2003 TCU Football: Great Expectations
7/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 14, 2003
Great Expectations.
Charles Dickens wrote a well-known novel with that title back in the 1800s.
Dickens knew nothing about football, probably never came across a Horned Frog in his lifetime and certainly never encountered the TCU faithful who bleed the purple and white.
But if someone were writing a book today about the upcoming 2003 TCU football season, they might be inclined to borrow that famous title from Dickens. For expectations are great for the Horned Frogs, not only from those who follow the program in Fort Worth and around Conference USA, but across the nation.
TCU is one of the fastest rising programs in the land today. In 1997 the Frogs were 1-10, with their lone victory a three-point win in the season finale over SMU. Since that time, TCU has won 41 of 60 games, becoming one of just 18 schools in the country to participate in a bowl game in each of the past five seasons. It has put together two 10-wins campaigns in the last three years, just the fifth and sixth 10-win seasons in school history. The country has begun to take notice, as TCU has finished ranked among the nation's top 25 teams in two of the past three years.
After Dennis Franchione left after the 2000 season and a 6-6 campaign followed in a rebuilding 2001 season, some questioned whether TCU would have the staying power to remain among the nation's elite or, like a speeding meteor, would burn itself out. They also questioned if blue-collar head coach Gary Patterson had what it took to keep the program at that elite level in Fort Worth in his first stint as a head coach.
The 2002 season answered both questions with a resounding "Yes." The Frogs jumped back into the national spotlight with a 10-win season, a Conference USA title, a Liberty Bowl Championship, and a top-25 national ranking. Patterson, one of the top young defensive geniuses in the country, not only was the C-USA Coach of the Year, but had his defensive unit ranked number one in the land in both total defense and rushing defense.
But, as Patterson learned in his first season guiding the TCU ship, it never comes easy. In fact, Patterson may have done his best coaching job when faced with adversity early in the 2002 season.
The Frogs entered the 2002 campaign picked to finish no higher than third in the conference standings in most pre-season polls. The Frogs ventured into Cincinnati on Labor Day as six-point underdogs to the homestanding Bearcats in a nationally-televised conference opener for both squads. TCU appeared on its way to victory with a 15-point fourth quarter lead, only to see the Bearcats rally to stun the Frogs with a 36-29 overtime decision.
Patterson had just five days to regroup his troops after the disappointing loss and get them to focus on the Big 10's Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston the following Saturday. Some even went so far as to suggest a loss to the Wildcats should be cause enough to pull the plug on Patterson's tenure guiding the Frogs' football fortunes.
They couldn't have been more wrong about Patterson's leadership ability and determination.
Not only did the Frogs thump Northwestern that day, 48-24, but went on to reel off eight victories in succession, including back-to-back trouncings of Conference USA perennial powerhouses Louisville (45-31) and Southern Miss (37-7).
The Frogs would stub their toes just once more in 2002, when seven turnovers led their demise at East Carolina, 31-28, but once again TCU proved to be resilient. This time it was a last minute, game-winning, 80-yard drive versus Memphis, giving the Frogs a share of the conference title and their first trip to the AXA Liberty Bowl.
TCU completed its successful season with a convincing 17-3 win over 23rd-ranked Colorado State, the Mountain West Conference champion, earning a spot for itself in the final national rankings at No. 22 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 23 in the Associated Press poll.
"That team may have exceeded expectations outside these walls, but inside, we felt we had a chance to be pretty good," said Patterson. We were able to create great chemistry, accountability and togetherness to be a champion. That was an impressive senior class of young men who really matured over their five years at TCU," continued Patterson. "Now it's time for new people to step up and continue the tradition that the groups before them have established."
New challenges await the Horned Frogs in 2003. TCU will no longer be the hunter, but rather, the hunted. Great expectations await the Horned Frogs. The Frogs are considered to not only be one of the favorites to defend their league crown, but are projected by many to again be ranked among the nation's top 25.
"We will try to treat this year just like we did going in a year ago when we were coming off a 6-6 season," said Patterson. "We'll work like we're an underdog. As always, it starts with our off-season program. No one is given a job. We have some guys already taking on a leadership role during our off-season work.
"I think we may be ranked higher going in to this season than last season because of the quarterback and some of the "profile" people we have coming back. I think with what we have returning in the kicking game and on defense, you have to feel that we are a team deserving of some mention. Whether we are a top 25 team or not remains to be seen, but we have the capabilities and potential to be that good. Last season, I think we were judged on the quarterback position. This year we have a quarterback returning along with a tailback and a strong defense," noted Patterson.
Although the 2002 senior class sent eight players to the NFL either through the draft or free agency, Coach Patterson is blessed with a talented group of returning lettermen - 43 to be exact - 20 on offense, 18 on defense and five on special teams. The Frogs return 11 starters, including six on the defensive side of the ball that was statistically the nation's best in 2002.
