Frogs Close Home Portion of 2000 Schedule, Host UTEP

#15/16 TCU (8-1, 5-1) vs. UTEP (8-2, 7-0)
Game 10
Nov. 18, 2000 * 2:05 p.m. (CST)
Amon G. Carter Stadium (44,008) * Fort Worth, Texas

Television: Fox Sports Net regional broadcast (Bill Land (play-by-play), Gary Reasons (color analyst)).
Radio: TCU/ESPN Sports Network (Brian Estridge and John Denton). The game will be broadcast on KWRD 94.9 FM in Fort Worth-Dallas.

The Coaches:
Dennis Franchione (Pittsburg State, 1973)
Overall Record: 18th year * 136-65-2 (.675)
at TCU: 3rd year * 23-10 (.688)

Gary Nord (Louisville, 1980)
Overall Record: 1st year * 8-2 (.800)
at UTEP: 1st year 8-2 (.800)

The Series: 5th meeting * series tied, 2-2-0
Last Meeting: at TCU 52, UTEP 24 (1999)

Frogs Close Home Portion of 2000 Schedule, Host UTEP
The TCU Horned Frogs (8-1, 5-1) conclude the 2000 home schedule Saturday, November 18 as they host the league-leading UTEP Miners in a Western Athletic Conference game. Kickoff for Saturday's contest at Amon G. Carter Stadium is set for 2:05 p.m. The game will be televised regionally by Fox Sports Net. This week, TCU is ranked 15th by the Associated Press and 16th by ESPN/USA Today. UTEP is not ranked, but they are receiving votes in both polls. The contest will be the final home game for 26 TCU seniors.

Mobile Alabama Bowl
Following TCU's 24-7 win over Fresno State, the Frogs accepted an invitation to return to the Mobile Alabama Bowl. Last season, TCU defeated East Carolina, 28-14, in the inaugural Mobile Alabama Bowl. The bowl appearance will be TCU's third straight - a first for the Frogs. TCU has never appeared in bowl games in three consecutive seasons. TCU will face a team from Conference USA.

Key Notes

TCU has won 10 straight games at Amon G. Carter Stadium. TCU is averaging 39.0 points and 428.6 yards of total offense at home this year.

A win Saturday would be TCU's ninth of the season. TCU last won nine games in 1955, when the Frogs finished 9-2.

Heisman Trophy Candidate LaDainian Tomlinson needs only 30 yards to become the WAC's all-time leading rusher. Tomlinson needs 175 yards to move into 10th in NCAA career rushing yards. He leads the nation in rushing (186.6) and is 2nd in scoring (12.0).

Tomlinson needs one rushing TD to move into 9th in NCAA career rushing scores.

Under Coach Fran, TCU has a 15-1 record when rushing for 240+ yards.

TCU has outscored their opponents by 216 points (301-85). Opponents have scored nine touchdowns this year, six in the 1st quarter, two in the 2nd and three in the 4th.

Under Coach Fran and defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, the Frogs are 18-2 when holding opponents to less than 300 yards of total offense.

The Frogs lead the nation in total defense (251.3) and scoring defense (9.4).

In the last two seasons, the Frogs are 8-2 in games played after November 1.

Since joining the WAC, the Frogs are 12-7 in conference home games, including a record of 9-2 under Coach Fran.

The three-point loss to San Jose State was TCU's first-game decided by less than 14 points since last year's seven-point loss at Fresno State (26-19) - a span of 16 games.

The Frogs have recorded 36 sacks this season, one behind the school-record total of 37.

Poll Notes
For the 13th consecutive week, the Frogs are ranked in the national polls. TCU is ranked 15th by the Associated Press and 16th by ESPN/USA Today. Earlier this month, TCU was ninth - the highest the Frogs have been ranked since December 2, 1959, when TCU was ranked 7th by the AP. Before this season, TCU last appeared in the national polls on October 23, 1990, when TCU was ranked 24th by the AP and 19th by UPI. TCU's preseason national ranking was the first for the school since the 1960 season, when the Frogs were ranked 11th by the AP.

