TCU Travels to Houston Saturday
10/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 23, 2003
QUICKLY: The TCU Horned Frogs (7-0, 4-0) are back on the road as they travel to Houston to take on the University of Houston Cougars (5-2, 2-1) in Conference USA action on Saturday, October 25. The Frogs are ranked 15th in the country in the latest Associated Press poll and enter the contest as the 13th-ranked team in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll. They are one of just four undefeated teams in the country, joining Oklahoma, Miami (Fla.) and Northern Illinois. The Horned Frogs have recorded just their second 7-0 start since WWII by posting wins over Tulane (38-35), Navy (17-3), Vanderbilt (30-14), Arizona (13-10 in OT), Army (27-0), USF (13-10) and UAB (27-24). They have not been 8-0 since 1938. The Cougars are 5-2 under new head coach Art Briles. They defeated Rice in their season-opener, then lost at Michigan, but rebounded with consecutive wins over Louisiana-Lafayette, Mississippi State, East Carolina and Tulane before dropping a 45-14 decision to Memphis last Saturday night.
TCU HISTORY: This is the 107th year of intercollegiate football for TCU. The Frogs own an all-time record of 507-493-57. TCU has fielded a team every year since 1896, with the exception of the 1900 campaign. The Frogs have posted wins in 17 of their last 18 games.
PATTERSON'S POINTS: On Houston: "I think they are very talented. They'll throw the vertical routes and they won't line up in the same formation twice. They had a big win late last season over Louisville and Art Briles has done a nice job." On TCU's chances for a BCS berth: "In December if we have won 12 ballgames, then we'll have something to talk about. Until that point, it's not an issue." On the quarterback situation: "Tye Gunn is very questionable whether he plays this week or not. Brandon Hassell probably will start, but we'll have to wait and see." On the play of the secondary: "We're a pressure-style defense. We put people on islands and you have to be able to make plays. If you don't, it can look ugly. Even though UAB hit some big plays, they still completed just 11 of 30 passes." On the remaining schedule: "We probably have the toughest schedule left of any team in the league. We will probably have to win three out of the four games to have at least a tie for the title. You win a conference title by staying healthy over the last half of the season."
THE LAST TIME OUT: The TCU Horned Frogs extended their winning streak to nine straight games, tying Oklahoma for the longest streak in the country, with a come-from-behind 27-24 win over UAB on Homecoming in Fort Worth. The Frogs scored the final 11 points in the game to overcome a 24-16 deficit midway through the third quarter. Nick Browne connected on four field goals, hitting from 25, 48, 37 and 49 yards out to earn C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Chris Peoples' interception in the game's final 80 seconds sealed the victory. The Frogs outgained the Blazers by a slim 405-393 margin.
HOMECOMING RESULTS: In a tradition that dates back to 1927, TCU improved its all-time Homecoming game record to 32-40-5. The Frogs have won each of their last five Homecoming games with victories coming over North Texas, Rice, Army and Houston in that stretch prior to last week's win over UAB. The current five-game Homecoming winning streak is the longest streak of its kind in school history.
THEN THERE WERE FOUR: TCU is just one of four Division I teams in the country, along with Oklahoma, Miami (Fla.) and Northern Illinois, with an unblemished record this season. The Frogs are currently tied with Oklahoma for the longest winning streak in the country at nine.
CLOSE STILL COUNTS: Gary Patterson can't be accused of running up the score to secure additional votes in the polls, as four of the Frogs' seven victories have been by just a three-point margin. They have defeated Tulane, Arizona, USF and UAB each by a field goal. TCU had never won that many games by three points or less in an entire season. The Frogs went from 1972-1984 without winning a single game by three points or fewer. They were 0-9 over that stretch in games decided by a field goal or less.
BOWL ELIGIBLE: By securing its sixth win of the season with a 13-10 victory at USF on October 10, TCU became bowl eligible for a school-record sixth consecutive season. The Horned Frogs made their fifth straight bowl appearance following the 2002 season. TCU had never appeared in bowl games in three consecutive seasons prior to the current streak. TCU is one of just 18 Division I programs that has gone to a bowl game in each of the past five seasons. The list includes four teams the SEC (Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee); three teams from the Big 12 (Kansas State, Nebraska and Texas); two from the ACC (Florida State and Georgia Tech), the Big Ten (Michigan and Purdue), the Big East (Miami and Virginia Tech) and the Pac-10 (Oregon and Washington); Conference USA rival Louisville and Marshall from the MAC.