"We're talented on defense," agreed Patterson. "Certainly our front four, and probably even our front six are as good as anybody's in the conference.
"Offensively, we should be able to move the ball, especially on the ground, but it will be a growing up process for our top 22 on offense. The younger group of offensive linemen needs to continue to show progress and we have to find out how well-rounded we can get our three young wide receivers to become."
Special teams, as usual, should be a strong suit for the Frogs in 2003.
"We have players returning at two of the three positions, in all-conference kicker Nick Browne and in snappers Andy Boerckel and Clif Alexander. We're looking to see if John Braziel, who has an excellent leg, can step up as the punter to replace Joey Biasatti." Individually, the Frogs should be well-represented on the all-league squads, despite losing the likes of LaMarcus McDonald, Jason Goss, Adrian Madise, Jamal Powell and LaTarence Dunbar.
"Our kicker, Nick Browne, was a fourth-team all-American a year ago and a first team academic all-American. Defensively, I think linemen Bo Schobel and Chad Pugh have all-America potential, along with safety Marvin Godbolt, who was a freshman all-American two years ago. All four starting defensive linemen are worthy of all-conference mention. Linebacker Martin Patterson, safety Jeremy Modkins and cornerbacks Mark Walker and Tyrone Sanders have the potential to be all-league picks. Tye Gunn, Reggie Harrell and Lonta Hobbs stand out in the skill positions on offense. On the offensive line, I think Chase Johnson and Anthony Alabi have a chance to be all-conference performers. If tight end Cody McCarty keeps improving like he has been, he has that potential as well. That's a lot of players we feel are capable and why we feel good about this team," said Patterson.
Now as the Frogs focus on 2003, its full speed ahead.
"Overall team speed, along with experience along the defensive line, is the strength of this year's squad," said Patterson. We have athletes who can fly around on the field and make things happen. Excellent team speed can cover up some mistakes or shortcomings."
Now in its third season of Conference USA play, TCU should have a better awareness and understanding of what awaits them this season.
"We said two years ago that you don't really know about those teams until you play them both at their place and in your own backyard. We've done that now with most of the schools in this conference, so there should be fewer surprises. What we have learned is you have to be ready every week and bring your "A" game, or it's going to get tough."
The Frogs certainly won't be able to sneak up on anyone this year. Both the league's sports information directors and coaches, along with numerous pre-season publications have picked the Frogs as the team to beat in Conference USA. Many of the magazines rank TCU as one of the top 25 teams in the land, including one prognosticator who lists the Frogs in the top five.
"It really doesn't matter where you start," said Patterson. "It's where you end that matters. It does show that people around the country have noticed what we've accomplished here and it is flattering to be thought of that highly. However, we all know that you have to take care of business on the field each and every week."
As was the case last season, TCU will open with a conference game, on the road, on national television and on Labor Day, then turn around just five days later for game two.
"Tulane's a good football team," admitted Patterson. "We ran into a buzzsaw there on the turf two years ago and lost last year's opener at Cincinnati under similar circumstances. It presents a sense of urgency in our off-season work and in our drills leading up to that contest."
The Frogs will host Navy the following week in a game which presents its own set of problems.
"Navy runs an option attack, which is much different than what any other team will run against us," noted Patterson. "And they are completely different than Tulane. No matter what happens at Tulane, we will need to put that behind us quickly, as we did last year after the Cincinnati loss, and be ready to play on the short week."
The Frogs catch their breath with an off week before hosting Vanderbilt, then travel to Arizona the following week in a pair of non-conference games.
"We'll have a chance to match up with teams from both the Southeastern Conference and the Pac-10," said Patterson. "Those games are important as we try to position ourselves in the national picture."
TCU returns to conference action on October 4 when Army visits Fort Worth. That is followed by a rare Friday night clash on national television against Conference USA upstart South Florida. The Bulls, who won nine games in 2002, will be competing for the C-USA title for the first time and that contest figures to play a key role in determining the conference championship in 2003.
Three of the Frogs' next four games are slated for Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, including a mid-week nationally-televised game versus Louisville and a matchup with co-2002 Conference USA champion Cincinnati.
The Frogs wrap up the season with a pair of road contests. The first is a Thursday night special on national television at Southern Miss which could be for all the marbles in C-USA. The final tilt is the annual braggin' rights match for Metroplex supremacy at SMU. The Frogs have won each of the last four contests against the Mustangs and have evened the all-time series at 38-38-7.
"We seem to say it every year, but it's another challenging schedule," said Patterson. "We will have games on virtually every day of the week, which is a challenge in its own right, but at least we have experience with that situation. We also have several national exposures to showcase Fort Worth and TCU to fans across the country. How our young players grow up and how we handle adversity that gets thrown in our path, will go a long way in determining how our season goes overall."
If the "Great Expectations" of the season come to fruition, the Frogs will be able to write a great final chapter when they close the book on the 2003 campaign.
