Frogs to host Utah under the lights Thursday
10/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Oct. 15, 2007
FORT WORTH--TCU will look to continue the momentum from its 38-36 win at Stanford when it hosts Utah Thursday for a 7 p.m. televised game on Versus. With their victory over the Cardinal, the Horned Frogs improved to 10-2 in their last 12 games against teams from leagues with automatic BCS bids.
For the third consecutive season, the Frogs and Utes are meeting on a Thursday. That represents every game in their Mountain West Conference series history.
The last game in Fort Worth, in 2005, between the teams marked the Frogs' first-ever MWC?contest. A 23-20 TCU overtime victory snapped Utah's 18-game winning streak.
The Frogs are 5-2 in short-week games under Gary Patterson as head coach.
Over the last three seasons, TCU is 1-3 in Thursday games and 25-3 on other days of the week. The Frogs' two losses in Thursday contests last season, the only defeats in an 11-2 season, did not come on short weeks.
Following this game, TCU will have a 16-day break from action before a Nov. 3 home date versus New Mexico.
THE SERIES
Utah holds a 3-1 lead over TCU in a series that began in 1996.
The first two games between the Frogs and Utes took place when both teams were members of the Western Athletic Conference. Utah won 21-7 in Salt Lake City in 1996 and 32-18 in Fort Worth in 1997.
The Frogs and Utes have split their Mountain West Conference meetings. TCU won 23-20 in overtime in Fort Worth in 2005, while Utah took a 20-7 decision last season.
TCU is 1-1 versus the Utes in Fort Worth and 0-2 in Salt Lake City.
DEFENDING THEIR HOME
Since 2000, TCU is 37-5 in home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
The Frogs' 23-4 (.852)?home record since 2003 ranks 12th-best in the nation.
TCU has recorded two shutouts in its past five home dates.
In their last six home contests, the Frogs have outscored their opponents 188-36.
Dating back to the 2005 campaign, the Frogs have held the opposition without a touchdown in six of their last 11 home games.
KEY NOTES
With Gary Patterson as head coach, TCU is 38-0 when allowing 17 points or less. Overall, the Frogs have won 53 consecutive games when holding the opponent to 17-or-fewer points. The streak began after a 17-7 loss at Northwestern on Sept. 11, 1999.
In the first half of its last 15 contests, TCU?has outscored its opponents 287-54. The margin is 95-41, including 75-17 in the second quarter, in 2007.
The Frogs have allowed only nine touchdowns through the opening three quarters of their seven games this season. TCU has surrendered just five first-half touchdowns.