7-0 AND LOOKING FOR MORE: The Frogs are off to a 7-0 start for the first time since the 2000 season and for just the second time since 1938. They have been 7-0 six times in school history. Here's a look at those seasons, how they did in Game 8 and the Frogs' final record in those campaigns:
Year Game 8 Opponent Final Record
1920 W, 31-2 vs Hardin Simmons 9-1
1929 W, 15-12 at Texas 9-0-1
1935 W, 14-0 at Loyola-N.O. 12-1
1938 W, 28-6 vs Texas 11-0
2000 L, 24-27 at San Jose St. 10-2
2003 ??? at Houston ???
TCU-UH...THE SERIES: This is the 23rd meeting on the gridiron between these two schools. Houston leads the all-time series, 13-9, including a 7-4 mark in games played in Houston. The two squads met every year from 1976-1995. The Cougars won each of the first eight meetings before TCU finally cracked the win column with a 21-14 win in 1984. TCU has won each of the last five contests, posting an average score of 34-15. Each of the last two games have been 34-17 TCU victories. Houston's last win came in 1992 in a wild 49-46 contest. Since 1980, the series is even at nine wins apiece and UH has outscored the Frogs by a 497-496 margin. The Frogs have scored at least 31 points in each of the last eight contests with UH.
LAST YEAR'S GAME: LaTarence Dunbar returned a kickoff for a touchdown and Kenneth Hilliard added an interception return for a score as TCU beat Houston, 34-17, in Forth Worth on October 5. Dunbar's kick return opened the second half and broke a 10-10 tie. Hilliard's interception came less than two minutes later and the Frogs never looked back. TCU outgained the Cougs, 373-269 on the day. The contest was significant in the fact that it was the first collegiate start for quarterback Tye Gunn and the first collegiate action for tailback Lonta Hobbs.
HOME WINNING STREAK AT 11: The Frogs' 27-24 win over UAB extended TCU's home winning streak to 11, dating back to a 37-30 loss to East Carolina on October 30, 2001. The school record for consecutive home wins is 12 from 1932-34. The Frogs won 11 straight home games from 1999-2000 before a loss to Northwestern (La.) State in 2001 season ended the streak. TCU has won 23 of its last 25 home games, dating back to a loss to Arizona which opened the 1999 season.
IN THE POLLS: The Frogs opened the season ranked 25th in the Associated Press poll. It marked just the second time since 1960 that TCU was ranked among the nation's elite in the pre-season poll. They began the 2000 season ranked 20th by the A.P. and climbed to as high as 9th in both polls that year. The Frogs are 15th in the AP poll this week and come in as the 13th-ranked team according to the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll.
