TCU
Horned Frogs
2008 Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Jeremy Coleman DT 6-2 266
Missouri City (Fort Bend Marshall)
A two-time, first-team all-district selection ... a member of Dave Campbell's
Texas Football Super Team Defense ... totaled 92 tackles, including 24 for a
loss and 13 sacks, his senior year ... selected to the Space City Classic
All-Star Game ... appeared on Scout.com's Texas All-Combine Team ... recorded 84
stops and six sacks as a junior ... a three-year letterman in football and track
and field ... his father, Darrell Coleman, played football at Lamar University
while a cousin, Michael McFarland, played football for Baylor.
Potential Instant Impact Players
Greg Burks LB 6-1 205 Houston
(Spring Woods)
All-district selection as a senior who saw action at
both wide receiver and running back ... named Spring Woods' Most Valuable
Offensive Player ... also utilized on defense ... was honorable-mention
all-district as a sophomore and junior
Walker Dille TE 6-3 217 Sugar Land
(Clements)
All-State as a senior by the Texas Sportswriters Association ... was also
All-Greater Houston and a unanimous selection to the all-district squad ... set
single-season school records for receptions (32), yards (750) and touchdowns (9)
... averaged 23.4 yards per catch ... selected by his teammates for the Best
Receiver Award ... helped lead Clements to its first perfect regular season and
the District 23-5A championship ... a Texas High School Coaches Association
All-Star nominee ... a two-year academic all-district selection ... lettered
twice in football and three times in baseball
Rest of the Class
| Greg Burks
|
6-1
|
205
|
LB
|
Houston,
Texas (Spring Woods HS) |
| Jeremy
Coleman |
6-2
|
266
|
DT
|
Missouri
City, Texas (Fort Bend Marshall HS) |
| Walker
Dille |
6-3
|
217
|
TE
|
Sugar
Land, Texas (Clements HS) |
| Ross Evans
|
5-8
|
173
|
PK
|
Burnet,
Texas (Burnet HS) |
| Blaize
Foltz |
6-4
|
295
|
OL
|
Rose Hill,
Kan. (Rose Hill HS) |
| James Fry
|
6-3
|
269
|
OL
|
Spring
Branch, Texas (Smithson Valley HS) |
| Corey
Fuller |
6-5
|
219
|
TE
|
La Vernia,
Texas (La Vernia HS) |
| Yogi
Gallegos |
6-0
|
182
|
QB
|
Irving,
Texas (Irving HS) |
| Trevius
Jones |
6-3
|
293
|
OL
|
Tyler,
Texas (Robert E. Lee HS) |
| Marques
Parker |
5-11
|
179
|
WR
|
(North
Iowa Area CC) |
| Edward
"Bud" Patterson |
6-0
|
180
|
CB
|
Bastrop,
La. (Bastrop HS) |
| Zach Roth
|
6-5
|
298
|
OL
|
Garden
City, Kan. (Garden City CC) |
| Chris
Scott |
5-10
|
178
|
S
|
Baton
Rouge, La. (Southern Lab HS) |
| Sam Shutt
|
6-0
|
178
|
WR
|
Savannah,
Tenn. (Hardin County HS) |
| Edward
Wesley |
5-9
|
185
|
RB
|
Irving,
Texas (MacArthur HS) |
-
2007 TCU Season
-
2007 TCU Preview
-
2006 TCU Season
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 11-1
2007 Record: 8-5
Sept. 1
Baylor
W 27-0
Sept. 8 at
Texas L 34-13
Sept. 13
at A Force
L 20-17 OT
Sept. 22
SMU
W 21-7
Sept. 29
Colorado State
W 24-12
Oct.
6
at Wyoming
L 24-21
Oct.
13
at Stanford
W 38-36
Oct.
18
Utah
L 27-20
Nov.
3
New Mexico
W 37-0
Nov.
8
at BYU
L 27-22
Nov.
17
UNLV
W 34-10
Nov.
24
at San Diego St
W 45-33
Texas Bowl
Dec. 28 Houston W 20-13 |
2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: The offense that struggled so much with its
consistency should be far better with everyone coming back. There's only
one loss off the line, and receivers Ervin Dickerson and Marcus Brock
are gone, but the backfield is loaded with RB Aaron Brown coming back
from a broken ankle and QB Andy Dalton experienced after being thrown to
the wolves early on. The corner tandem of Nick Sanders and Rafael Priest
should grow into one of the Mountain West's best.
