TCU Football: 3 takeaways from whacky 2018 Cheez-It Bowl win over Cal

The 2018 Cheez-It Bowl has come and gone and it was as whacky as any other game this postseason. What’d we learn from TCU football’s win?

You know things are ugly when each starting quarterback throws multiple interceptions and one has nearly as many picks thrown as completions. Fortunately for TCU football, the interception party played in its favor with a 10-7 overtime win.

Grayson Muehlstein probably never expected to start this game for TCU, but the senior quarterback got the nod and struggled mightily. Thanks to an injury-plagued season under center, the senior was given an opportunity to prove himself in his last collegiate game, but it was a forgettable one as he was 7-for-20 for 27 yards and four interceptions with zero touchdowns.

On the other side, two Cal quarterbacks combined to throw five interceptions as both sides finished with a total of nine.

It was a whacky bowl game that ended with a slim three-point win by the Horned Frogs, clinching another winning season under Gary Patterson.

What’d we learn from the Horned Frogs’ winning season-clinching bowl win?

3. TCU’s defense was the star of the show

The TCU defense was the main reason the Horned Frogs were able to take down the Golden Bears, and that had to be music to Gary Patterson’s ears.

In a year where the offense struggled more than expected with injuries to Shawn Robinson and other key players, Patterson has learned to lean on his defense and it didn’t let him down in the Cheez-It Bowl as it helped secure a winning season, holding Cal’s offense to just seven points.

Even more impressive were the five interceptions and five sacks the Horned Frogs recorded along with allowing just 264 total yards — 3.3 yards per carry on the ground.

The Horned Frogs are returning about half their starters on this side of the ball next season which isn’t encouraging, but this could be a momentum-booster heading into 2019. The defense stole the show and led TCU to victory.