Associated Press
1.      Oklahoma              9-0     1,774
2.      Miami, Fla.           8-1     1,690
3.      Florida State        10-1     1,629
4.      Florida               9-1     1,551
5.      Oregon               10-1     1,490
6.      Washington            9-1     1,429
7.      Virginia Tech         9-1     1,328
8.      Oregon State          9-1     1,263
9.      Kansas State          9-2     1,124
10.     Nebraska              8-2     1,101
11.     Notre Dame            7-2     1,006
12.     Ohio State            8-2     957
13.     Mississippi State     7-2     896
14.     Texas                 8-2     725
15.     TCU                   8-1     679
16.     Clemson               8-2     662
17.     Purdue                7-3     603
18.     Auburn                8-2     599
19.     Michigan              7-3     543
20.     Georgia Tech          7-2     469
21.     Texas A&M             7-3     328
22.     Georgia               6-3     322
23.     Northwestern          7-3     284
24.     Southern Mississippi  7-2     238
25.     South Carolina        7-3     121

ESPN/USA Today
1.      Oklahoma             9-0     1,473
2.      Miami, Fla.          8-1     1,407
3.      Florida State       10-1     1,357
4.      Florida              9-1     1,297
5.      Washington           9-1     1,196
6.      Oregon              10-1     1,169
7.      Virginia Tech        9-1     1,115
8.      Oregon State         9-1     1,025
9.      Kansas State         9-2     966
10.     Nebraska             8-2     887
11.     Notre Dame           7-2     812
12.     Ohio State           8-2     802
13.     Mississippi State    7-2     726
14.     Clemson              8-2     672     
15.     Texas                8-2     631     
16.     TCU                  8-1     563
17.     Purdue               7-3     512
18.     Michigan             7-3     449
19.     Auburn               8-2     410
20.     Southern Mississippi 7-2     323
21.     Georgia              7-2     297
22.     Georgia Tech         6-3     261
23.     Texas A&M            7-3     154
24.     Northwestern         7-3     141
25.     Tennessee            7-3     102

TCU Week-by-Week
Week            AP      ESPN/USA Today
Preseason       20      23
Aug. 28         20      21
Sept. 3         22      22
Sept. 10        20      21
Sept. 17        18      19
Sept. 24        16      18
Oct. 1          14      14
Oct. 8          12      11
Oct. 15         11      10
Oct. 22         11      11
Oct. 29          9       9
Nov. 5          18      17
Nov. 12         15      16

Head Coach Dennis Franchione In his third season at the helm of the TCU football program is Dennis Franchione (Pittsburg State 73). He has recorded a 136-65-2 record during his stints at Southwestern (Kan.), Pittsburg (Kan.) State, Southwest Texas State, New Mexico and TCU. Coach Fran is 23-10 overall at TCU, 13-4 at home and 10-6 on the road (including neutral sites). The Frogs had won a total of 24 games in the previous six seasons combined. He has led the Frogs to bowl wins over USC (Sun Bowl) and East Carolina (Mobile Alabama Bowl).

In his 18th season as a head coach, the 49-year old Franchione is presently ranked 15th among active NCAA Division I-A coaches in winning percentage (.673) and 13th in victories (136). The 1999 WAC title was TCU's first football title in the conference, and the school's first football championship since 1994, when the Frogs tied for the Southwest Conference Championship. TCU's bowl win against USC was the school's first since the 1957 Cotton Bowl, when TCU defeated Syracuse, 28-27. Plus, the win over East Carolina gave Frogs back-to-back bowl wins for the first time since 1936-37, when TCU defeated LSU in the 1936 Sugar Bowl and Marquette in the 1937 Cotton Bowl. Franchione has recorded a win-loss mark of 37-19 in the last five years, posting winning seasons in both his last two years at New Mexico and his first three seasons at TCU. Under Franchione, 18 Frogs have received first or second-team all-conference honors in the last two years, plus LaDainian Tomlinson was named the 1999 WAC Player of the Year. Franchione was a member of the West coaching staff in the 2000 East-West Shrine game.

TCU-UTEP Series
The Frogs and Miners are meeting for only the fifth time... the series is tied, 2-2-0... the home team has been victorious in all four games... since TCU joined the WAC, the Frogs have won two-of-three... last season, TCU defeated UTEP, 52-24, as the Frogs outscored the Miners, 35-7, in the second half... the two teams were tied at the half, 17-17... in the contest, LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for an NCAA single-game record 406 yards on 43 attempts.

Red Zone Scoring Success
TCU has been extremely successful when penetrating the "Red Zone" during the 2000 season. The Frogs have scored points in 34 (25 touchdowns/9 field goals) of their 35 drives inside the opponents' 20-yard line. TCU had converted their first 32 opportunities this season, but last week against Fresno State, a missed field goal in the 2nd quarter ended TCU's perfect record in the Red Zone. Last season, TCU scored on 35-of-43 trips (26 TDs/9 FGs) in the Red Zone. Opponents have scored in 10-of-18 trips (5 TD/5 FG) inside the TCU 20-yard line.