Why to be grouchy: The rest of the league should be improved
while TCU should be a little worse. O will be better, but the D will
likely take a step back. DE Tommy Blake didn't get into the mix until
the end, but he'll still be missed, while there's no replacing Chase
Ortiz on the other side. Losing safeties David Roach and Brian Bonner, a
top kick returner, will be a problem, and replacing PK Chris Manfredini
will be tough.
The number one thing to work on is: Getting the defensive
attitude back. When TCU is really humming, the defense is crushing and
killing everyone, and while it was fine, it wasn't the brick wall it was
expected to be. Making things worse was the lack of takeaways to make up
for the offense's problems. Last year, everyone had TCU as a possible
BCS buster. This year, most will pick the Horned Frogs to finish in the
middle of the pack. Head coach Gary Patterson has to use this to have
his team flying under the radar.
Biggest offensive loss: WR Ervin Dickerson
Biggest defensive loss: DE Chase Ortiz
Best returning offensive player: C Blake Schlueter, Sr.
Best returning defensive player: LB Jason Phillips, Sr.
2007 Recap
Recap:
Considered by many to be “this year’s Boise State” from a non-BCS
conference, very little went as scripted for the Horned Frogs, which
surprisingly finished in the middle of the league pack. TCU proved
unworthy of national attention after losing to Texas and Air Force
in September, but did rebound to finish 8-5, including a 20-13 Texas
Bowl victory over Houston. Big chunks of the disappointing season
were spent without RB Aaron Brown and DE Tommy Blake, the preseason
Mountain West Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year,
respectively.
Offensive Player of the Year: C Blake Schlueter
Defensive Player of the Year: DE Chase Ortiz
Biggest Surprise: With an extra week to prepare, TCU
absolutely smoked New Mexico on Nov. 3, ending the surging Lobos’
three-game winning streak. Finally playing like the team that was
ranked in August, the Horned Frogs suffocated the potent New Mexico
offense in a fork-in-the-road 37-0 statement win.
Biggest Disappointment: As if collapsing in the second half
to Texas wasn’t painful enough on Sept. 8, TCU remained in a funk
five days later, losing in overtime to Air Force and officially
ending any dreams of playing in a January bowl game.
Looking Ahead: Outside Fort Worth, the expectations won’t be
the same for TCU in 2008, but head coach Gary Patterson will still
be pointing toward a Mountain West crown and a major bowl game.
Even without Ortiz and Blake on the line, the defense will be
predictably stingy, and the offense will benefit from a more
seasoned Andy Dalton, who started at quarterback as a freshman.
Keeping Brown healthy for an entire season will be a major priority
next fall.
Dec. 28
2007 Texas Bowl
TCU 20 ... Houston 13
TCU held a seemingly comfortable 20-10 lead with two minutes to
play, but Houston made it interesting with a 32-yard field goal, and
after forcing a quick three-and-out, took the ball from its two and
worked its way down to the TCU 19 with one second to play. On the
final shot, TCU's Chase Ortiz blew into the backfield and hit Cougar
QB Case Keenum to end it. The Horned Frogs stuffed the Cougar
running game allowing just 32 net yards helped by five sacks, while
the offense got short touchdown runs from Andy Dalton and Justin
Watts along with two Chris Manfredini field goals. Houston started
off the scoring with Andre Kohn catching a 67-yard scoring pass, but
never got back into the end zone.
Offensive Player of the
Game:
TCU QB Andy Dalton completed 21 of 30 passes for 294 yards with an
interception, and ran 11 times for 17 yards and a score
Defensive Player of the Game:
Houston SS Rocky
Schwartz made 16 tackles and two tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton,
21-30, 249 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Justin Watts, 12-46, 1 TD. Receiving:
Ervin Dickerson, 3-57
Houston - Passing: Case Keenum, 23-38, 335 yds,
1 TD
Rushing: Anthony Alridge, 15-29. Receiving: Donnie Avery,
10-120
Thoughts & Notes ...
TCU's defense never let Houston star RB Anthony Alridge get going.
The gameplan was all about getting bodies around him, and it worked
as he only gained 29 yards on 15 carries with 22 coming on one play.