WHERE THEY RANK: Here's where TCU ranks in several team categories both in Conference USA and in the nation:
Category Number C-USA Nation
Scoring Off. 23.57 7 72
Rushing Off. 180.57 4 30
Passing Off. 211.43 7 65
Total Off. 392.00 5 49
Scoring Def. 13.71 1 6
Rushing Def. 66.86 1 4
Pass Def. 211.43 7 47
Pass Eff. Def. 127.82 5 57
Total Def. 278.29 1 9
Net Punting 34.98 5 79
Punt Returns 10.96 4 39
Kickoff Returns 20.62 8 60
Turnover Margin 0.86 2 26
GREAT CENTURY: TCU rank among the winningest teams in Division I-A since the beginning of the 2000 season. Here is a look:
1. Miami (Fla.) 42-2 .955
2. Oklahoma 43-4 .915
3. Boise State 36-8 .818
4. Texas 36-9 .800
5. Virginia Tech 35-10 .778
Georgia 35-10 .778
Ohio State 35-10 .778
8. TCU 33-10 .767
Toledo 33-10 .767
CASE FOR THE DEFENSE: Despite allowing 24 points last week to UAB, the most given up by the Frogs' since the season-opening 35 points allowed at Tulane, the Frogs remain one of the best teams in the nation in scoring defense. TCU is ranked sixth in the country in scoring defense, allowing 13.7 points per game. The Frogs have shutout their opponents in 16 of 28 quarters this season and have allowed two or more scores in a quarter just twice (the fourth quarter at Tulane and the third quarter vs. UAB). Here's the top teams in the country in scoring defense:
Rank School Points PPG Record
1. LSU 69 9.9 6-1
2. Florida St. 73 10.4 6-1
3. Georgia 79 11.3 6-1
4. Auburn 87 12.4 5-2
5. Nebraska 91 13.0 6-1
6. TCU 96 13.7 7-0
7. Iowa 99 14.1 5-2
8. Oklahoma 101 14.4 7-0
STOPPING THE RUN: TCU is ranked fourth in the nation in defending the run, allowing just 66.9 yards per game. The Frogs led the nation in 2002 in stopping the run, allowing just 64.83 yards per game. Here are the nation's top defenses against the run in 2003:
Rank School Carries Yds Yds/Gm
1. LSU 196 372 53.1
2. Ohio State 231 424 60.6
3. Purdue 209 462 66.0
4. TCU 236 468 66.9
5. New Mexico 210 519 74.1
6. Washington St. 212 530 75.7
STOPPING THE RUN PART II: The Frogs were the only team in the country to allow less than two yards per carry during the 2002 season, allowing 778 yards on 393 carries, an average of 1.98 yards per carry. This season, the Frogs are right at that same number of 1.98 yards per carry. The top-ranked rushing team in the country, Navy (at 321.3 ypg) is the only squad to log more than 100 rushing yards against TCU, finishing with 132. Here's TCU's game-by-game breakdown vs. the run in '03:
Opponent Carries Yards Yards/Rush
Tulane 26 66 2.5
Navy 54 132 2.4
Vanderbilt 32 90 2.8
Arizona 29 33 1.1
Army 33 28 0.8
USF 35 22 0.6
UAB 27 97 3.6
Totals 236 468 1.98
TOP RANKED DEFENSE: TCU finished the 2002 season with the nation's top-ranked defense. The Frogs allowed just 240.25 yards per game and surrendered over 300 yards just once all year. It marked the second time in three years that TCU led the nation in total defense, also earning that distinction in 2000 when they allowed an average of 245.0 yards per game. The Frogs currently lead Conference USA in total defense and are ranked ninth in the country, allowing 278.29 yards per game.
Rank School Yd/Gm Record
1. Georgia 249.86 6-1
2. Nebraska 255.57 6-1
3. Oklahoma 260.00 7-0
4. LSU 263.43 6-1
5. Purdue 265.57 6-1
6. Ohio State 269.00 6-1
7. Florida State 273.57 6-1
8. Auburn 277.71 5-2
9. TCU 278.29 7-0
10. Virginia Tech 279.33 6-0
PICKIN' & GRINNIN': The Frogs have intercepted 12 passes in seven games this season after recording 22 interceptions in 12 games last year. They are tied for fifth nationally with 12 interceptions. Only Nebraska (16), Washington State (16), UCLA (14) and Florida (14) have more picks than the Frogs.
WALKER PICKS 'EM: Cornerback Mark Walker has intercepted five passes in the last five games and has six picks in his last eight regular season contests. His five interceptions lead Conference USA and his 0.71 interceptions per game ranks seventh in the nation.
FIRST HALF SUCCESS: TCU has trailed heading into halftime in just one of its last 19 contests. The only time the Frogs have trailed at the intermission since the 2001 galleryfurniture.com Bowl loss to Texas A&M was a 3-0 deficit to Navy on September 6, 2003.
MEET YOU ANYTIME: The Frogs have games scheduled for every day of the week except Sunday and Tuesday. They played Tulane on Monday, and have Louisville slated on a Wednesday, Southern Miss on a Thursday, USF on a Friday and eight games on Saturday.
RED ZONE SUCCESS: The Frogs have a huge advantage in the red zone this season. They have scored on 22 of 27 opportunities (82 percent) including 12 touchdowns, after entering the opponents' 20 yard line, totaling 115 points. Meanwhile, TCU has allowed opponents just nine scores in 16 tries in the red zone (56 percent) for a total of just 51 points.
