TCU quarterback Casey Pachall will be available to play this week, head coach Gary Patterson announced Thursday, potentially offering a much-needed boost to one of the worst offenses in college football.
Pachall suffered a broken forearm in the Horned Frogs' second game of the season, but has been running the scout-team offense for the last few weeks, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
Outside of a 48-point outburst against SMU, the TCU offense has been a mess in five games with redshirt sophomore Trevone Boykin at quarterback, averaging 16 points per game in Big 12 Conference play.
Boykin is an intriguing runner, but is still too raw throwing the ball to represent a legitimate dual-threat option. Failing to top 228 passing yards in any of his starts, Boykin has three touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
Pachall would have been the most-efficient passer in the FBS last season based on his production through four starts before leaving the team to enter treatment for substance abuse.
A 6-foot-5, 230-pound redshirt senior, Pachall was 17-of-30 passing for 175 yards and one interception this season before the injury.
The return of Pachall would allow TCU to platoon its quarterbacks, with Boykin as a change-of-pace option.
"Because they're different, it makes it more difficult to prepare for because you're going to have more options, quarterback draws and runs with (Boykin)," said Texas head coach Mack Brown, whose Longhorns play at TCU this Saturday. "It is more difficult for the unknown."
With the TCU defense continuing to play well, even a competent passing offense could result in upsets of Big 12-leading UT and Baylor to close the regular season.
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
