TCU returns to the friendly confines of Amon G. Carter Stadium after a successful road trip to Stanford to face Long Island University on Saturday.

While no opponent should be overlooked, the reality is this game presents a good opportunity for the Horned Frogs to clean up some of the issues that occurred during the 34-27 win over the Cardinal.

The Horned Frogs fumbled three times and had 100 penalty yards in a promising, but sloppy win. With the Sharks coming into town, TCU should aim for playing a clean game in preparation for the Big 12 opener next week vs. Central Florida.

Here’s four things to know about TCU’s next opponent, Long Island:

New era underway

The Sharks are still relatively new to Division I, having only made the jump up to FCS in 2019 when Long Island combined the athletic programs of its Brooklyn campus and LIU post. The Sharks went 0-10 in their first Division I season and then were limited to just four games during the 2020 season impacted by COVID-19.

Already on its third coach since 2019, the Sharks have shown some improvement under Ron Cooper. Cooper’s gone 4-7 in the last two seasons, but the Sharks are still a long way from contending in the FCS, let alone being able to compete with a team from a Power Four conference like TCU.

Offensive players to watch

The Sharks have a few interesting playmakers on the roster led by wide Michael Love. A preseason All-Northeast Conference as a kick returner, Love generates many of the Sharks’ chunk plays. In LIU’s defeat to Albany last week, Love led the team with six receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. He should attract most of the focus from TCU’s defense.

Up front LIU is led by offensive lineman Jake Timm, another All-NEC preseason pick that was also voted second team All-NEC in 2023. Running back Ludovick Choquette had a breakout performance against Albany as he rushed for 128 yards on just 15 carries. Luca Stanzani leads the team at quarterback and he was solid against Albany completing 20 of his 31 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns.

Recapping the Albany loss

In many ways the Sharks loss to the Great Danes mirrored TCU’s win over Stanford. LIU outgained Albany by over 100 yards and averaged a full yard more per play. But LIU had to battle itself as the Sharks were penalized seven times for 64 yards while Albany was flagged just once.

Leading 7-3 late in the second quarter, Long Island also had a crucial fumble that was returned for a touchdown. After the Sharks retook the lead on a Love touchdown with 41 seconds remaining, the defense allowed Albany to throw a 75-yard touchdown 30 seconds before halftime. To make matters worse, LIU was just 4-of-14 on third and fourth down conversions.

The Horned Frogs were able to overcome their own missteps in Week 1, while LIU wasn’t so fortunate.

Young Frogs to watch

Assuming everything goes to plan, the second half should be a showcase opportunity for some of the younger players on TCU’s roster. Freshman quarterback Hauss Hejny was expected to be one of those players, but he sustained an injury against Stanford and was seen leaving the field in a walking boot. It’s unclear how serious the injury is, but if he can’t go then Vanderbilt transfer Ken Seals is more than capable of leading the second team offense.

Defensively, players like Jamel Johnson, Markis Deal, Zach Chapman and Max Carroll could play extensively in the second half. Johnson started in place of an injured Cam Smith and led the Horned Frogs with 11 tackles against Stanford. Deal recorded two tackles and a nice stop for a loss while Carroll and Chapman also got reps. They’re going to be a big part of the future of TCU’s defense.

Offensively, the Horned Frogs should rotate often with their skill players. That could mean the first carries for running backs Jeremy Payne and Nate Palmer. It could also mean reps for Notre Dame transfer Braylon James. Eric McAlister isn’t a younger player, but the Boise State transfer played sparingly against the Cardinal, that should change on Saturday.

If TCU is able to get out of Saturday with its starters healthy and its reserves getting meaningful, live reps then it’s a successful day regardless of the final score.