TCU-New Mexico Post-Game Notes
10/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 1, 2005
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•For the first time in its history, TCU played a Mountain West Conference game that ended in regulation. The Horned Frogs opened their initial season of MWC play with consecutive overtime victories over Utah and BYU.•Four of TCU's touchdown drives were in 10 seconds or less. Robert Merrill ran for an 8-yard score on the Frogs' first offensive play of the game. Jeff Ballard's first TD, a 3-yard run, capped a 2-play, 6-yard drive that took eight seconds and gave TCU a 14-0 lead just 1:55 into the contest. Ballard's 29-yard TD pass to Michael DePriest with 17 seconds remaining in the opening quarter put the Frogs on top 28-0. It was the first snap of the TCU series and took five seconds. Also on the first play of a series, Ballard ran 56 yards into the end zone. The scamper took 10 seconds.
•TCU forced six New Mexico turnovers. In their last two games, the Horned Frogs are a +8 in turnover margin (9 takeaways, 1 giveaway).
•Weak safety Elvis Gallegos made his first start of the season and recorded his first interception of the 2005 campaign. It was his fifth career pick.
•The interception by Quincy Butler on the first play of the game was his first of the season and third of his career.
•A Jeremy Modkins first-quarter interception was also his first of the season and third of his career.
•Steven Coleman recorded his first collegiate pick in the fourth quarter.
•TCU has eight interceptions from eight different players this season.
•Strong safety Brian Bonner forced a first-quarter fumble. He now has two forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles this season. It was also the first lost fumble by New Mexico this year.
•Wide receiver Cory Rodgers had a first-quarter reception to extend his streak to 29 games with at least one catch, representing every contest in his TCU career.
•TCU led at the half (28-14) for the first time since the season opener at Oklahoma (10-0).
•Tight end Chad Andrus scored his first career touchdown when he was on the receiving end of a 38-yard scoring pass from Ballard on a fourth-and-1 play to give TCU a 35-28 third-quarter lead.
•With TCU scoring 28 points in the first quarter versus New Mexico and 21 in the fourth quarter last week at BYU, the Horned Frogs totaled 49 points in back-to-back quarters.
•In the last two games, the Horned Frogs have totaled exactly 100 points. TCU scored 51 in its win over BYU and 49 points in the victory against New Mexico.
•Ballard was responsible for six of the Frogs' seven touchdowns, including four rushing and two passing. In his first career start, Ballard was 16-for-28 with 192 yards passing and rushed nine times for 79 yards.
•Ballard's six touchdowns and 36 points tied LaDainian Tomlinson's TCU records for touchdowns responsible for and points responsible for in a single game.
•A 73-yard run by Aaron Brown gave the freshman sensation his second 100-yard game of the season. Brown led the team with 129 yards on 14 carries, averaging 9.2 yards per attempt. It was the second time this year Brown averaged over nine yards per carry in a game. He ran for an average of 9.6 yards per rush against Utah on Sept. 15.
•Ballard spread out his 16 completions among eight Frog receivers.