Winning Season
TCU's win over Fresno State provided the Frogs' with their eighth win of the season, allowing TCU to record their second straight season of at least eight wins. The last time TCU won at least eight games in consecutive seasons was 1958-59, when the Frogs won at eight games in both years. The Frogs have posted three straight winning seasons for the first time since the 1950s, when the Frogs recorded winning seasons in 1955-56-57-58-59. The winning campaign is the fifth in the last seven years, and the eighth in the last 35 years. A win Saturday would be TCU's ninth of the season. TCU last won nine games in 1955, when the Frogs finished 9-2.

Winning Streak Ends at San Jose
TCU's 27-24 loss at San Jose State ended the Frogs' 12-game winning streak. The 12-game winning streak will go down in the record books as the second longest in school history, The 1937-38 teams produced a school-record 14 straight victories. The 1937 Frogs ended the season with three straight wins, then the 1938 team ran off 11 consecutive wins on their way to the national title.

Doak Walker Semifinalists
LaDainian Tomlinson has been named one of 8 semifinalists for the 2000 Doak Walker National Running back award. The three finalists will be named on Thursday, November 30. The official announcement will be made on Thursday, December 7. The 8 finalists (listed alphabetically) are:

Dan Alexander (Nebraska)        Damien Anderson (Northwestern)
Rudi Johnson (Auburn)           Robert Sanford (W. Michigan)
Ken Simonton (Oregon State)     Anthony Thomas (Michigan)
LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU)       Deonce Whitaker (San Jose State)

Football News Coach of the Year
Dennis Franchione has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the Football News Coach of the Year award. The list will be trimmed to three finalists on Monday, November 20. The official announcement will be made on Wednesday, December 6. The 10 finalists (listed alphabetically) are:

Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech)    Lou Holtz (South Carolina)      
Mike Belloti (Oregon)           Rick Neuheisel (Washington)
Tommy Bowden (Clemson)          Gary Nord (UTEP)
Bob Davie (Notre Dame)          Bob Stoops (Oklahoma)
Dennis Franchione (TCU)         Randy Walker (Northwestern)

Football News Player of the Year
LaDainian Tomlinson has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the Football News Offensive Player of the Year award. The list will be trimmed to five finalists on Monday, November 20. The official announcement will be made on Wednesday, December 6. The 15 finalists (listed alphabetically) are:

Damien Anderson (Northwestern)          Ken Simonton (Oregon St.)
Michael Bennett (Wisconsin)             David Terrell  (Michigan)
Drew Brees (Purdue)                     Anthony Thomas (Michigan)
Eric Crouch (Nebraska)                  LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU)
Woodrow Dantzler (Clemson)              Michael Vick (Virginia Tech)
Joey Harrington (Oregon)                Derek Watson (South Carolina)
Josh Heupel (Oklahoma)                  Chris Weinke (Florida State)
Koren Robinson (N.C. State)

Rush for 240
A major statistical trend under Coach Fran has been TCU's success when they rush for at least 240 yards in a game. Overall, TCU is 15-1 in two-plus seasons under Franchione, when rushing for 240 yards or more. TCU has rushed for at least 240 yards in 5-of-9 games this season, including a season-high 393 yards against Hawaii. Last season, the Frogs were 4-0 when they surpassed the 240-yard barrier. Franchione-coached teams are 31-4 since 1992, when rushing for at least 240 yards. The game-by-game totals for 2000:

Opponent        Att.    Yards   Avg.    TD
Nevada          55      317     5.8     4
Northwestern    69      387     5.6     3
Arkansas State  44      255     5.8     4
Navy            51      197     3.9     1
Hawaii          71      393     5.5     5
Tulsa           46      223     4.8     1
Rice            51      249     4.9     3
San Jose State  45      138     3.9     2
Fresno State    62      217     3.5     3

Opening Drive Scores
TCU has scored points on their first possession in 17 of the last 25 games, including five times this year. TCU has scored touchdowns against Nevada, Hawaii and Rice, and kicked field goals against Northwestern and Navy. Last year, the Frogs scored points on the first drive in 8-of-12 games.