.... TCU's pass rush got consistent pressure on Case Keenum, but it
didn't seem to matter too much. Keenum kept getting up to bomb away
for more, keeping his cool time and again. For the most part, the
tackles did a decent job against the Horned Frog pass rushing tandem
of Chase Ortiz and Tommy Blake, except for Ortiz's sack on the final
play. ... TCU got hit with 11 penalties to Houston's six. ...
Houston had its chance before the final play with two throws into
the end zone, but after Donnie Avery picked apart the TCU defense,
he didn't get an honest shot to make a play when the Cougars got
close.
Nov. 24
TCU 45 ... San Diego State 33
San Diego State got up 17-0 in the first quarter helped by a 97-yard
Chaz Schilens catch for a score, but TCU roared back with 21 points
in the second and third quarters highlighted by four Joseph Turner
touchdown runs scoring from five, nine, 14 and 41 yards out. The
Aztecs were able to stay close for a while on a six-yard Brett Swain
scoring grab and a 35-yard Garrett Palmer field goal, but the TCU
running game proved to be too much. TCU ran for 376 yards and
cranked out 694 yards of total offense.
Player of the game:
TCU RB Joseph Turner ran 33 times for 226 yards and four touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton,
23-39, 298 yds
Rushing: Joseph Turner, 33-226, 4 TD. Receiving:
Walter Bryant, 7-79
San Diego State - Passing: Kevin O’Connell,
26-51, 366 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Kevin O’Connell, 11-58, 1 TD. Receiving: Chaz
Schilens, 6-174, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
It's good to know the offense can bomb away if it has to. The Horned
Frogs might not have had the season they wanted, and the defense
wasn't as dominant as it was supposed to be, but considering the
problems over the first half of the year, finishing with three wins
in the final four games isn't bad. Unearthing Joseph Turner running
the ball was the real find as the big sophomore ripped apart San
Diego State. Now if he can be a consistent threat, and the rest of
the parts can continue to produce, there might be reason to get
excited about a bounceback 2008. The bowl game should be an
interesting indicator.
Nov. 17
TCU 34 ... UNLV 10
TCU held UNLV to 12 rushing yards and only allowed a 32-yard
Frank Summers touchdown catch in the second quarter and a 28-yard
Sergio Aguayo field goal. The Horned Frogs got out to a 28-0 first
half lead on two three-yard runs from Andy Dalton and short runs
from Joseph Turner and Aaron Brown. Chris Manfredini added two
second half field goals.
Player of the game:
TCU S Stephen Hodge made 11 tackles, a sack and a
tackle for loss
Stat Leaders: UNLV - Passing: Travis Dixon,
13-21, 183 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Frank Summers, 7-15. Receiving: Casey Flair,
6-67
TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 6-12, 73 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Andy Dalton, 10-73, 2 TD. Receiving: Derek
Moore, 3-33
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The defense is humming. It might not
have been great against BYU, but it completely shut down UNLV and
New Mexico over the last three weeks, while the offense is doing
just enough to get by. Chase Ortiz had a huge game against the
Rebels, and safety Stephen Hodge managed to stuff the running game
all day long. For all the disappointments this season, a win over
San Diego State to close out, for three wins in four weeks leading
to a bowl game, would be a nice turnaround.
Nov. 8
BYU 27 ... TCU 22
Harvey Unga ran for touchdowns from 15 and three yards out,
and Max Hall threw one-yard touchdown pass to Joe Semanoff, as BYU
got up early, but had to hold on to beat TCU. Down 24-9 in the third
quarter, the Horned Frogs mounted a comeback with a one-yard Marcus
Brock touchdown run and with less than four minutes to play, a Bart
Johnson seven-yard scoring catch. TCU would get one more drive, but
it went nowhere as Bryan Kehl sacked Andy Dalton on fourth down and
the Cougar offense was able to run out the clock. BYU converted 13
of 20 third down chances, while TCU converted four of 14 and went 0
for 3 on third downs.
Player of the game:
BYU QB
Max Hall completed 26 of 44 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown
with an interception, and ran for 28 yards.
Stat Leaders: TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 18-30,
165 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andy Dalton, 12-60. Receiving: Ervin Dickerson,
6-48
BYU - Passing: Max Hall, 26-44, 305 yds, 1 TD, 1
INT
Rushing: Harvey Unga, 16-64, 2 TD. Receiving: Dennis Pitta,
7-88
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The defense wasn't the TCU defense
against BYU. It was fine, but it needed to be a brick wall, and it
didn't do nearly enough to disrupt Max Hall and it didn't do nearly
enough on third downs to stop early drives. The biggest key over the
final two games will be to get steadier quarterback play. Andy
Dalton came back to be fine, but he struggled way too much early,
forcing Marcus Jackson to step in for a stretch. Aaron Brown, or
someone, has to get the running game going; the passing game isn't
good enough to consistently carry the offense.
