Sept. 25, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The TCU football team (ranked 15th by USA Today, 17th by AP) opens its second season of Mountain West Conference play and defense of its 2005 league championship when it hosts BYU Thursday at 5 p.m. in a nationally-televised contest at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Following an open date, the Horned Frogs are returning to action for the first time since a 12-3 win over then-No. 22 Texas Tech on Sept. 16.
In last year¹s meeting with the Cougars in Provo, TCU rallied from an 18-point deficit late in the third quarter for a 51-50 overtime victory. It marks the largest come-from-behind win in Gary Patterson¹s six-year tenure as head coach. At the time, that game was also the longest in NCAA history at four hours and 42 minutes. It was later surpassed by the 2006 Orange Bowl between Florida State and Penn State (4:45).
In reference to the length of the game with BYU last year, Patterson said, I got sunburned and peeled in the same game.
THE SERIES
-Last year's game in Provo represented the first time since 1997, when
both teams were members of the WAC, that TCU and BYU met on the gridiron.
-The Cougars hold a 3-2 lead over the Frogs in a series that began with a 33-12 TCU win in Fort Worth in 1987. The Frogs are 1-2 at home and 1-1 in Provo versus BYU.
THE STREAK
-TCU owns the nation¹s longest active winning streak at 13 in a row.
It's the Frogs' longest run of consecutive victories since winning 14
straight over the 1937-38 seasons. TCU won its final three games in 1937 before going 11-0 in its 1938 national championship season behind Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Davey O'Brien.
HONORARY BIG 12 MEMBERS
-Since the start of the 2005 season, covering just 15 games, TCU is 4-0 versus the Big 12 while allowing just 11.0 points per game.
-Only four Big 12 teams (Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Colorado) have won more games than TCU against Big 12 foes during that stretch.
-TCU opened and closed the 2005 campaign with victories over Big 12
squads, winning 17-10 at Oklahoma and 27-24 over Iowa State in the Houston Bowl.
-The Frogs defeated Baylor (17-7) and Texas Tech (12-3) in the season's opening three weeks, holding the Bears and Red Raiders to a combined one touchdown and 10 points.
WORTH NOTHING
-At 56-19 (.747), TCU has the 11th-best record in Division I-A since the start of the 2000 campaign.
AT HOME
-TCU has a seven-game home winning streak. Its last loss came in the
2004 season finale to Tulane.
-Since the start of the 2000 season, TCU is 31-4 (.886) in Amon Carter
Stadium. Included in that total are undefeated marks in four (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005) of those years which contributed to at least 10 wins in each season.
-The Frogs are in the midst of a stretch with three home games in 20
days, culminating Thursday versus BYU. After that contest, TCU will have just three home dates over the final 65 days of the regular season.
-The 12-3 win over Texas Tech saw TCU record its first sellout crowd
since 1984, when the Frogs hosted Texas. The attendance of 45,647 against the Red Raiders represented the second-largest crowd in TCU history, surpassed only by the 47,280 for that 1984 contest against the Longhorns.
-TCU sold a record 13,962 football season tickets this season.
-The Frogs are fourth in the MWC in home attendance, averaging 35,460
this season.
SCHEDULING QUIRKS
-TCU is 6-6 after an open date in Gary Patterson's six-year head
coaching tenure.
-Since the start of the 1996 season, the Frogs are 12-6 in non-Saturday, regular-season games. Under Patterson, TCU is 9-5 and has played on every day of the week.
-After facing Utah on Thursday, Oct. 5, TCU will have played 16 of its
61 regular-season contests (26.2 percent) under Patterson on non-Saturdays.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
-Chris Manfredini, PK - Lou Groza Award Star of the Week (Sept. 16 vs.