Big Play Offense
The Frogs have an offensive category titled "Explosives", which are rushing plays of 12 yards or more and pass plays of 16 yards or more. TCU's goal is to get at least eight per game. The breakdown for the 2000 season:

Opponent                Run     Pass    Total
Nevada                  7       2       9
Northwestern            9       2       11
Arkansas State          6       4       10      
Navy                    1       4       5
Hawaii                  7       2       9
Tulsa                   6       2       8
Rice                    5       3       8
San Jose State          2       6       8
Fresno State            6       1       7 
      
Individual Rushing: Tomlinson (31), Printers (11), Layne (5) Stilley (1),
                           Madison (1).
Individual Receiving: Maiden (6), James (5), Brown (3), Dunbar (4), 
                             M. Schobel (2), Layne (4), Ellis (2), Roberts (2).
Explosives by year      Run     Pass    Total
2000                    49      28      77
1999                    60      31      91
1998                    38      16      54

Scoring Points, Recording Shutouts
The Frogs have scored points in 48 of 110 possessions this season... TCU needs to score 62 points in the final two games, an average of 31.0 points to break the school record for points in a season... the 1984 Frogs scored 362 points on a school-record 48 TDs, while the 2000 Frogs have already scored 301 points on 38 TDs and 12 field goals... TCU has scored in 101 consecutive games... the last time the Frogs were shutout was a 32-0 blanking by Texas on Nov. 15, 1991... TCU has held their opponent to three points or less in seven of the last 16 regular-season games, including shutouts of San Jose St. (42-0), SMU (21-0) , Navy (24-0) and Rice (37-0).

TCU's Workhorse
In the first eight games of the season, LaDainian Tomlinson has shown that he gets better the more he touches the ball. The TCU workhorse is averaging 181.0 yards rushing per game on an average of 33.5 carries.

Tomlinson by Attempt
Plays Attempts-Yards Average 1-10 90-532 5.9 11-20 90-419 4.7 21-30 71-506 7.1 31-40 41-194 4.7 41+ 12-45 3.8 Tomlinson by Quarter
Quarter Attempts-Yards Average 1st 91-502 5.5 2nd 86-483 5.6 3rd 72-468 6.5 4th 54-234 4.3

More than LT
As opponents have geared up to stop LaDainian Tomlinson, the Frogs have shown they do have other weapons. The following is a game-by-game look at TCU's over-looked weapons.

Oppt.    Player          Stats
Nev.     Layne           4 rush, 33 yards, 1 TD
NU       Printers        8-12 pass, 74 yards rushing
Ark. St. Dunbar          4 recepts., 91 yards, 2 TD
Navy     Printers        14-of-17, 188 yards passing
                         Layne   7 rush, 78 yards rushing
Hawaii   Layne           2 recepts, 55 yards receiving
Tulsa    Printers        14 att, 87 yards rushing
Rice     Layne           4 att, 35 yards rushing, 1 TD
San Jose Printers        12-23 pass, 194 yards, TD
Fresno   Printers        2 rush touchdowns

Solid Passing Game
Entering Saturday's game against UTEP, the Frogs are ranked second in the WAC and 18th in the NCAA in passing efficiency. The Frogs have completed 83-of-146 (56.8%) passes for 1133 yards. TCU has a efficiency rating of 135.05. Against Navy, the Frogs completed 15-of-18 passes for 192 yards.

Now Wearing #1, Casey Printers
In 19 career starts, Casey Printers has a 16-3 record as the starting quarterback. Last season, he led the Frogs to a 8-2 record, earning third-team Freshman All-America honors. Printers, the MVP of the Mobile Alabama Bowl, helped lead the Frogs to a five-game winning streak to end the 1999 season.

In his career, Printers has completed 57.1% of his passes. This season, Printers has completed 56.8% (79-139-6) of his passes for 1117 yards. He completed a single-game school record 82.3% (14-of-17) of his passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns against Navy. In the Arkansas State contest, Printers completed 11-of-15 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns, including a career-long 74-yard strike to LaTarence Dunbar. He enters the UTEP game, needing 377 yards to move pass Lindy Berry into 10th in career passing yards at TCU.

Printers Career Numbers
        Passing                         Rushing
Yr.     C-A-I           Yds     TD      Att.    Yds     TD
00     79-139-6        1117    10      72      192     3
99     86-150-7        1213    8       32      -69     1
Tot.    165-289-13      2330    18      105     123     4

Receiving Leaders
Tailback LaDainian Tomlinson enters the 2000 season as the active leader in career receptions. The following list is a breakdown of TCU's receptions leaders.

Player, Class                   Receptions

LaDainian Tomlinson, Senior     37
Cedric James, Senior            36
LaTarence Dunbar, Sophomore     35
Tim Maiden, Senior              30
Kevin Brown, Sophomore          17
B.J. Roberts, Junior            11
George Layne, Junior            11
Matt Schobel, Junior            8
Terran Williams, Sophomore      5
Quint Ellis, Sophomore          3
Andrew Hayes-Stoker, Junior     2
Chad Purcell, Senior            1

Heisman Trophy Candidate LaDainian Tomlinson
One of the premier college football players in the country... a candidate for the 2000 Heisman Trophy, Doak Walker National Running Back Award and the Maxwell Award... on his way to leading the NCAA in rushing, Tomlinson burst onto the college football scene with an NCAA single-game record 406 yards rushing on 43 attempts against UTEP on November 20, 1999.

