TCU-Arizona Game Notes
9/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 26, 2003
QUICKLY: The TCU Horned Frogs (3-0, 1-0) are back on the road this week as they travel to Tucson, Arizona for a non-conference matchup with the Arizona Wildcats (1-3, 0-1) out of the Pac-10 Conference. The Frogs are off to a 3-0 start this season for the first time since the 2000 season (when the team opened 7-0) and for the second time since 1991 (when they opened 4-0). Prior to that, the last time TCU was 3-0 was in 1956. The Horned Frogs have posted a win at Tulane (38-35), followed by home victories over Navy (17-3) and Vanderbilt (30-14). The Wildcats are 1-3, defeating UTEP in the season opener before dropping three straight to ranked teams LSU, Oregon and Purdue. TCU enters the game ranked 19th in the country in the Associated Press poll and as the 17th-ranked team according to the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. It is TCU's highest ranking since the final regular season poll in 2000 when they were 10-1 and ranked 13th by the A.P.
TCU HISTORY: This is the 107th year of intercollegiate football for TCU. The Frogs own an all-time record of 503-493-57. TCU has fielded a team every year since 1896, with the exception of the 1900 campaign. With a 29-10 record since the start of the 2000 season, the Frogs are one of the nation's top winning teams this century. The Frogs have posted wins in 13 of their last 14 games.
PATTERSON'S POINTS: On the win over Vanderbilt: "We won another ballgame without playing our best football. We were our own worst enemy (with the number of penalties). The bottom line is we have to keep getting better." On where the team is at at this point of the season: "We've played hard, except maybe the first half of the Navy game when I thought our offense was a little sluggish. My goal is not to keep us in the top 20 - my goal is to win football games. Up to now, we've not paid the attention to detail we need to to be the best defense in the country. That's something we need to get corrected if we want to win a conference championship." On Arizona: "I'm not sure LSU and Oregon are not two of the top teams in the nation and Purdue is a top 20 team. (The Purdue game) was also Arizona's first road game. They've played some of the teams playing the best ball in the country. They proved in the win over UTEP that they can score some points. It will be interesting this week with the injury report I'm looking at."
THE LAST TIME OUT: The TCU Horned Frogs ran their record to 3-0 on the season with a 30-14 non-conference victory over Vanderbilt in Fort Worth on September 20. Redshirt freshman Robert Merrill, seeing action in the backfield for the first time in his collegiate career, rushed 29 times for 119 yards, including an 18-yard scoring burst, and caught three passes for 44 yards to spark the TCU victory. Junior quarterback Brandon Hassell, making his first collegiate start, overcame a shaky first quarter to complete 15-of-30 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown. Placekicker Nick Browne became the seventh player in school history to score 200 or more career points when he tallied a dozen points, converting all three field goal attempts along with three extra points. He was named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts. The TCU defense came up big with four turnovers which led to 14 points after forcing just four turnovers in the season's first two games.
BIG CROWD SEES IT: The Frogs went over the 35,000 mark in home attendance for the second straight game as they put 37,192 into Amon G. Carter Stadium to see TCU take on Vandy. It was the largest home crowd since the TCU-Army game (38,168) on October 20, 2001. Here's a look at the last five times TCU has drawn back-to-back crowds of 35,000 or more at Amon G. Carter Stadium:
September 6, 2003 Navy 35,688
September 20, 2003 Vanderbilt 37,192
November 25, 1995 Texas A&M 44,282
September 14, 1996 Kansas 37,512
November 25, 1994 Texas Tech 43,219
September 9, 1995 Iowa State 35,185
September 17, 1994 Kansas 37,313
September 27, 1994 Texas 44,821
September 28, 1985 SMU 42,414
October 5, 1985 Arkansas 40,112
HOME WINNING STREAK EXTENDED: The Frogs' 30-14 win over Vanderbilt extended TCU's home winning streak to nine, 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.
LEADING AT THE HALF: TCU returned to its familiar ways when they took a 17-14 advantage into intermission against the Vanderbilt Commodores. TCU has trailed going into halftime in just one of its last 15 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.
