the game's final snap.
"It always seems like the game comes down to the final series," WVU coach Dana Holgorsen said. "I can't remember a game that wasn't a hard fought, physical battle from the opening kickoff."
If TCU is to pull off its biggest win in 2018 the Horned Frogs will have to have a big game from sophomore quarterback Shawn Robinson, who has completed 124 of 204 attempts for 1,334 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions, a running game paced by Darius Anderson (104-530, three TDs), Sewo Olonilua (85-355, one TD) and Robinson (49-230, three TDs) and a defense which is the best in the Big 12 against the pass - allowing a measly 190.7 yards per game - while surrendering only 23.7 points per game (3rd) and 144.3 yards per game rushing (4th).
"Every game we have played against them has been a physical game," Holgorsen said. "You can't judge them by their record. They could have won games against Texas Tech (17-14) and Kansas (27-26) and were in games against Ohio State and Texas to the end."
In other game notes:
∫ Three of TCU's losses this season are to teams ranked in the AP top 15: No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 8 Ohio State, and No. 15 Texas. The Horned Frogs held second-half leads against the Buckeyes and Longhorns. TCU also led in the fourth quarter against Texas Tech and Kansas.
∫ TCU has held all nine opponents below their season total offense averages.
∫ TCU and West Virginia are facing each other for the eighth time with the Horned Frogs holding a 4-3 series lead. All but one meeting has come since the schools began Big 12 play together in 2012.
∫ Prior to 2012, the only previous game between TCU and WVU was a 31-14 Mountaineers' win in the 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl at the Astrodome in Houston.