Nov. 3
TCU 37 ... New Mexico 0
TCU's defense was stunning, keeping New Mexico to 28 rushing
yards, 119 yards of total offense, and allowed just two of 16 third
down conversions, while the offense had few problems, getting two
Andy Dalton touchdown passes and three Chris Manfredini field goals.
Rafael Priest picked up a fumble for a 13-yard score, and Marcus
Jackson connected with Marcus Brock for a seven-yard score. TCU held
on to the ball for 36:52.
Player of the
game:
TCU RB Joseph
Turner ran 28 times for 115 yards.
Stat Leaders: New Mexico - Passing: Donovan
Porterie, 7-23, 76 yds
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 13-28. Receiving: Marcus
Smith, 4-39
TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 11-18, 149 yds, 2
TD
Rushing: Joseph Turner 28-115. Receiving: Ervin
Dickerson, 3-50, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Now that's the TCU defense everyone's been waiting for. The Horned
Frogs swarmed all over New Mexico and never allowed the Lobo running
game to breathe, and the offense didn't have to do anything fancy
because of it. The running game was solid, Andy Dalton put together
a nice performance, and there was good balance, but this game was
all about the defense. Now the consistency has to be there. A win
over the Lobos was nice, but a win at BYU would change the season
around.
Oct. 18
Utah 27 ... TCU 20
Utah picked off TCU's Andy Dalton four times, with Martel
Bennett returning one 55 yards for a score, Darrell Mack ran for a
one-yard score, and Marquis Wilson caught a 24-yard touchdown pass,
but had to hold on late as TCU got a late field goal to pull within
seven, then couldn't convert the onside kick. TCU got a blocked punt
return for a score and converted a trick play into a one-yard Marcus
Brock rushing touchdown, but the turnovers proved too costly.
Player of the game:
Utah S Steve Tate made
12 tackles, picked off a pass, and made a sack
Stat Leaders: Utah - Passing: Brian Johnson, 13-20, 120 yds,
1 TD
Rushing: Darrell Mack, 32-100, 1 TD. Receiving: Marquis Wilson,
6-73, 1 TD
TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 20-45, 164 yds, 4
INT
Rushing: Aaron Brown, 11-59. Receiving: Aaron Brown, 5-21
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
TCU only allowed 227
yards to Utah, so it might be tempting to blame the loss entirely on
the offense. While Andy Dalton's four interceptions didn't help, and
there wasn't any push for the running game, the defense didn't
exactly come through when Utah had its chances to take advantage of
mistakes. Inconsistency on offense is going to be the problem the
rest of the way, and if the mistakes continue, the defense and
special teams are going to have to carry things. Even so, don't
expect Dalton to have another horrible game like this again.
Oct. 13
TCU 38 ... Stanford 36
Aaron Brown ran for a two-yard touchdown with just over two
minutes to play, and then hung on as Stanford drove deep, but unlike
the USC game, got a fourth down pass batted away. The two teams
traded scores back and forth all game long, with Stanford getting up
31-17 late in the third helped by Anthony Kimble's second touchdown
run of the game. And then Andy Dalton went to work for TCU,
connecting with Jimmy Young for a 70-yard touchdown, and connecting
with Brown for a two-yard score to tie it in the fourth.
Player of the game:
TCU QB Andy
Dalton completed 23 of 34 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns
and ran for a score.
Stat Leaders: Stanford - Passing: Tavita
Pritchard, 12-27, 171 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Anthony Kimble, 119-109, 2 TD. Receiving:
Richard Sherman, 4-112, 1 TD
TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 23-34, 344 yds, 2
TD
Rushing: Aaron Brown, 21-91, 1 TD. Receiving: Aaron
Brown, 5-45, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The defense simply isn't going to be as
good as expected this year. That's what happens when injuries
strike. That means the offense has to start winning some shootouts,
and while that's been a problem so far, Andy Dalton came up with a
big game against Stanford, Aaron Brown ran well, and the Horned
Frogs escaped with the win. Now it's back to Mountain West play, and
now is when the team has to crank it up a few notches with Utah, New
Mexico and BYU up next.