GAME CAPTAINS: Game captains for the season opener at Tulane were quarterback Tye Gunn, offensive guard John Glud, defensive end Bo Schobel and cornerback Tyrone Sanders. The game captains for the Navy game were Glud, Sanders, linebacker Josh Goolsby, and weak safety Marvin Godbolt. Captains for the Vanderbilt game were Schobel, Godbolt, defensive end Robert Pollard and wide receiver Bruce Galbert.
TCU-ARIZONA: This is just the second meeting on the gridiron between the two universities. Arizona escaped Fort Worth with a 35-31 victory on September 5, 1999 in the only previous encounter. Keith Smith atoned for two fumbles by completing a 30-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Northcutt with 2:10 remaining to give the No. 15 Wildcats the victory. Northcutt finished the day with 10 catches for 257 yards, the most ever against TCU. The Frogs held a 25-7 advantage in the third quarter before Ortege Jenkins tossed three touchdown passes in a span of 3:46 to give Arizona a 28-25 lead. TCU's LaDainian Tomlinson carried 28 times for 170 yards in the contest, which was delayed 29 minutes by lightning in the area.
TCU VS. THE PAC-10: The Frogs are just 6-11 all time in games against teams that currently make up the Pac 10 Conference. The Frogs' lone winning record is against USC (3-2), while they have split two games with Oregon and Washington State. They are 0-1 against Arizona and Washington, 0-2 versus Arizona State and 1-3 in four contests with UCLA. They have never faced Cal, Oregon State or Stanford, although they have the Cardinal scheduled for 2007 and 2008. The Frogs have not faced a Pac-10 foe since Arizona visited Fort Worth in 1999.
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. The Frogs have climbed to 19th in the AP poll this week and come in as the 17th-ranked team according to the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll. Here's how the Frogs have climbed in the polls each week:
Associated Press ESPN/USA Today
Date Rank Pts. Rank Pts.
Preseason 25 95 29 95
Aug. 25 - no poll - 30 65
Sept. 1 25 131 28 79
Sept. 7 22 195 23 157
Sept. 14 20 309 19 298
Sept. 21 19 409 17 457
GUNN HOLSTERED: Starting quarterback Tye Gunn has been sidelined after injuring his right (throwing) shoulder during practice on September 9. Gunn took every snap for the Frogs in their first two games but did not play against Vanderbilt. He is 31-for-47 (66.0 pct.) for 416 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions this season. For his career, he is 88-for-138 (64.8 pct). for 1,048 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He is 6-0 as a starter and the Frogs have averaged 36.2 points per game when he starts.
HASSELL STEPS IN: Junior quarterback Brandon Hassell made his first career start against Vanderbilt. After a shaky first quarter, Hassell settled down and completed 15-of-30 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. He completed 8-of-13 passes in the second half after hitting on just 7-of-17 passes in the first stanza. Hassell, who was a highly touted signal-caller from nearby Arlington, Texas (Sam Houston High), appeared briefly in two collegiate games, but never threw a pass prior to the Vanderbilt contest. However, due to an injury to Tye Gunn, Hassell went through the entire 2003 spring practice session as the team's number one quarterback. The redshirt junior is the most experienced quarterback on the squad and is backed up by sophomore walk-on Kyle Kummer and redshirt freshman Jeff Ballard, neither of whom has played.
MAKING FRIENDS: Brandon Hassell quickly made a lot of friends on the offensive side of the ball as he shared the wealth with his pass completions. Hassell completed his 15 passes against Vanderbilt to eight different receivers. Robert Merrill and Chad Andrus both caught their first passes of the season, while Quentily Harmon became the first wide receiver to catch a touchdown pass for the Frogs this season.
RUNNING GAME SHINES: The Frogs went into the season with a "three-headed monster" at tailback. Despite being hit by injuries, the trio of senior Ricky Madison, sophomore Lonta Hobbs and redshirt freshman Robert Merrill has proven to be solid, as TCU has averaged 188.0 yards per game on the ground, ranking 29th in the nation in rushing offense.
