Two years ago Trevone Boykin and TCU traveled to Waco fresh off a loss to Iowa State in his first-ever start at quarterback for the Horned Frogs.
All Boykin did in his first road start was something that no quarterback has done since then: lead a team to a road win in Waco in a 49-21 drubbing of Baylor.
He did that despite no one knowing what the versatile Boykin's role with the Frogs would end up being.
There are no such questions now though as Boykin and the Frogs return to Waco for the first time since 2012 for Saturday's Big 12 showdown at McLane Stadium. Boykin is entrenched as the quarterback for TCU and looking to guide the Frogs to another win in Waco in a matchup of top-10 teams.
"I guess you can say I'm going in with a lot more confidence," said Boykin, who guided the Frogs to a 37-33 win over then-No. 3 Oklahoma last Saturday. "We're going in on a roll as a team, not just an offense. Right now we just have to click on all three phases and my performance will be based on what the other 10 guys without the ball does and my decision making."
Boykin has made plenty of right decisions for the No. 9-ranked Frogs (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) this season. He ranks eighth nationally in total offense at 359 yards a game, and the 395 yards he accounted for in the Oklahoma game were a career high.
He's thrown 10 TD passes and been intercepted just twice while his passing efficiency and completion percentage both are up from last year.
It's been huge season for Boykin despite question marks once again surrounding him before it began. Last year he lost the starting job to Casey Pachall to start the season but took over when Pachall got hurt. This year he was competing for the spot with Matt Joeckel before the season began.
Boykin beat out Joeckel for the job and neither he nor TCU has looked back as the Frogs have the most-improved offense in the nation, upping their per-game total from 2013 by more than 171 yards a game.
While the new up-tempo offense has helped increase the numbers, there's no doubt the play of Boykin also has been huge.
"He has a lot more patience, just a complete grasp of the offense," senior defensive back Kevin White said. "Coach (Sonny) Cumbie and coach (Doug) Meacham have done a great job of working with Trevone from Day 1 and he's always had it in him, (he just needed) just a little bit of time. He understands the offense now."
Boykin also knows that all he has to focus on is being a quarterback. In 2012 and 2013 he spent time in the backfield and at receiver and there was talk in August of Boykin getting some work at receiver. That kind of talk is gone now.
Coach Gary Patterson knew Boykin had the kind of ability he's displayed this year.
"I'm the one that's always believed in Trevone," Patterson said. "That's why we signed him. That's why we recruited him. We've only played four games. He's only going to go into his fifth game, but you know as a redshirt freshman he went to Baylor two years ago and threw for almost 300 yards, four touchdowns and won a ballgame. He's very athletic."
Boykin remembers the 2012 season well. He was rushed into the starting role after Pachall was arrested and suspended and two weeks later he was beating the Bears.
"It was a pretty good feeling just knowing that we won the game afterwards and me being so young, and the team being so young," Boykin said. "We knew our potential and certain things that we could do, and like, as far as me and (running back) B.J. (Catalon), we've been playing against those guys a long time. It's just going to be very exciting to go in there and see what happens."
Baylor coach Art Briles remembers all too well how Boykin did against the Bears two years ago and knows slowing him down will be key Saturday.
"He's just continued to grow as a football player and a quarterback over the last two seasons," Briles said. "He's definitely a catalyst for them offensively, without question. He is a really good football player that is a very dangerous opponent."
Boykin knows TCU is even more dangerous when he's playing like he has this season. While another win over another top-10 team would add more to Boykin's résumé, he's not thinking like that. He won't let himself.
"I'm not going to put that kind of stress on myself," he said. "I'm just going to go out and have fun and be the same person I've been since Day 1. We're going to prepare hard and work hard during the week and go out on Saturdays."
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