TCU Horned Frogs Football Preview
Texas Christian Aims to Maintain High Level of Play in 2009
As a so-called “mid-major,” TCU pretty much has to run the table to have a shot at playing in a Bowl Championship Series bowl game. And the Horned Frogs haven’t been undefeated since 1938, when they won a national championship behind quarterback Davey O'Brien.
What TCU has done in recent years is establish a high standard of success. The Horned Frogs are 83-28 this decade, with six 10-win seasons; and they've won four consecutive bowl games under coach Gary Patterson.
Last year, the Horned Frogs went 10-2 in the regular season, the only losses being a 35-10 decision at Oklahoma and a 13-10 squeaker at Mountain West Conference rival Utah. Oklahoma ended up playing for the BCS national championship, and Utah advanced to a BCS bowl, beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to secure a No. 2 national ranking.
TCU, meanwhile, edged previously undefeated Boise State 17-16 in the Poinsettia Bowl and finished with a No. 7 ranking – its highest since 1959.
Can the Horned Frogs improve on that in 2009?
Well, they don’t have Oklahoma on their schedule this season. But 16th-ranked TCU still has to meet No. 19 Brigham Young and No. 20 Utah in conference play.
And the Horned Frogs also have a pair of potentially tough road games against Atlantic Coast Conference schools -- including a matchup with Virginia in their Sept 12 season opener.
But TCU also has defensive end Jerry Hughes.
All-American Hughes Leads Horned Frogs Defense
It’s perhaps an understatement to say that TCU’s defense was strong in 2008. The Horned Frogs ranked first in the nation, yielding just 217.8 yards per game. They also gave up just 11.2 points per contest, ranking second in the nation.
The catalyst was Hughes, who gained consensus All-America honors. The 6-foot-3, 257-pounder led the nation in sacks with 15 last year.
A former running back with 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash, Hughes made 19.5 tackles for losses and forced six fumbles.
Hughes has continued to draw attention during the offseason, being named to variety of preseason All-America teams and watch lists for the Walter Camp Award (college player of the year), the Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year), the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player of year) and the Ted Henrdricks Award (top defensive end).
But Hughes is one of only five returning defensive starters for the Horned Frogs.
TCU Defense Will Rely Heavily on First-Year Starters
The Horned Frogs' most experienced group on defense is the secondary, where they return cornerbacks Rafael Prise and Nick Sanders, along with safety Tejay Johnson. TCU also brings back nose tackle Kelly Griffin, who started 13 games as a freshman in 2007.
Hughes, though, will be the only senior on the defensive line, where the Horned Frogs must find another pass-rushing end to complement their All-American. That role could go to junior Wayne Daniels or sophomore Ross Forrest.
Darryl Washington, who ranked fourth on the team with 63 tackles last season, figures to be a key performer at linebacker.
QB Dalton Guides Experienced Horned Frogs Offense
While not as spectacular as the defense last season, the TCU offense ranked an impressive 24th in the nation at 421.3 yards per game. And the Horned Frogs have most of the key components back.
Andy Dalton returns at quarterback after passing for 2,242 yards and 11 TDs with five interceptions. The junior, who completed 59.3 percent of his passes, is also a running threat. He proved that most notably by rushing for 74 yards and gaining MVP honors in the Poinsettia Bowl win over Boise State.
TCU used a variety running backs last year, churning up 220.2 yards per game to rank 12th nationally. That doesn’t seem likely to change in 2009, as the Horned Frogs return leading rusher Joseph Turner (577 yards, 11 TDs) and Ryan Christian (386 yards, 4 TDs, 30 receptions for 321 yards). Another threat is freshman Ed Wesley, who redshirted in 2008.
Jimmy Young (59 catches, 988 yards, 5 TDs) is back to lead the receiving corps, and a veteran offensive front includes tackles Marshall Newhouse and Marcus Cannon, guard Kyle Dooley and tight end Evan Frosch.
The Horned Frogs also have experience on special teams, where they bring back kicker Ross Evans, punter Anson Kelton, and a dangerous return man in Jeremy Kerley.
Horned Frogs Kick Off One Week Later Than Most of NCAA
TCU's season opener vs. Virginia is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST and will be telecast by ESPNU. The Sept. 12 start date is a week later than most college teams.
In fact, Virginia will be playing its second game. Coach Al Groh’s Cavaliers were knocked off by William & Mary 26-14 in their opener. Virginia went 5-7 last season.
The home opener for the Horned Frogs is Sept. 19 vs. Texas State. A week later, TCU travels to Clemson, Virginia's ACC rival.
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