Season Notes

Tomlinson continues to lead the nation in rushing with an average of 186.6 yards per contest. He is 2nd in scoring (12.0).

Tomlinson has rushed for 1,679 yards on a school-record 310 attempts this season, scoring 18 touchdowns. Tomlinson is averaging 40.1 yards more per game this season than he did in the first nine games of the 1999 season. He is on pace to rush for 2,052 yards.

Tomlinson has scored 108 points this season, 23 more than the TCU defense has allowed.

Tomlinson has scored 26 TDs in the last 11 regular-season games.

Tomlinson rushed for 231 yards on 42 attempts against Fresno State. He scored one touchdown, a season-best 65-yard run in the 3rd quarter. The 200-yard day was the fourth this year and the seventh in his career. He moved past Marshall Faulk into 2nd in WAC career rushing yards.

LT rushed for 155 yards and scored two touchdowns on 32 attempts at San Jose St. as the Frogs were knocked off, 27-24.

LT rushed for 200 yards and scored two touchdowns on 41 attempts as the Frogs defeated Rice, 37-0.

Against Tulsa, Tomlinson surpassed the 1,000-yard mark, becoming the first TCU player to surpass 1,000 yards in more than one season. He rushed for 119 yards and scored a touchdown in TCU's 17-3 win.

Tomlinson rushed for a season-high 294 yards and four touchdowns on a school-record 49 attempts against Hawaii. The outing was the third best day in his career, and it ranks fifth in TCU history. In the process, he became the first TCU player to rush for over 4,000 yards in a career.

Despite playing only three quarters against Arkansas State, he rushed for 140 yards on 23 carries, a 6.1 average. He scored touchdowns on runs of 64 yards and one yard.

LT rushed for 243 yards on 39 attempts against Northwestern, scoring two touchdowns.

Despite playing only three quarters against Nevada, Tomlinson rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns on 24 attempts. He had one pass reception for two yards.

Career Notes

In his career, LT has rushed for 483 yards on 62 attempts against UTEP, an average of 7.8 yards per carry. He has also scored six touchdowns.

LT is the TCU record holder for touchdowns with 50. All 50 of his touchdowns have been on the ground. He has scored 18 touchdowns this season, tying the single-season record that he co-owns with Jim Swink.

Tomlinson is first in the NCAA among active leading rushers with 4,784 career rushing yards on 848 attempts. Tomlinson is trailed by Anthony Thomas (Michigan) who has rushed for 4,248 yards, and Maryland's Lamont Jordan, who has rushed for 4,142 yards.

LT is also moving his way up the WAC's career record lists. He is second in rushing yards with 4,784 yards. He needs 30 yards to pass Steve Bartalo's 4813 yards (Colorado St.) and become the WAC's all-time leading rusher.

Tomlinson's 50 career rushing touchdowns ranks second in WAC history. He is seven behind Marshall Faulk's (San Diego State) 57 rushing TDs. LT is tied for 10th in NCAA career rushing touchdowns with 50.

He needs to rush for 174 yards, an average of 87.0 yards per game to move into the top-10 in NCAA career rushing. He is currently 14th in NCAA career rushing yards, 29 behind Bartalo, who is 13th.

He has eclipsed the 100-yard barrier on a school-record 19 occasions in his career, including each of the last 11 regular-season games. The Frogs have a record of 15-4 when LT rushes for at least 100 yards.

He has rushed for 2,210 yards in the last 11 regular-season games, an average of 200.9 yards per game.

He is TCU's all-time leader in all-purpose yards (5852) and total yards of offense (5014).

He can become the first TCU running back to earn first-team All-America honors since Kenneth Davis in 1984. Jim Swink earned first-team All-America honors in 1955.

Entering the 2000 football season, Tomlinson is the only running back in NCAA Division I history to surpass the 400-yard mark in a single-game.

He led the country in rushing in 1999 with 1,850 - the first TCU player to lead the nation in rushing. The yardage total set a new WAC record and it ranks 22nd in NCAA history.

Tomlinson can become the fifth TCU player to finish in the top-five in voting for the Heisman Trophy. Sam Baugh finished fourth in 1935, Davey O'Brien won the award in 1938, Jim Swink was the runner-up in 1955 and Kenneth Davis finished fifth in 1984.

He is averaging 109.5 yards per game against ranked opponents. Since Tomlinson arrived at TCU in 1997, the Frogs have faced four nationally-ranked foes. He has rushed for 438 yards on 96 attempts, scoring five touchdowns. TCU has a record of 2-2 in the four games.