REACHING THE CENTURY MARK: The Frogs have produced a 100-yard rusher in nine of their last 10 games with three different backs reaching that plateau. Seniors Corey Connally and Kenny Hayter also have had 100-yard rushing days in their collegiate careers, giving the Frogs' five backs who have gone over the century mark. Here a breakdown of the last 10 games and the back(s) with 100 yards rushing:
Opponent Back Yards
Army Madison 116
Louisville Madison 137
Hobbs 106
Southern Miss Hobbs 123
Tulane Hobbs 124
East Carolina Hobbs 158
Memphis Hobbs 287
Colorado State Madison 111
Tulane Madison 115
Navy - -
Vanderbilt Merrill 119
MADISON OUT FOR SEASON: The Frogs will be without the services of tailback Ricky Madison for the remainder of the season. Madison injured his right knee 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 has carried the ball 377 times in his career for 1,536 yards, including a career-high 719 yards as a junior when he averaged 4.6 yards per carry.
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 just 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 leads the team with 50 rushes for 181 yards, an average of 60.3 yards per game. He was limited to five carries for 40 yards and a touchdown in the win over Vanderbilt, leaving with a right ankle injury. He is on the pre-season Doak Walker Watch List.
HOBBS GAME-BY-GAME: Here's a look at Lonta Hobbs game-by-game rushing through his first 11 collegiate contests:
Opponent Att. Yards Avg. TD
Houston 12 73 6.1 0
Army 10 81 8.1 2
Louisville 22 106 4.8 2
Southern Miss 15 123 8.2 3
Tulane 23 124 5.4 0
East Carolina 22 158 7.2 2
Memphis 33 287 8.7 3
Colorado State 20 77 3.8 0
Tulane 25 62 2.5 3
Navy 20 79 4.0 1
Vanderbilt 5 40 8.0 1
TOTALS 207 1210 5.8 17
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 has logged 17 rushing touchdowns (and one receiving TD) in just 11 games, tying Cy Leland for sixth on TCU's career rushing touchdown list. Here's a look at the Frog leaders in career rushing touchdowns: 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
Cy Leland 1928-30 17
Lonta Hobbs 2002-03 17
MERRILL TO THE RESCUE: Redshirt freshman Robert Merrill waited patiently for his chance to carry the ball and made the most of it when that opportunity arose. With Ricky Madison already out for the season and with Lonta Hobbs sidelined in the first quarter against Vanderbilt with a right ankle injury, Merrill was put into the backfield for the first time in his collegiate career. He responded with 29 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 44 yards, helping lead TCU to a 30-14 victory.
HARRELL STEPS UP: 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 13 receptions (matching his 2002 total) for 197 yards (8 yards shy of his 2002 total), an average of 15.2 yards per catch. He has caught at least four passes in each game this season, including a career-high five receptions for 70 yards in the victory over Navy.
WHO ARE THESE GUYS?: Butch and Sundance would have asked themselves that question if they were asked to name the Frogs' wide receiving corps in addition to Reggie Harrell. After Harrell, the wideouts entered the 2003 season with a combined total of just two career receptions, both coming by senior Bruce Galbert. Sophomores Matt Grimmett and Ryan Pearson and redshirt freshmen Quentily Harmon, Cory Rodgers and Michael DePriest, all have seen significant playing time this season.
PICK THIS: Weak safety Marvin Godbolt has recorded an interception in each of the Frogs' first three games. Linebacker Josh Goolsby and cornerback Mark Walker own the other picks as TCU has five interceptions after logging 22 a year ago. Godbolt now has a team-high six career interceptions and is tied for the nation's lead with 1.0 interceptions per game. Here are the NCAA leaders in pass interceptions:
Player Gm Int Int/Gm
Jonathan Burke, Arkansas St. 4 4 1.00
Oshiomogho Atogwe, Stanford 2 2 1.00
Marvin Godbolt, TCU 3 3 1.00
Ryan Aycock, Texas Tech 3 3 1.00
Josh Bullocks, Nebraska 3 3 1.00
FLAG ON THE PLAY: The officials assessed 25 penalties for 253 yards in the TCU-Vanderbilt contest, with the Frogs being whistled for 14 infractions for 138 yards. The 14 penalties was the sixth highest single game total, while the yardage tied for the fifth highest in TCU history. The Frogs had just 15 penalties for 116 yards in the first two games combined.