Oct. 6
Wyoming 24 ... TCU 21
TCU had a chance to complete a late comeback and send it into
overtime, but Chris Manfredini's 48-yard field goal attempt hit the
right upright, and the Cowboys escaped. Wyoming got Hoost Marsh
touchdown catches from 65 and eight yards out, and Wynel Seldon ran
for a two-yard score on the way to a 24-6 lead, and then held on.
TCU got Andy Dalton touchdown passes to Ervin Dickerson and Bart
Johnson late in the fourth quarter to pull within three, and then
the defense forced a three-and-out leading to the final drive,
ending with the missed field goal.
Player of the game:
Wyoming WR Hoost Marsh caught four passes for 87 yards and two
touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton,
20-31,184 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Aaron Brown, 14-50. Receiving: Donald Massey,
4-38
Wyoming - Passing: Karsten Sween, 12-26, 134
yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Devin Moore, 23-135. Receiving: Hoost Marsh,
4-87, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Where's the TCU defense? Granted, there have been a variety of
problems, but this was still supposed to be the baddest D in the
Mountain West, and it struggled way too much with too many early
breakdowns against Wyoming's average attack. Offensively, Andy
Dalton has to build on this comeback attempt. He took a few sacks,
but he threw well to get the team back in the game. If TCU can get
that kind of passing game on a consistent basis, it'll turn its
season around.
Sept. 29
TCU 24 ... Colorado State 12
It wasn't pretty, but TCU was able to outrush Colorado State
201 yards to 55, getting two four-yard Marcus Jackson touchdown runs
and a four-yard Shae Reagan scoring grab. Colorado State got back in
it with a 27-yard Jason Smith field goal and a 54-yard Damon Morton
touchdown catch, but two of the three final drives were stopped by
interceptions, and the other stalled.
Player of the game:
TCU RB Aaron Brown ran 22 times for 124 yards
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Caleb
Hanie, 21-38, 216 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Rushing: John Mosure, 10-34. Receiving: Luke Roberts,
4-42
TCU - Passing: Marcus Jackson, 11-26, 137 yds,
1 TDs
Rushing: Aaron Brown, 22-124. Receiving: Ervin Dickerson,
4-66
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... With
Andy Dalton hurt with a knee injury, it's Marcus Jackson's show now,
but he has something Dalton didn't; a healthy Aaron Brown. With
Brown's running, along with the nasty defense, Jackson doesn't have
to take too many chances. Even if he isn't always efficient, as long
as he keeps the chains moving with his legs as well as his arm, TCU
will be fine. However, more passing pop would be nice to get by a
tough road trip to Wyoming.
Sept. 22
TCU 21 ... SMU 7
The TCU offense only managed 250 yards, but the defense and
special teams came through, as Bart Johnson returned a blocked punt
for a first quarter touchdown and Robert Henson took a Justin Willis
pass 58 yards for a score. The Horned Frog offense had one good
drive, going 78 yards in 16 plays with Marcus Jackson hitting Derek
Moore for a 15-yard score, but that was it. SMU scored first on a
DeMyron Martin 15- yard touchdown run, but wasn't able to get on the
board the rest of the way.
Player of the game:
TCU DE Chase Ortiz made seven tackles with two sacks.
Stat Leaders: TCU - Passing: Marcus Jackson,
6-12, 68 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Aaron Brown, 11-92. Receiving: Jimmy Young,
3-25
SMU - Passing: Justin Willis, 19-34, 203 yds, 1
INT
Rushing: DeMyron Martin, 19-100, 1 TD. Receiving:
Emmanuel Sanders, 7-98
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Now
the offense is looking for any sort of a spark. To only come up with
250 yards against a woeful SMU defense shows how bad things are, and
to do it with Aaron Brown back at tailback, albeit at less than
100%, is a real problem. Rotating quarterbacks was inevitable.
Marcus Jackson has to do something to give the team a spark, but
until then, the defense will have to continue to carry things.
Sept. 13
Air Force 20 ... TCU 17 OT
Air Force pulled off the stunning upset when Ryan Harrison
connected on a 33-yard field goal in overtime following a TCU misfire.