Texas Tech)
-Chris Manfredini, PK - Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 16 vs. Texas Tech)
-Marvin White, S - Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 16 vs. Texas Tech)
-Marcus Jackson, QB - Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the
Week (Sept. 3 vs. Baylor)
-Marvin White, S - Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 3 vs. Baylor)
FROGS PROMINENT ON THE PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
-TCU has eight players on a total of 10 different preseason watch lists:
-Jeff Ballard, QB - Davey O¹Brien Award
-Tommy Blake, DE - Chuck Bednarik Award, Ted Hendricks Award, Lombardi
Trophy, Lott Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy
-Aaron Brown, TB - Doak Walker Award
-Chris Manfredini, PK - Lou Groza Award
-Robert Merrill, TB - Doak Walker Award
-Chase Ortiz, DE - Ted Hendricks Award, Lombardi Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy
-Jason Phillips, LB - Butkus Award
-Herb Taylor, OT - Lombardi Trophy, Outland Trophy
-TCU is one of nine teams to have three players on the Lombardi Award
Watch List.
FROGS AS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
-Jeff Ballard, QB - Football Writers Association of America All-America checklist
-Tommy Blake, DE - Athlon, Street & Smith's, The Sporting News
All-America checklist (No. 7 defensive end in the nation)
-Aaron Brown, TB - Football Writers Association of America All-America
checklist
-Robert Merrill, TB - Football Writers Association of America
All-America checklist
-Chase Ortiz, DE - Football Writers Association of America All-America
checklist
-Jason Phillips, LB - The Sporting News All-America checklist (No. 13
inside linebacker in the nation)
-Herb Taylor, OT - Athlon, Street & Smith's, NationalChamps.net,
Football Writers Association of America All-America checklist, The Sporting News All-America checklist (No. 10 offensive tackle in the nation)
-Marvin White, S - The Sporting News All-America checklist (No. 6 safety in the nation)
FROGS ONT THE PRESEASON All-MWC TEAM
-TCU placed five players on the 2006 preseason All-Mountain West
Conference Team: defensive end Tommy Blake, defensive end Chase Ortiz,
linebacker Jason Phillips, offensive tackle Herb Taylor and safety Marvin White.
-After having just one player (defensive tackle Ranorris Ray) on the
2005 preseason All-Mountain West Conference Team, TCU concluded the campaign with a league-best 18 selections on the postseason squad. No other school had more than 12.
ACTIVITY AND LAYOFFS
-After opening the season with three games in 14 days, TCU is now in a
stretch with just two contests in 34 days.
-After playing Texas Tech on Sept. 16, the Frogs had an open date before back-to-back Thursday games versus BYU (Sept. 28) and at Utah (Oct. 5). Following their date in Salt Lake City, TCU has another bye week before returning to action Oct. 21 at Army.
-TCU has four straight Saturdays (Sept. 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14)
without a game.
QUICK STARTS
-TCU has opened 3-0 for the second time in Gary Patterson¹s six seasons as head coach.
-The Frogs won their opening 10 games in 2003 en route to an 11-2
campaign.
The Rankings
-TCU has appeared in the last 15 top-25 polls by the Associated Press
and USA Today.
-At No. 15 in the USA Today coaches' poll, the Frogs have their highest September ranking since 1959.
-With a No. 21 appearance in the USA Today poll and a No. 22 spot in the Associated Press Top 25, TCU posted its highest preseason rankings since it was No. 20 by AP in 2000.
THE BCS
-The Frogs were 14th in the final 2005 BCS standings. It was the 20th
time TCU has appeared in the BCS standings, the most of any school playing in a conference without an automatic BCS bid. Boise State and Utah are tied for second at 12.
-Since Gary Patterson arrived at TCU as defensive coordinator in 1998,
TCU is 12-6 against teams from leagues with automatic BCS bids.
MERRILL AMON THE BEST
-TCU tailback Robert Merrill is Division I-A¹s third-leading active
career rusher:
1. Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois - 4,064 yards
2. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma - 3,676 yards
3. Robert Merrill, TCU - 2,771 yards
PASSING TYE
-The 12-3 win over Texas Tech improved Jeff Ballard's record to 11-0 as TCU's starting quarterback. He surpassed Tye Gunn's previous school mark for most consecutive victories (10) to begin a career as a starting quarterback.