He owns five of TCU's top-seven single-game rushing efforts, rushing for at least 269 yards three times in 1999. In the process, he tied Kenneth Davis' school-record for 200-yard games in a season at three.

He is the TCU single-season record holder in attempts in a game (49 vs. Hawaii), attempts in a season (310 in 2000), yards in a game (406), yards in a season (1,850).

He owns three of TCU's 15 longest runs from scrimmage, including a school-record 89-yard touchdown run vs. San Jose State. Tomlinson also had an 80-yard touchdown run against Tulsa and a 79-yard run at Arkansas State.

A first-team pre-season All-America selection by Athlon, Playboy, Football News, The Sporting News, Texas Football, Blue Ribbon, Street and Smith and Preview Sports... a second-team All-America honoree by Lindy's... WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year by Athlon, The Sporting News, Dave Campbell's Texas Football, Street and Smith, Preview Sports, Rivals.com and Lindy's... Texas Colleges Offensive Player of the Year by Dave Campbell's Texas Football.

Double-Digit Starters
Nineteen Frogs have double-digit starting assignments to their credit, including Aaron Schobel who has started 43 straight games in his TCU career.

Player, Class, Position         Starts
Aaron Schobel, Senior, DE       43
Mike Keathley, Senior, OL       36      
Shawn Worthen, Senior, DT       33
Greg Walls, Senior, CB          32
Curtis Fuller, Senior, FS       32
Shannon Brazzell, Senior, LB    31      
Jeff Millican, Senior, OL       31
Russell Gary, Senior, SS        30
Jeff Garner, Senior, C          28
David Bobo, Senior, OT          26
LaDainian Tomlinson, Senior, TB 25
B.J. Roberts, Junior, TE        21
Victor Payne, Junior, OL        21
Chad Bayer, Junior, LB          21
Casey Printers, Sophomore, QB   19
Tim Maiden, Senior, WR          18
Jason Goss, Sophomore, CB       17
Shane Ladewig, Senior, OL       12
George Layne, Junior, FB        12

O-Line Knockdown Blocks
The Frogs recorded 80 knockdown blocks against Fresno State, including 19 by David Bobo. The game-by-game totals for 2000 with the team totals in parentheses.

Oppt. (total)   Bobo    Millican    Garner  Payne   Keathley
Nev. (88)       17      16          8       10      12
NU (139)        30      33          25      36      13
ASU (83)        12      16          12      11      14
Navy (109)      25      25          15      20      14
Hawaii (88)     16      22          10      15      15
Tulsa (64)      17      15          9       11      12
Rice (96)       20      27          10      24      15
SJSU (66)       16      15          11      11      13
Fresno (80)     19      15          18      11      11
Totals (813)    172     184         118     149     119

Experienced O-Line
Entering Saturday's contest against UTEP, the TCU offensive line has combined for 154 career starts. The current starting five have started the last 21 games. Mike Keathley leads the way with 36 starts in his career. Guard Jeff Millican has started 31 games, center Jeff Garner has posted 28 starts and tackles David Bobo has 26 starts to his credit. Junior Victor Payne has started 21 games and senior backup Shane Ladewig has started 12 times.

Kaylakie Continues to Climb in Record Books
Senior kicker Chris Kaylakie, a candidate for the Lou Groza Placekicker award, has successfully converted 12-of-14 field goals and all 37 PAT attempts. In his career, Kaylakie has kicked 37 field goals in 52 attempts. He needs to kick two more field goals to pass Greg Porter (38 FGs) into 2nd place in career field goals. Former All-American Michael Reeder kicked a school-record 57 field goals in his career. Kaylakie, a 1998 All-WAC choice, has converted 101-103 (98%) PAT attempts. He is TCU's all-time leader in PAT conversions, one ahead of former record-holder Ken Ozee's 100 PATs. Kaylakie has converted his last 48 PATs, a streak that ranks second in TCU history. With 37 PATs this season, he is third in single-season PATs. Kaylakie is second in TCU history with 212 points scored kicking in his career. Reeder is the record holder with 259 points. Kaylakie has already scored 73 points this season. He needs five more points to move into 2nd and 17 to set a TCU single-season record.

