Frogs Set To Take On Navy
9/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 4, 2003
QUICKLY: The TCU Horned Frogs (1-0, 1-0) open the home portion of their 2003 season on Saturday, September 6, when they host the Navy Midshipmen (1-0) in a 6:00 p.m. start at Amon G. Carter Stadium. This is the first of six home games on the schedule for TCU, and also begins a stretch in which three of the Frogs next four games will be played at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Frogs opened their season with a 38-35 Conference USA win at Tulane on Labor Day.
TCU HISTORY: This is the 107th year of intercollegiate football for the Horned Frogs. The Frogs own an all-time record of 501-493-57. TCU has fielded a team every year since 1896, with the exception of the 1900 campaign. With a 27-10 record since the start of the 2000 season, the Frogs have begun the 21st century in much better fashion than they began the 20th century, when they were 1-7-2 from 1900-1902. In fact, it took the Frogs 10 years (1896-1905) to record 11 victories - they logged 10 wins alone in 2002!
THE SERIES: This is the second meeting between TCU and Navy. TCU won the only previous battle between the two schools, shutting out the Midshipmen by a 24-0 count in Annapolis, Maryland on September 30, 2000.
PATTERSON'S POINTS: On the win over Tulane: "I had visions of last year's game at Cincinnati. A year ago we couldn't stop Cincinnati on fourth down. This year we scored points when we needed to. You have to play four quarters, especially against a team like Tulane, which can throw the ball and run the ball. Give (Tulane head coach) Chris Scelfo credit. They fought back. We played good defense until the fourth quarter. We finally got an interception, which made the difference in the game.." On the goal line stand on the game's first possession: "You never know what's going to turn into a big play until the game is over." On the play of Tye Gunn: "Tye came in and did what he was supposed to do, which was manage the game." On the play of his wide receivers:"We have to grow up at wide receiver. We knew we'd make mistakes with all the new guys out there. Reggie Harrell became our go-to guy tonight."
THE LAST TIME OUT: The TCU Horned Frogs opened the 2003 season with a 38-35 win in a nationally-televised contest at Tulane on Monday. It marked the second straight year in which the Frogs opened their season on the road, against a conference opponent and on national television. The Frogs jumped out to a 31-7 advantage early in the fourth quarter, then fought off a furious rally by the Green Wave. TCU dominated the time of possession in the contest, holding the ball for over 37 minutes, while racking up 464 total yards of offense, compared to 369 for Tulane. The Green Wave picked up 183 yards of offense and scored 28 points in the fourth quarter alone after notching just 186 yards and 7 points through the first three quarters. Ricky Madison led TCU with 115 yards on the ground and another 91 receiving, including an 80-yard catch-and-run. Lonta Hobbs rushed for three TDs. Tye Gunn completed 17-of-27 passes for a career-high 243 yards.
HOME OPENERS: The Frogs have won two of their last three home openers, sandwiching wins over Northwestern in 2000 and SMU in 2002 around a loss to Northwestern State in 2001. That recent stretch comes on the heels of four consecutive home opening losses from 1996-99 (Kansas, Utah, Oklahoma and Arizona).
TCU-NAVY REVISITED: LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 121 yards and a touchdown as No. 16 TCU beat Navy, 24-0 at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis on September 30, 2000. The win extended TCU's winning streak to nine games. Casey Printers was 14-of-17 for 188 yards and two touchdowns. The Midshipmen were held to 120 yards of total offense and crossed midfield only twice. Navy completed just 2-of-6 passes on the day.
QUICK TURN: The Frogs have just five days to prepare for their game against Navy, not a common occurrence, but not as rare as one might think. Six times since 1991, including the opening week of the 2002 season, the Frogs have had five or fewer days to get ready for an opponent with varying degrees of success. The one combination that has yet to occur - win both games.
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. Here's how the Frogs have looked 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
NEW STARTERS: Three players made their first collegiate start for the Horned Frogs in the season opener at Tulane. Two were on the right side of the offensive line - guard Zach Bray and tackle Herbert Taylor. The other new starter was strong safety Brandon Williams.