-Ballard's first start in that stretch, a 49-28 win over New Mexico last year, came after he replaced an injured Gunn. When Gunn was hurt the previous week at BYU, Ballard came off-the-bench and rallied the Frogs from an 18-point third-quarter deficit to a 51-50 overtime victory in Provo. It's the largest come-from-behind win in Gary Patterson's six seasons as TCU's head coach.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
-Included below is where Jeff Ballard ranks on TCU's all-time list for
longest overall winning streak by a starting quarterback:
1. Davey O¹Brien - 14
2. Sammy Baugh - 12
3. Jeff Ballard - 11
4. Tye Gunn - 10
5. Howard Grubbs - 9
STUFFING THE RUN
-Over its last six games, dating back to the 2005 campaign, TCU's run
defense is allowing just 34.2 yards per game. No opponent in that stretch has rushed for more than 59 yards.
-The Frogs top the MWC and are third nationally in run defense (37.0
yards per game).
DEFENSIVE STANDS
-The Frogs are sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 7.7 points per game.
-In its 12-3 win, TCU became the first team since 2000 to hold Texas
Tech without a touchdown.
-The Red Raiders were limited to 204 yards passing after entering the
game with a 396.5 per game.
DEFENDING THE PASS
-Facing pass-oriented teams in its opening three games, TCU has
surrendered just one scoring toss this season.
-TCU allowed only 14 touchdown passes in its 12 contests a year ago with five of those coming from BYU. In the Frogs' other 11 games, TCU opponents passed for a total of just nine touchdowns.
-The top three single-season TCU opponent pass attempt totals have come in the last three years.
FINISHING STRONG
-In the second half of games this season, TCU has outscored the
opposition by a 46-3 margin. That total includes a 27-3 differential in the third quarter and 19-0 over the final 15 minutes.
-Dating back to last year, the Frogs have allowed just 31 fourth-quarter points in their last 15 games (2.1 per contest). During that same period, TCU has outscored its foes by a 209-89 margin in the second half.
HOW STRONG ARE THEY?
-The following numbers come courtesy of TCU¹s strength and conditioning program:
43 - Number of players who bench 350+ pounds
16 - Number of players who bench 400+ pounds
329 - Average team power clean in pounds
48 - Number of players who squat 500+ pounds
19 - Number of players who squat 600+ pounds
523 - Average team squat in pounds
-Top Lifters:
Bench Press - Jarrarcea Williams, NT (475 pounds)
Squat - Cody Moore, DT (760 pounds)
Power Clean - Cody Moore, DT (440 pounds)
THE MISSING
-TCU has opened 3-0 despite starting tailbacks and past 1,000-yard
rushers Lonta Hobbs and Robert Merrill having yet to play due to injury.
-Sidelined for the season is offensive tackle Heath Raetz. Starting wide receiver Michael DePriest missed the opening two games due to injury before returning to action against Texas Tech.
-The Frogs rallied from a 7-0 halftime deficit at Baylor with starting
quarterback Jeff Ballard sidelined.
SENSATIONAL SOPHOMORE
-Tailback Aaron Brown, the 2005 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American by The Sporting News, tops TCU in rushing (194 yards), receiving yards (189) and touchdowns (three).
-Brown's 10 receptions nearly equal his total of 11 from last year. The top mark by a Frog back in 2005 was 14 catches from Robert Merrill.
-Brown is second in the MWC and 26th nationally in all-purpose yards per game (127.7). He¹s also tied for ninth in the league in scoring (6.0 points per game).
-A native of Katy, Texas, Brown is fifth in the MWC in rushing (64.7
yards each contest) and sixth in receiving yards per game (63.0).
THE CENTURY MARK
-Tailback Aaron Brown's 107 yards receiving at Baylor were the most by a Frog since Cory Rodgers totaled 128 yards on six catches in a 48-10 win at Air Force last season (Oct. 22).
-Brown became the first TCU running back to reach 100 yards receiving in a game since Andre Davis had four receptions for 109 yards in a 30-28 win at Tulane on Oct. 15, 1994.