SCHOBEL SACKS 'EM: Senior defensive end Bo Schobel is showing why he is an all-America candidate. He leads C-USA in sacks and in tackles for loss this season, figuring in on nine solo and three assisted sacks and on 14 solo and two assisted tackles for loss. His 10 1/2 sacks this season establishes a new school record. The previous mark of 10.0 sacks was set by his cousin, Aaron, in 1999. He was the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week at USF. With 28 sacks as a team, the Frogs easily lead Conference USA. Louisville is second with 19.
THE TAILBACK COMMITTEE PART I - THE INJURED VETERAN: The Frogs are without the services of senior tailback Ricky Madison. Madison suffered a season-ending right knee injury in the win over Navy and underwent arthroscopic surgery on September 11. Madison was the star of the Tulane game, rushing 23 times for 115 yards, his fifth career 100-yard rushing game, and catching a career-high three passes for 91 yards, including an 80-yard scamper. He was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Madison carried the ball 377 times in his career for 1,536 yards, including 719 yards as a junior when he averaged 4.6 yards/carry.
THE TAILBACK COMMITTEE PART II - "THE NATURAL": Sophomore Lonta Hobbs proved to be "the natural" when the Frogs took off his redshirt for game 5 of the 2002 season. In the remaining eight games, he rushed for 1,029 yards (6.6 yards per carry) in breaking all the Frogs' freshman rushing records. He was named the C-USA Freshman of the Year, was TCU's offensive MVP and was a fourth team Freshman All-American. His yardage total increased in each of his first seven contests, culminating with a career-high 287 yards on 33 carries in the regular-season finale against Memphis. This season, Hobbs, a member of the pre-season Doak Walker Watch List, has been hampered by a right ankle injury for much of the season. He has 257 yards, but has missed nearly three full contests due to the injury.
A SCORING MACHINE: Lonta Hobbs scored three rushing touchdowns in the Labor Day win over Tulane and added a rushing touchdown against both Navy and Vanderbilt. He got back into the scoring column last week vs. UAB with a pair of touchdown runs. He has logged 19 rushing touchdowns (and one receiving TD) in just 13 games, tying Cy Leland for sixth on TCU's career rushing touchdown list. Here are the Frog leaders in career rushing TDs: Rushing
Player Years TDs
LaDainian Tomlinson 1997-2000 54
Tony Jeffery 1984-87 31
Jim Swink 1954-56 28
Kenneth Davis 1982-85 23
Andre Davis 1992-95 21
Lonta Hobbs 2002-03 19
Cy Leland 1928-30 17
THE TAILBACK COMMITTEE PART III - THE NEWCOMER: Redshirt freshman Robert Merrill has quickly made his presence felt at the Division I level. After not appearing in the backfield in either of the season's first two games, Merrill posted three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances. In his first career start, he rushed 31 times for 148 yards in the win over Arizona. In just five games in the backfield, Merrill has responded with 111 carries for 522 yards and a touchdown, an average of 104.4 yards/game.
KICK WITH NICK: Senior placekicker Nick Browne has hit on each of his last 10 field goal attempts and is 15-for-17 this season, including a career-tying 50-yarder against Vanderbilt. He is tied for fourth in the nation with 2.14 field goals made per game. He has been named the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week four times this season and eight times in his career. He ranks second on the all-time scoring list for kickers at TCU with 238 points. The Lou Groza Award candidate is also third on the list for points scored at TCU regardless of position. Browne is a pre-season all-America candidate and the defending kicker on the first team Verizon academic all-America squad. He was Playboy magazine's 2003 Anson Mount Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was a first team all-league selection a year ago and was the pre-season co-favorite to win the 2003 Special Teams Player of the Year award.