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. 28.33 5th 50th
Rushing Off. 188.00 3rd 29th
Passing Off. 214.33 7th 63rd
Total Off. 402.33 5th 51st
Scoring Def. 17.33 4th 36th
Rushing Def. 96.00 2nd 26th
Pass Def. 209.33 8th 59th
Pass Eff. Def. 108.11 3rd 34th
Total Def. 305.33 1st 31st
Net Punting 34.23 6th 80th
Punt Returns 14.80 3nd 13th
Kickoff Returns 22.40 5th 49th
Turnover Margin 0.00 4th 57th
WINNING THE TURNOVER WAR: Despite breaking even in the turnover category through the first three games with eight takeaways and eight giveaways, TCU has come out ahead in points off turnovers. The eight turnovers by the Horned Frog offense (5 fumbles, 3 interceptions) have led to just 17 points for the opposition, while the Frogs have turned eight turnovers (five interceptions, three fumbles) into 35 points scored by the TCU offense.
NEVER IN THE THIRD: The Frogs have done a great job of making adjustments at halftime, as they have outscored their opponents by a 27-0 margin in the third quarter of their games this season. Going back to last season, they have allowed just three points in the third quarter over their last five games.
RED ZONE SUCCESS: The Frogs have a huge advantage in the red zone this season. They have scored on 12 of 14 opportunities, including nine touchdowns, after entering the opponents' 20 yard line, totaling 72 points. Meanwhile, TCU has allowed opponents just four scores in nine tries in the red zone for a total of just 24 points.
KICK WITH NICK: Senior placekicker Nick Browne has been perfect on all five of his field goal attempts this season, including a career-tying 50-yarder against Vanderbilt. He ranks fourth on the all-time scoring list for kickers at TCU with 202 points. The Lou Groza Award candidate is also sixth on the list for points scored at TCU regardless of position, surpassing the legendary Jim Swink (201) last week. 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 is a pre-season co-favorite to win the 2003 Special Teams Player of the Year award.
CAREER POINTS BY KICKING
Michael Reeder (1994-97) 259
Chris Kaylakie (1998-2000) 237
Ken Ozee (1982-85) 205
Nick Browne (2001-03) 202
CAREER POINTS AT TCU
LaDainian Tomlinson (1999-2000) 324
Michael Reeder (1994-97) 259
Chris Kaylakie (1998-2000) 237
Tony Jeffery (1984-87) 208
Ken Ozee (1982-85) 205
Nick Browne (2001-03) 202
Jim Swink (1954-56) 201
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 31st in the country, allowing 305.33 yards per game.
STOPPING THE RUN: TCU led the country in stopping the run in 2002, allowing just 64.83 yards per game. The Frogs were the only team in the country to allow less than two yards per carry during the season. TCU picked up where it left off last season in the opener at Tulane. The Frogs held the Green Wave to 66 yards rushing, including just 42 by pre-season C-USA Offensive Player of the Year Mewelde Moore. Navy had a little more success, grinding out 132 yards on the ground, but only 23 came after intermission. Vanderbilt was held to 90 net rushing yards on 32 carries and had just 18 yards on 15 carries after halftime. For the season, TCU is second in the league and 26th in the nation, allowing 96.0 yards per game.
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 inside run stopper 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 63 career starts. Pugh leads the way with 20, followed by Pollard (17), Schobel (16), Johnson (10).
FAMILY TIES: The Frogs have several family members with ties to TCU and football. Bo Schobel is a cousin of former TCU standouts Aaron and Matt Schobel, both of whom now play in the NFL - Aaron with Buffalo and Matt with Cincinnati. Robert Pollard is the son of Bob Pollard, who played 11 seasons in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Cardinals. Jeremy Modkins is the brother of Curtis Modkins, who ranks sixth on TCU's all-time career rushing chart. Matthew Grimmett's father, Frankie, lettered in football at TCU in the early 1970s. Cody McCarty's father, Mickey, is one of the all-time greats in TCU basketball history. Brad Talbert's father, Don, played professionally for the Cowboys, Falcons and Saints, and uncle, Diron Talbert, was a standout for the Rams and Redskins. Chad Huffman's father, Royce, Sr., played football at TCU, while his brother, Royce, Jr., played both football and baseball for the Horned Frogs.
