No. 14 TCU Heads To Death Valley
9/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 21, 2009
Game #3
No. 14 TCU (2-0) at Clemson (2-1)
Fort Worth, Texas -- Clemson Memorial Stadium (81,500)
Saturday, Sept. 26 -- 3:30 p.m. EDT
Television: ESPN 360 -- [Dave Weekley (PBP), Danny Kanell (color)]
Radio: TCU/ISP Sports Network -- 103.3 ESPN, 88.7 KTCU, 1070 AM KNTH (Houston), GoFrogs.com (Yahoo) [Brian Estridge (PBP), John Denton (color), Jeff Williams (sideline)]
ABOUT THE GAME
*For the second time in three weeks, No. 14 TCU will be in ACC country as it travels to Death Valley to face Clemson.
*After being one of only two teams in the nation to have an open date the first weekend of the season, the Horned Frogs began the 2009 campaign Sept. 12 with a 30-14 victory at Virginia. TCU led 30-0 with 4:39 to play, before the Cavaliers recorded 104 of their 177 yards of offense and three of their seven first downs in the game.
*Prior to this season, TCU had not faced an ACC opponent since 1997, when it dropped a 31-10 decision to North Carolina.
*TCU has opened with a 2-0 record for the fifth time in the last seven years. The Frogs are looking to go 3-0 for the fourth time in that stretch.
*The Virginia and Clemson games represent TCU's first contests in the Eastern time zone since a 2006 date at Army.
VERSUS THE AUTOMATIC-BID LEAGUES
*Dating back to 2002, TCU is 12-3 in its last 15 games against teams from conferences with automatic BCS bids. Included in the total is a 5-2 mark versus the Big 12.
*Since 2000, TCU's 13 wins over teams from conferences with automatic BCS bids are tied with Navy for third nationally, behind only Utah (15) and Fresno State (14).
*The Frogs have 11 wins over BCS opponents since 2003, trailing just Navy (13) and Utah (13).
*When going back to Gary Patterson's arrival at TCU as defensive coordinator in 1998, the Frogs are 16-8 versus teams from leagues with automatic BCS bids.
ROAD WARRIORS
*TCU's 27-13 (.675) road record since 2003 ranks eighth nationally.
SERIES NOTES
*TCU and Clemson are meeting 50 years after their first game, a 23-7 Tiger victory in the 1959 Bluebonnet Bowl.
*Saturday is just the fourth contest overall between TCU and Clemson with the Tigers holding a 2-1 series lead.
*The last meeting between the teams also took place in Death Valley with Clemson taking a 3-0 decision in 1965.
*The Frogs' lone victory over the Tigers was a 14-10 win in Fort Worth in 1964.
HOMECOMINGS
*TCU assistant head coach/offensive line coach Eddie Williamson is a native of Pendleton, S.C.
*Now in his ninth season at TCU, Williamson is a 1974 graduate of Davidson who then worked two seasons (1975-76) as a graduate assistant at Furman. A former head coach at VMI (1985-88), Williamson was South Carolina's offensive line coach during the 1989-90 campaigns.
ALL-AMERICA WATCH
*Defensive end Jerry Hughes was a consensus All-American last season after leading the nation with 15 sacks and six forced fumbles. He was also one of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, recognizing the nation's top defensive player.
*Hughes tops TCU this season with 16 tackles, including 5 1/2 for loss with 4 1/2 sacks. He had three sacks versus Texas State and a career-best 11 stops at Virginia.