TCU held a 17-3 lead midway though the fourth quarter on two short Andy
Dalton touchdown passes, but Air Force was able to get close with a
nine-yard Shaun Carney touchdown pass to Keith Madsen. With under six
minutes to play and facing a fourth and one, the Falcons ran the option
to perfection with Jim Ollis taking a pitch 71 yards for a touchdown.
TCU had a final chance in regulation after getting down to the Air Force
22, but the drive was snuffed out when Dalton's underthrown pass was
picked off in the end zone by Carson Bird. Horned Frog PK Chris
Manfredini started off the scoring with a 39-yard field goal, but he got
a 20-yard try blocked and hit the upright on TCU's overtime possession.
Player of the game:
TCU RB Jim Ollis ran 16 times for 138 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 29-45,
320 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Justin Watts, 12-48. Receiving: Ryan
Christian, 6-74
Air Force - Passing: Shaun Carney, 17-28, 193 yds,
1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jim Ollis, 16-138, 1 TD. Receiving: Mark
Root, 6-53
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The TCU offense might have been without RB
Aaron Brown, but QB Andy Dalton picked up the slack with a big passing
day. What he didn't do was generate enough points, and his interception
on the final drive in regulation will be relived by Horned Frog fans all
season long if this turned out to be the loss that costs the team the
Mountain West title. The defense was terrific outside of the 71-yard
game-tying touchdown late in the fourth, but that's little comfort after
the tough loss. Now the team has to quickly regroup, beat SMU, and then
dive back into Mountain West play against Colorado State. That's easier
said than done after the way the dream season has gone into the tank in
the last eight days.
Sept. 8
Texas 34 ... TCU 13
It took a little while, but Texas eventually got on a roll and
put away a punchless TCU. The Horned Frogs got up 10-0 at halftime
helped by a 45-yard Torrey Stewart interception return for a score,
but Texas went on a 27-point run with Colt McCoy finding Nate Jones
for a 33-yard score, Vondrell McGee rushing for a one-yard score,
and Brandon Foster taking a fumble 20 yards for a score. Jamaal
Charles put things away with a 39-yard scoring dash. TCU finished
with just 251 yards with four turnovers.
Player of the game:
Texas RB Jamaal Charles rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown on 22
carries, and had a reception for four yards.
Stat Leaders: TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 23-37,
208 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ryan Christian, 10-41. Receiving: Donald
Massey, 4-53
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 25-38, 239 yds, 1 TD,
2 INTs
Rushing: Jamaal Charles, 22-134, 1 TD. Receiving:
Nate Jones, 8-91, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
A great defense can only do so much.
Against a top ten team, you need to score, and TCU simply didn't
have enough weapons to get by Texas. Andy Dalton wasn't awful, but
he wasn't great like he needed to be, and there wasn't any ground
game to speak of without Aaron Brown. TCU's defense needed to get to
Colt McCoy, and didn't. Now the Horned Frogs have to quickly regroup
and not lose focus. The trip to Air Force could be tougher than
expected, and while the loss to the Longhorns hurt, a loss in the
Mountain West opener would be disastrous.
Sept. 1
TCU 27 ... Baylor 0
Even without star end Tommy Blake, who was out with an
undisclosed illness, TCU's defense dominated Baylor in an easy shut out
win. The Bears managed just 282 yards of total offense and lost four
interceptions, but their defense was solid. The Horned Frog attack took
advantage of every mistake using the short fields to get touchdown runs
from Justin Watts and Ryan Christian in the first quarter and a 14-yard
Ervin Dickerson touchdown catch in the fourth. Chris Manfredini nailed
two fourth quarter field goals.
Player of the game
... TCU
LB David Hawthorne led the team with 11 tackles
Stat Leaders: Baylor - Passing: Blake Szymanski,
23-47, 216 yds, 3 INTs
Rushing: Brandon Whitaker, 12-27 Receiving: Justin Fenty,
5-35
TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 18-30, 205 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Joseph Turner, 9-56 Receiving: Marcus Brock, 5-47
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The defense only came up with one sack against the pass
happy Baylor Bears, but there was enough overall pressure, and a good
enough game by the defensive backfield, to come up with the easy win.
However, there are concerns on offense with Andy Dalton failing to do
much to lead the team on extended drives and only produced when the D
gave him a short field. Several players got work in the running game in
a true tailback-by-committee approach, but unless Dalton started to make
more plays on third downs, TCU doesn't have a prayer against Texas.