Kaylakie's Statistics
   
Year    FG-Att. Pct.    PAT-Att.        Points
1998    15-20   75.0    24-25           69
1999    10-18   55.6    40-41           70
2000    12-14   85.7    37-37           73
Totals  37-52   71.1    101-103         212

Special Teams
Entering Saturday's contest against UTEP, the Frogs are ranked first in the WAC in kickoff returns and net punting, and third in punt returns. In the NCAA, TCU is ranked 2nd in kickoff returns, 17th in net punting and 49th in punt returns. LaTarence Dunbar leads the nation in kickoff returns with an average of 32.5 yards. Against San Jose State, Dunbar had four returns for 137 yards. Chris Kaylakie ranks 33th in scoring (8.1) and 14th in field goals. LaVar Veale is fourth in the WAC, and 41st in the NCAA in punt returns (10.1 average). The Frogs have returned 17 kicks this season for 456 yards, an average of 26.8 yards per return. TCU has returned 26 punts for 263 yards, a 10.1 average. In the Nevada contest, LaVar Veale returned eight punts for 143 yards, scoring one touchdown on an 85-yard return. The punt return for a touchdown was the first by a TCU player since John Washington returned a punt 65 yards against Texas in 1995. LaTarence Dunbar also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score against Nevada. Last season, the Frogs led the NCAA in kickoff returns with a 27.5 average. Reggie Hunt established a TCU single-season record with a 34.1 average. His average did not meet NCAA minimum requirements, or he would have led the nation in kickoff returns.

The Nation's Top-Ranked Defense
After allowing 375 yards to San Jose State, the Frogs bounced back against Fresno State, holding the Bulldogs to a season-low 224 yards. TCU, the nation's top ranked defense, is allowing an average of 251.3 yards per game. The Frogs also lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 9.4 points per contest. The Frogs held Fresno State to 140 yards below their season average. TCU held San Jose State to 73 yards below their season average, plus tailback Deonce Whitaker rushed for 100 yards, 78 below his season average.

This season, the Frogs have allowed 831 yards rushing on 333 attempts, an average of 2.5 yards per rush. TCU is ranked 12th in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 92.3 yards per game. Since the arrival of Dennis Franchione and defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, a TCU opponent has been held to 100 rushing yards or fewer in 16 of 32 games. The TCU pass defense has also fared well this season, allowing only 159.0 yards per game. Opponent's have completed only 45.3% of their passing attempts. The Frogs are ranked fifth in the nation in passing yards allowed and fifth in pass defense efficiency.

Last season, TCU allowed only 139 yards rushing in the final five games of the year. In the Mobile Alabama Bowl, TCU held East Carolina to minus-16 yards rushing on 26 attempts. Overall, the Frogs finished the season fifth in the nation in total defense, allowing a meager 284.5 yards per game. In 1999, the Frogs were first in the WAC and 14th in the final NCAA rushing defensive statistics. Here is a closer look at how the TCU defense has fared under Patterson.

          Rushing Yds     Passing Yds     TDs       Total Yds          NCAA
Year      Avg./GM         Avg./Gm         Allowed   Avg./GM            Total Def. Rank
1998      163.1           182.7           25        345.7              40th
1999      100.9           183.5           24        284.5              5th
2000      92.3            159.0           10        251.3              1st

Sack Attack
The 2000 Horned Frogs are closing in on TCU's 1999 record-setting total of 37 sacks. TCU has recorded 36 sacks in nine games, including a single-game school-record 15 sacks at Nevada. The Frogs recorded 12 in the first half, erasing the previous school-record of nine in just two quarters. Thirteen different Frogs have posted at least one sack. Aaron Schobel, TCU's all-time leader in sacks, has a team-leading 6.5 sacks. Linebacker Shannon Brazzell is second with 5.0 sacks, backup end Joe Hill is third with 4.5 sacks, and Bo Schobel is fourth with four sacks.

Behind the line of Scrimmage
The Frogs have recorded 102 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, resulting in losses of 368 yards. Including the school-record 15 sacks, TCU posted 20 tackles behind the line against Nevada. TCU recorded 17 tackles behind the line of scrimmage against Arkansas State, including four sacks. Shannon Brazzell leads the team with 14 tackles behind the line, followed by Chad Bayer (11), Aaron Schobel (11) and Shawn Worthen (11). Last season, TCU recorded 117 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 452 yards. Schobel led the team with 19 stops in the backfield, Brazzell had 15 and Bayer had 14 tackles behind the line. The following is a list of TCU's current leaders in career tackles behind the line.