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.
OUT WITH INJURIES: The Frogs played the season opener at Tulane without the services of senior offensive lineman Jon Morgan and redshirt freshman safety Ken Lewis. Both suffered knee injuries during the two-a-day workouts. Morgan is expected back within the next couple of weeks, but Lewis has been lost for the season. True freshman safety David Roach also sustained a knee injury and is not available.
EVANS, BRAZIEL SIDELINED: The Frogs played the Tulane game without the services of defensive tackle Richard Evans and cornerback Jerome Braziel. Both are ineligible pending academic certification.
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 three players on the two-deep, Chase Johnson, Andrew Calovich and Logo Tevaseu, grew up outside the Lone Star state.
LEADING AT THE HALF: TCU continued its trend of not trailing at the half by holding a 10-7 halftime advantage over Tulane. They never trailed heading into the intermission during the 2002 season, taking a lead into intermission on nine occasions and going in tied in the other three contests. The last time TCU trailed at the half was in the 2001 galleryfurniture.com Bowl loss to Texas A&M when they trailed at the half by a 14-7 margin.
GUNN BACK IN THE SADDLE: Sophomore quarterback Tye Gunn is back after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in last season's win over Southern Miss. Gunn completed 17-of-27 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown in the win over Tulane. He also rushed eight times for 47 yards. The 17 completions matched his career high while the 27 attempts and 243 yards passing were both career highs. His 80-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Madison was a career-long. The Frogs are 5-0 when Gunn is the starting signal-caller and are averaging 40.0 points per game when he starts under center. Last season he completed 57-of-91 passes for a 62.6 percent completion rate, with six touchdowns and just two interceptions.
LOADED BACKFIELD: The Frogs have a bevy of running backs from which to choose this season. They feature four returning backs who have rushed for 100 yards in a game during their collegiate career. Lonta Hobbs and Ricky Madison have each recorded five 100-yard rushing games, while Corey Connally (twice) and Kenny Hayter (once) have also broken the century mark.
FROGS FEATURE 4x100: The Frogs are known for their 4x100 relay unit on the track, but this football team can lay claim to that distinction as well with four running backs (Lonta Hobbs, Ricky Madison, Corey Connally and Kenny Hayter) who each have rushed for 100 yards in a collegiate game. Only three other schools have that same distinction this season: Air Force, Minnesota and Rutgers.
STREAKING TO THE CENTURY MARK: The Frogs have produced a 100-yard rusher in eight consecutive games. Here a breakdown: 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
THE NATURAL: Lonta Hobbs proved to be a "natural" when the Frogs took off his redshirt for game 5 of the 2002 season. In just eight games, Hobbs rushed for 1,029 yards (6.6 yards per carry) in breaking all the Frogs' freshman rushing records. He was named the league's Freshman of the Year, was the team'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. Hobbs is on the pre-season Doak Walker Watch List.
SCORING MACHINE: Lonta Hobbs scored three rushing touchdowns in Monday's win over Tulane. He has logged 15 rushing touchdowns (and one receiving TD) in just nine career games. Cy Leland is sixth on TCU's career rushing touchdown list with 17 scores.
MADISON'S AVENUE: For those defenses focused on taking Hobbs out of the game, watch out for senior tailback Ricky Madison. 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. Madison has carried the ball 372 times in his career for 1,521 yards, including a career-high 719 yards as a junior when he averaged 4.6 yards per carry.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Tye Gunn and Ricky Madison hooked up on an 80-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter at Tulane and etched their names into the TCU record books. The play ties for the seventh longest pass reception in TCU history and was the longest completion since Casey Printers connected with Adrian Madise against Louisville in 2001. The longest pass play in TCU history is a 99-yard completion from Scott Ankrom to James Maness against Rice in 1984.
HARRELL STEPS UP: Junior wide receiver Reggie Harrell will be asked to fill the big shoes vacated by graduated seniors LaTarence Dunbar, Adrian Madise, 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 caught 13 passes for 205 yards a season ago, but will be the go-to guy in the Frogs' passing attack this season. In the season opener at Tulane, Harrell caught a career-high four passes for 57 yards.