DISTINCT TEXAS FLAVOR: The TCU football team is full of home-grown talent with only nine players on the original fall list of 105 coming from outside the state lines. Only two players on the two-deep, Chase Johnson, and Andrew Calovich grew up outside the Lone Star state.
ALL-AMERICA NOD TO SANDERS: TCU senior cornerback Tyrone Sanders is an all-America athlete, but that claim to fame comes on the track, not on the football field. Sanders ran the leadoff leg on TCU's 4x100 meter relay unit that placed sixth at the NCAA outdoor track & field championships in June.
OTHER FLYIN' FROG STARS: Tyrone Sanders is not the only Horned Frog football player to stand out on the track. Wide receiver Reggie Harrell reached the national semi-finals in the 110-meter high hurdles at the NCAA Championships in June. He is the defending Conference USA champion in both the indoor and outdoor high hurdles. Junior safety Chris Peoples participated in the NCAA outdoor track & field championships in the high jump. Peoples established a new school record with a best jump of 7-3.25, earning him a silver medal at the C-USA Championships. Needing just one day of practice, Shane Sims earned a fifth place finish at the C-USA Indoor Championships in the shot put with a mark of 49-11.25.
GAME DAY ASSIGNMENTS: Offensive coordinator Mike Schultz, quarterbacks coach Dick Winder, linebackers coach Kyle Nystrom and safeties coach Chad Glasgow will work out of the press box on game day. Joining head coach Gary Patterson on the sidelines are defensive coordinator David Bailiff, assistant head coach Eddie Williamson, Jarrett Anderson and Dan Sharp.
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.
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.
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).
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.
TCU BOWLS INTO HISTORY: 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.
RE-ESTABLISHING THE TRADITION: The Frogs have posted a .500 or better record in five straight seasons. The last time TCU recorded as many as five consecutive winning seasons was during the 1950s when they recorded six straight .500 or better ledgers from 1955-60. TCU has had a winning campaign in seven of the last nine years 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 44-19 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.
BOWL TIE-INS: Conference USA has five bowl tie-ins this season . The champion of Conference USA will go to the AXA Liberty Bowl and the league will also send teams to the GMAC Bowl (Mobile, Ala.), Plains Capital Fort Worth Bowl, Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl and New Orleans Bowl.
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.
NFL ON THE HORIZON: The Frogs sent eight players from the 2002 senior class to NFL training camps, four from the offense and four from the defense. Wide receivers LaTarence Dunbar and Adrian Madise each were drafted, while Jason Goss, Kenneth Hilliard, Reggie Holts, LaMarcus McDonald, Jamal Powell and John Turntine signed free agent contracts. Over the past three years, TCU has had 19 players gain tryouts in NFL training camps, the most of any Texas-based university.
PLAYING ON SUNDAYS: TCU Currently has 12 former players either on NFL rosters or practice squads. Here's the list:
LaTarence Dunbar Atlanta
Curtis Fuller Green Bay
Jason Goss Arizona
Cedric James Dallas (practice)
Michael Keithley Houston
Adrian Madise Denver
Jamal Powell Tennessee (practice)
Barret Robbins Oakland
Aaron Schobel Buffalo
Matt Schobel Cincinnati
LaDainian Tomlinson San Diego
Ryan Tucker Cleveland
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL: The TCU Leadership Council is a 12-member unit represented by a player from each position. The 2003 unit consists of placekicker Nick Browne, running backs Corey Connally and Ricky Madison, wide receiver Bruce Galbert, offensive guard John Glud, safety Marvin Godbolt, linebacker Josh Goolsby, quarterback Tye Gunn, tight end Stanley Moss, defensive ends Robert Pollard and Bo Schobel and cornerback Tyrone Sanders.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Frogs return home and return to conference action next Saturday when they host the Army Black Knights in a 6:00 p.m. contest at Amon G. Carter Stadium and W.A. "Monty & Tex" Moncrief Field. The Frogs lead the all-time series against the Cadets, 2-0, including a 46-27 win in West Point, New York last season.