CAREER KICKING POINTS AT TCU
Michael Reeder (1994-97) 259
Nick Browne (2001-03) 238
Chris Kaylakie (1998-2000) 237
Ken Ozee (1982-85) 205
CAREER POINTS AT TCU
LaDainian Tomlinson (1999-2000) 324
Michael Reeder (1994-97) 259
Nick Browne (2001-03) 238
Chris Kaylakie (1998-2000) 237
QUARTERBACK TANDEM: The Frogs have had success this season whether sophomore Tye Gunn or junior Brandon Hassell has been under center. The two have combined to hit 56.1 percent of their passes for 1480 yards and six touchdowns while throwing five interceptions. The Frogs are averaging 211.4 yards through the air.
GUNN MAY BE HOLSTERED AGAIN: Quarterback Tye Gunn suffered a leg injury in the third quarter of the win over UAB and is questionable for this week's game at Houston. Gunn has been hampered by injuries all season. After blowing out his knee against Southern Miss a year ago, Gunn started each of the Frogs' first two games this year before suffering a separated right (throwing) shoulder in practice on September 9. He returned to the starting lineup at USF and also started against UAB. For his career, he is 118-for-193 (61.1 pct). for 1,420 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He is 8-0 as a starter and the Frogs have averaged 32.1 points per game when he starts.
NO HASSELL TO PLAY BRANDON: Junior Brandon Hassell has started three games at quarterback for TCU and has posted solid passing numbers. He also led the Frogs to their come-from-behind win over UAB last week, subbing for the injured Tye Gunn. In addition to the most important statistic (3-0 as a starter), Hassell has completed 44-of-85 passes (51.8 percent) for 692 yards and four touchdowns. Hassell had appeared briefly in two collegiate games but had never thrown a pass prior to the Vanderbilt contest this season. Due to an injury to Tye Gunn, Hassell went through the entire 2003 spring practice session as the team's number one quarterback.
SENIOR CITIZENS: The Frogs have a defensive line that is long on experience. The Frogs boast a starting lineup of three seniors in ends Bo Schobel and Robert Pollard and tackle Chad Pugh, and a junior in Brandon Johnson. Schobel, Pollard and Pugh are returning starters, while Schobel and Pugh are pre-season all-league selections, according to the league's coaches. The quartet has made 79 career starts. Pugh leads the way with 24, followed by Pollard (21), Schobel (20), Johnson (14).
HARRELL OVERCOMES HURDLES: Junior wide receiver Reggie Harrell has become the 'go-to' guy, as he's been asked to fill the big shoes vacated by graduated seniors LaTarence Dunbar (Atlanta Falcons), Adrian Madise (Denver Broncos), Kevin Brown and Terran Williams. Harrell has all the tools to be a great one with excellent size (6-3, 209) and speed (national semifinalist in the 110m high hurdles). He leads the squad with 30 receptions (after having just 13 in 2002) for 518 yards, an average of 17.3 yards per catch. He has caught at least three passes in each game this season, including a career-high seven receptions in the victory over UAB and a career-high 127 yards in the win at Arizona, including a 98-yard touchdown reception, his first career TD. His 127 yard performance at Arizona was the high mark for a TCU receiver since Adrian Madise logged 177 vs. Southern Miss in 2001.
GAME CAPTAINS: The Frogs have captains assigned for each game:
Tulane: QB Tye Gunn, OG John Glud, DE Bo Schobel, CB Tyrone Sanders.
Navy: OG John Glud, CB Tyrone Sanders, LB Josh Goolsby, WS Marvin Godbolt.
Vanderbilt: DE Bo Schobel, WS Marvin Godbolt, DE Robert Pollard, WR Bruce Galbert.
Arizona: DE Robert Pollard, OG John Glud, WR Bruce Galbert, LB Martin Patterson and WR Chris Wingate.
Army: PK Nick Browne, TE Stanley Moss, DE Bo Schobel, LB Josh Goolsby.
USF: QB Tye Gunn, OG John Glud, DE Bo Schobel, LB Martin Patterson.
UAB: QBTye Gunn, LB Martin Patterson, LB Josh Goolsby, DE Robert Pollard.
MR. RODGERS NEIGHBORHOOD: Red-shirt freshman Cory Rodgers has been the Frogs' leading receiver in two of the last three games. He hauled in a game-high five passes for 64 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown reception, the first of his career, in the win over Army, then came back with three catches for 71 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown reception in the win at USF. Rodgers had just six catches for 71 yards through the season's first four games before the breakout game vs. the Black Knights. Rodgers also handles the Frogs kickoff (21.7 avg.) and punt returns (11.8 avg.).