HITTING HIS MARK
-After feeling woozy and playing just the first half in the season
opener at Baylor, Jeff Ballard completed 18-of-23 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns against UC Davis in posting the fourth-best single-game completion percentage (78.3) in TCU history. He also ran for a 10-yard score.
DEJA VU
-In relief roles, the numbers of Jeff Ballard in last year¹s 51-50
overtime win at BYU and Marcus Jackson in the second-half comeback at Baylor are very similar:
-Ballard - 8-of-12 passing (75.0 percent), 150 yards, 2 TDs
-Jackson - 11-of-13 passing (84.6 percent), 148 yards, 2 TDs
-Jackson was two attempts shy (a minimum of 15 is required) of
qualifying for the second-best single-game completion percentage in TCU history. The current mark is held by Max Knake who was 13-of-15 (86.7 percent) in a 27-25 win over Rice in 1994.
WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
-With standout tailbacks Lonta Hobbs and Robert Merrill sidelined,
reserves Detrick James and Justin Watts have been major producers after entering the fall in No. 4 and No. 5 positions, respectively, on the depth chart.
-James has recorded the three-highest rushing games of his career in the opening three contests. He¹s currently second on the team, behind Aaron Brown, in rushing with 137 yards on a 4.2 per carry mark. He totaled 56 yards last season.
-Watts, who made his first collegiate start in the Texas Tech game, was the Frogs' second-leading rusher with a career-best 64 yards on seven attempts versus UC Davis.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
-Twelve different Frogs have combined for TCU's 49 receptions this
season.
-Quentily Harmon (16) and Aaron Brown (10) are the lone Frogs with more than five grabs.
-TCU wide receivers have accounted for 27 receptions with running backs catching 14 balls and tight ends eight.
-Six players have touchdowns this season with Brown being the lone Frog with more than one score.
THE GO-TO-GUY
-After setting a career-high in receiving yards (96) at Baylor, Quentily Harmon tied a career-best with six receptions in the UC Davis game.
-Harmon, the top returning receiver this season after catching 28
passes in 2005, leads the Frogs with 16 grabs on the year. His 182 receiving yards trail only Aaron Brown (189).
TIGH END TRADITIONS
-In both of the opening two games this season, a TCU tight end had his
first career reception result in a touchdown.
-Quinton Cunigan was on the receiving end of a 3-yard scoring pass from Marcus Jackson at Baylor for his first collegiate reception.
-Converted quarterback Shae Reagan's first career catch was an 18-yard
touchdown toss from Jeff Ballard in the second quarter against UC Davis.
WHAT THE HECHT
-Dating back to last season, TCU tight end Brent Hecht has at least one reception in eight of his last nine games.
DYNAMIC DUO
-TCU safety Marvin White and linebacker Jason Phillips top TCU in
tackles with 23 and 22, respectively. The next-closest Frog is safety Eric Buchanan with 13.
MORE WHITE AND PHILLIPS
-Safety Marvin White and linebacker Jason Phillips both appeared on The Sporting News' preseason All-America checklist.
-In the opening two games, they both recorded double-figure tackle
performances.
-White set a career-high with 14 tackles at Baylor, nearly three times
the amount of the next-closest Frogs (three players had five stops). Against UC Davis, White posted his first interception of the season and fourth of his career.
-Phillips equaled a career-high with 10 tackles against UC Davis while
also recording his first career interception.
LINBACKER DROUGHT OVER
-Jason Phillips' first career interception, in the third quarter against UC Davis (Sept. 9), was TCU's first pick by a linebacker in nearly two years (David Hawthorne vs. SMU, Sept. 11, 2004).
CONTROLLING THE CLOCK
-TCU has won the time of possession battle in each game and is averaging 32:51 on the season, placing it second in the MWC.
SPECIAL TEAMS STANDOUTS
-TCU leads the Mountain West Conference and is third nationally in
kickoff return average (31.2). The Frogs are fourth in the MWC in punt
returns (8.1 per attempt).
-Donald Massey is averaging 43.0 yards on two kickoff returns, including a 69-yard effort at Baylor.
-Marcus Brock is second in the MWC and 36th in the country with a 10.0
punt return average.