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 will see significant playing time this season. Galbert matched his career total with two catches in the win over Tulane, while Rodgers, Harmon and DePriest each logged his first career reception.
PICK THIS: Josh Goolsby and Marvin Godbolt picked off passes at Tulane. It was Goolsby's second career interception and the fourth for Godbolt. The Frogs intercepted 22 passes last season.
TOP RANKED DEFENSE: TCU finished the 2002 season with the nation's top-ranked defense. The Frogs allowed an average of just 240.25 yards per game and allowed over 300 yards just once all year - in the season opener at Cincinnati. 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 allowed 369 yards to Tulane in the 2003 season opener, of which 183 came in the fourth quarter.
STOPPING THE RUN: TCU led the country in stopping the run in 2002. TCU allowed just 64.83 yards per game on the ground. The Frogs were the only team in the country to allow less than two yards per carry during the season, as opponents averaged just 1.98 yards per rush. TCU picked up where they left off last season in the win at Tulane. The Frogs held the Green Wave to just 66 net yards rushing, including just 42 rushing yards by pre-season C-USA Offensive Player of the Year Mewelde Moore.
SENIOR CITIZENS: The Frogs have a defensive line that is plenty long on experience. The Frogs can 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 55 career starts. Pugh leads the way with 18, followed by Pollard (15), Schobel (14), Johnson (8).
KICK WITH NICK: Senior placekicker Nick Browne ranks fourth on the all-time scoring list for kickers at TCU with 185 points. The Lou Groza Award candidate needs 75 points to surpass Michael Reeder, who holds the school record with 259 points by a kicker. Reeder is also second on the list for points scored at TCU regardless of position. Browne is a pre-season all-America candidate, a Lou Groza Award candidate and the defending kicker on the first team Verizon academic all-America squad. 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. POINTS BY KICKING CAREER Michael Reeder (1994-97) 259 Chris Kaylakie (1998-2000) 237 Ken Ozee (1982-85) 205 Nick Browne (2001-03) 185 Jeff Wilkinson (1990-92) 182
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.
AMONG THE BEST: TCU has produced one of the nation's top 12 records since the start of the 2000 season. Here's a look at the Dandy Dozen: 1. Miami 37-2 .949 2. Oklahoma 37-4 .902 3. Boise State 30-7 .811 4. Texas 32-8 .800 5. Marshall 31-9 .775 6. Virginia Tech 30-9 769 7. Oregon 29-9 .763 Toledo 29-9 .763 9. Nebraska 30-11 732 Florida State 30-11 .732 Kansas State 30-11 .732 12. TCU 27-10 730
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 Dan Sharp and Willie Mack Garza.
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.
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.
MEET YOU ANYTIME: The Frogs have games scheduled for every day of the week except Sunday and Tuesday this season. They played Tulane on Monday, and have Louisville scheduled on a Wednesday, Southern Miss on a Thursday, USF on a Friday and eight games on Saturday.
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 42-19 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.
BOWL TIE-INS: Conference USA will have 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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
LOOKING AHEAD: After playing two games in six days, the Frogs will enjoy a two-week stretch before they resume action. TCU's next encounter will come against Southeastern Conference foe, Vanderbilt, on Saturday, September 20. The game is slated to begin at 6 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
2003 PRE-SEASON HONORS: The C-USA coaches have pegged four Frogs as members of their pre-season all-conference squad. The coaches selected offensive tackle Anthony Alabi, defensive linemen Chad Pugh and Bo Schobel and placekicker Nick Browne as first team candidates. Browne also shared Special Teams Player of the Year honors with Louisville's kick returner Broderick Clark.
PRE-SEASON PICKS: Defending C-USA champion TCU is the favorite to win the 2003 league crown, according to the conference coaches. The Frogs received eight of the 11 first place votes and 115 total points. Southern Miss was second with one first place vote and 106 points. USF and East Carolina each picked up one first place vote.
