Last week’s bye came at perhaps the perfect time for WVU as the Mountaineers had been blown out in back-to-back weeks to see their Big 12 title hopes vanish and Geno Smith’s Heisman lead do the same. TCU, meanwhile, is having a rough go in its first season in the Big 12, losing two straight and three of four.

The Frogs lost 36-14 at Oklahoma State on Saturday. TCU (5-3, 2-3) is 1-3 since suspending starting quarterback Casey Pachall after he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. His replacement, Trevone Boykin, was 21 of 40 for 185 yards as the Horned Frogs’ streak of scoring at least 20 points ended at 33 games, which had been the nation’s longest such run.

Boykin limped off the field after being hit while throwing an interception with 1:26 remaining. Matt Brown finished the game at quarterback for the Horned Frogs.

Coach Gary Patterson said that he thinks Boykin will play against West Virginia. Assuming Boykin does play, Patterson wants to see more of his quarterback running the ball. “One of his assets is he can run,” Patterson said. “When it’s not there, you’re not … Dan Marino. You are a redshirt freshman quarterback.” Boykin is completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 1,122 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has rushed for 334 yards, an average of 3.8 yards per carry.

Since 2005, TCU has the nation’s best record (68-3, .958)?when ahead or even in turnover margin. The Frogs have 14 takeaways in their last three road games. TCU is 22-7 in regular-season games following a loss under Patterson.

West Virginia (5-2, 2-2) has been held to just two touchdowns each in their losses and has allowed 104 points. Last time out KSU rocked WVU 55-14 in Morgantown. Smith followed up a clunker at Texas Tech with an even worse game, throwing his first two interceptions of the season and finishing 21 for 32 for 143 yards.

In the last two games, both losses, Smith is completing 8.7 percent of these downfield passes and has been off-target (overthrown, underthrown or wide) on 12 of 23 attempts. In his first five games of the season, Smith had eight off-target 15-yard throws.

TCU and West Virginia are facing each other for just the second time in their history. The Frogs and Mountaineers first met in the 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston with West Virginia taking a 31-14 decision on New Year’s Eve in the Astrodome.

Sportsbet trends: Horned Frogs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game. Horned Frogs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

Horned Frogs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 conference games. Mountaineers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 conference games. Mountaineers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games. Mountaineers are 1-5 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. Mountaineers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall

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