Career Tackles Behind the Line
Player, Class                   Total
Aaron Schobel, Senior           61.5
Shannon Brazzell, Senior        34.5
Shawn Worthen, Senior           28.5
Chad Bayer, Junior              23
Russell Gary, Senior            13

AARON SCHOBEL
Aaron Schobel, a semifinalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award, has developed into one one of the top defensive ends in the country. Schobel is also a candidate for the Bronko Nagurski Award. In the last four weeks, Schobel has recorded 25 tackles, including a season-high nine tackles against Tulsa. He recorded seven against Rice, six against San Jose State and three vs. Fresno State. Schobel, who has recorded 6.5 sacks this season, is TCU's all-time leader in sacks, both career and single-season. He has posted 31 sacks in three-plus seasons, resulting in losses of 220 yards. Overall, he has recorded 61.5 tackles behind the line for losses of 309 yards. He established the single-season record in 1999, recording 10 sacks. He added three more to his total in the Mobile Alabama Bowl, when he posted three sacks against East Carolina.

Schobel has started 43 consecutive games in his career. The only game he did not start was the first game of his redshirt freshman year. Schobel was a preseason second-team All-American by Football News, and the WAC preseason Defensive Player of the year by the WAC's head coaches, The Sporting News, Athlon, Preview Sports and Lindy's magazines. The Sporting News rated Schobel as the fifth best defensive end in the country.

Career Sacks
Rank    Player                  Total
1.      Aaron Schobel, 1997-    31

Career Tackles Behind the Line
Rank    Player                  Total
1.      Aaron Schobel, 1997-    61.5

Career Yards Lost Tackling
Rank    Player                  Total
1.      Aaron Schobel, 1997-    309

Schobel Year by Year
Year    UT      AT      Total   Sacks/Yds       TFL/Yds
1997    42      27      69      7-39            15-64
1998    40      26      66      7.5-65          16.5-113
1999    43      27      70      10-63           19-74
2000    24      21      45      6.5-53          11-58
Totals  149     101     250     31-220          61.5-309

Run-Stopper
Shannon Brazzell is TCU's active leader in career tackles with 268, 18 ahead of teammate Aaron Schobel.

 
Player, Class                   Career Tackles
Shannon Brazzell, Senior        268
Aaron Schobel, Senior           250
Curtis Fuller, Senior           244
Chad Bayer, Junior              175
Russell Gary, Senior            146

Playing at Home
Dennis Franchione has preached to the Frogs the importance of protecting their home turf. TCU has won 10 straight at home, including all five home games this year. Last year, the Frogs recorded a 5-1 (4-0 in WAC play) mark at Amon Carter Stadium. The Frogs fared well both offensively and defensively at home. The following is a look at how the TCU offense and defense has performed at home in the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

Offense
        Points  Rushing         Passing         Total 
Year    Avg.    Avg.            Avg.            Yards/Avg.
1999    38.1    305.6           100.1           405.8
2000    39.0    302.2           126.4           428.6

Defense
        Points  Rushing         Passing         Total 
Year    Avg.    Avg.            Avg.            Yards/Avg.
1999    13.6    48.0            198.6           246.6
2000    9.0     99.6            141.0           240.6

Against the WAC
In four-plus seasons in the Western Athletic Conference, the Frogs have compiled a win-loss mark of 18-19 against WAC competition. However, TCU has won 12 of the last 14 conference games. Nevada, the newest member of the WAC, was the 15th different conference opponent for the Frogs since joining the league in 1996.

Leadership Council/Captains
When Coach Fran arrived at TCU, he formed a group called the TCU Leadership Council. The 12-member unit is represented by a player from each position. Four game captains are chosen each week. The 2000 Leadership Council consists of offensive tackle David Bobo, linebacker Shannon Brazzell, safety Curtis Fuller, wide receiver Cedric James, kicker Chris Kaylakie, offensive tackle Mike Keathley, defensive end Chad McCarty, offensive guard Jeff Millican, quarterback Casey Printers, tight end B.J. Roberts, defensive end Aaron Schobel, safety Cody Slinkard, tailback LaDainian Tomlinson and cornerback Greg Walls.

Injury Report
Starting cornerback Jason Goss has been lost for the season. Goss tore the ACL in his left knee during open week practice. Punter Joey Biasatti has also been lost for the year, after breaking his right leg against Rice.

Frogs on Television
Ten of TCU's 11 games are scheduled to be televised. ESPN2 televised the San Jose State game, while ESPN Regional televised the Nevada (Sept. 9), Tulsa (Oct. 21) and Rice games (Oct. 28). Fox Sports Net will nationally televise the Northwestern (Sept. 16), Navy (Sept. 30), Fresno State (Nov. 11) and SMU (Nov. 24) contests. Fox Sports Southwest will televise the Hawai`i (Oct. 7) and UTEP (Nov. 18) games on a regional basis. In the previous two seasons, TCU has appeared on television 10 times, including five national broadcasts.

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Frogs Close Home Portion of 2000 Schedule, Host UTEP

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