WHEN GREATER THAN 77 EQUALS 0: The Frogs have had success in keeping their opponents from driving down the field. TCU opponents have started 46 drives inside their own 23 yard line this season, none of which have resulted in points on the scoreboard.
WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE AND WAR: The Frogs are winning the turnover battle, 18-12 after seven games. Even more importantly, TCU has come out ahead in points off turnovers. The 12 turnovers by the Horned Frog offense (7 fumbles, 5 interceptions) have led to just 17 points for the opposition, while the Frogs have turned 18 turnovers (12 interceptions, 6 fumbles) into 55 TCU points.
PLAYING SHORT: The Frogs have started 17 drives in their opponents territory, resulting in six touchdowns, six field goals, three punts, one interception and one clock expired. TCU's opponents have started 11 possessions in Horned Frog territory but have come away with just two touchdowns and one field goal. In the UAB game last week, TCU started six times in UAB territory (3 FG, 1 TD), while no Blazer drives began in TCU territory.
DISTINCT TEXAS FLAVOR: The TCU squad is full of home-grown talent with only nine players on the original fall list of 105 coming from outside the state lines. Of the players on the depth chart, only center Chase Johnson, defensive end Andrew Calovich and holder Reeves Dalton grew up outside the Lone Star state.
LONG & WINDING ROAD: The Frogs have 12 games on the regular season schedule this season. They have played 12 games each of the last five years, but that includes bowl appearances. They have not played 12 regular season games since 1936.
FROGS POST 10-2 MARK IN 2002: The TCU Horned Frogs earned a share of the Conference USA title and a spot as the league's representative in the AXA Liberty Bowl by going 6-2 in conference action and 9-2 during the 2002 regular season. The Frogs then defeated #23 Colorado State, 17-3, in the bowl game to finish the season with a 10-2 record and ranked in both polls: 22nd in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and 23rd in the Associated Press poll. Gary Patterson was named the C-USA Coach of the Year, linebacker LaMarcus McDonald was the league's Defensive Player of the Year and Lonta Hobbs was recognized as the league's Freshman of the Year.
10-WIN CAMPAIGNS: TCU has recorded two 10-win seasons in the past three years. They have won 10 or more games six times in school history: 1932 (10), 1933 (10), 1935 (12), 1938 (11), 2000 (10) and 2002 (10).
RE-ESTABLISHING THE TRADITION: The Frogs have assured themselves of posting a .500 or better record in six straight seasons. The last time TCU recorded as many as six consecutive winning seasons was when they recorded six straight .500 or better ledgers from 1955-60. TCU has had a winning campaign in eight of the last 10 years including 2003 after logging just three winning seasons (1971, 1984 and 1991) in the previous 28 campaigns.
RETURN TO GLORY: After posting just three winning seasons in 13 years from 1985-1997, including a 1-10 campaign in 1997, the Frogs have turned the corner. TCU has posted a 48-19 record since the start of the 1998 season. The Horned Frogs have recorded three conference championships and a trio of bowl victories over the last five years.
WINNING WAYS: The 2002 senior class was on the winning side of the ledger 34 times over the past four years, the best four-year total since the 1935-38 teams posted 36 wins. The 2003 Horned Frog seniors entered their final campaign with 26 victories under their belts. The school record for wins over a four-year period is 40, set from 1932-35.
SCHOBEL TO SHRINE: Defensive end Bo Schobel has been invited to play in the East-West Shrine Classic in January. He will become the third Schobel to play in the game. Aaron played following the 2000 season and Matt played following the 2001 campaign.
GAME DAY ASSIGNMENTS: Mike Schultz, Dick Winder, Kyle Nystrom and Chad Glasgow work out of the press box on game day. Joining head coach Gary Patterson on the sidelines are David Bailiff, Eddie Williamson, Jarrett Anderson and Dan Sharp.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Frogs will have a week and a half to get ready for a national television appearance, as their next contest will see the Louisville Cardinals visit Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth on Wednesday, November 5. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m., while the game will be carried on ESPN2.