SPLITTING THE UPRIGHTS
-Chris Manfredini is 19-of-19 on field-goal attempts at TCU (2005-06).
-When including a 10-of-11 mark for Cincinnati in 2003, he is 29-of-30
(96.7 percent) on field goals in his collegiate career.
-In the 12-3 win over Texas Tech, Manfredini accounted for all of TCU's scoring as he kicked a career-best four field goals. His performance earned him Lou Groza Award Star of the Week and Mountain West Conference Special
TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
-Manfredini had a career-long 47-yard field goal versus UC Davis.
FINDING THE END ZONE
-Peter LoCoco, who doubles as TCU's long-range field goal kicker, has
had touchbacks on 7-of-18 kickoffs this season.
-Against Texas Tech, LoCoco had two kickoffs go five yards deep in the
end zone before being run out by the Red Raiders.
-Over the last nine games in 2005, LoCoco had touchbacks on 27-of-63
(42.9 percent) kickoffs.
THE TWO-FOOTED MONSTER
-Chris Manfredini and Peter LoCoco had 47 and 49-yard field goals,
respectively, in the 46-13 win over UC Davis.
IN THE ZONE
-TCU sits atop the Mountain West Conference in red-zone offense.
-The Frogs have seven touchdowns and five field goals to produce points on all 12 of their offensive trips into the red zone.
-Defensively, opponents have had just five red-zone visits against TCU
and produced only one touchdown. The Frogs have allowed three field goals.
SCORING FIRST
-Against Texas Tech, TCU scored first in a game for the first time this season.
-Last year, the Frogs were first on the board in 10 of their 12
contests.
-Since the start of the 2002 season, the Frogs have scored first in 72.5 percent (37-of-51) of their games.
-TCU had scored first in eight consecutive contests before Baylor
snapped the streak with a 21-yard second quarter touchdown pass. The
previous time a TCU opponent had scored first was BYU on Sept. 24, 2005.
QUICK SCORES
-TCU has scored in the first quarter in 11 of its last 12 games.
-TCU saw its streak of scoring in the first quarter snapped at nine
contests at Baylor. The Frogs were held scoreless in the opening 15 minutes for the first time since Sept. 15, 2005 versus Utah.
DEFENSIVE BATTLES
-TCU's 12-3 win over Texas Tech marked the first time the Frogs won when scoring 12 or fewer points since a 12-3 win over UT-Arlington in the 1974 season opener.
AN EXPERIENCED STAFF
-TCU returned its entire coaching staff from the 2005 season.
-The Frogs are one of just four teams (N.C. State, Oklahoma, Temple) in Division I-A to have all 10 of their coaches play Division I football. Eight members of the TCU staff competed on the Division I-A level with two in I-AA.
WHERE TO FIND THE TCU ASSISTANTS
-Press Box: Mike Schultz (offensive coordinator/running backs), Dick
Winder (quarterbacks), Tony Tademy (linebackers) and Chad Glasgow
(safeties).
-Field: Dick Bumpas (defensive coordinator/defensive line), Charles
McMillian (cornerbacks), Jarrett Anderson (wide receivers), Dan Sharp (tight ends/special teams) and Eddie Williamson (assistant head coach/offensive line).
CLOSE CALLS
-Dating back to the 2003 campaign, 18 of TCU's last 39 games have been
decided by seven points or less. The Frogs are 15-3 in those contests,
including 5-0 last year.
THE TURNOVER STORY
-The Frogs are +4 in turnover margin this season with five takeaways and just one giveaway.
-TCU led the nation last season in turnover margin (1.75, +21),
interceptions (26) and takeaways (40).
THE IRONMAN
-Offensive tackle Herb Taylor's 39 consecutive starts, representing
every TCU game over the last four seasons, is tied for the fifth-longest current streak in Division I-A.
FROGS OR TADPOLES
-TCU has played four true freshmen this season: offensive tackle
Marshall Newhouse, linebacker Daryl Washington and defensive ends Wayne Daniels and Jerry Hughes. Eleven redshirt freshmen have also seen action.
-The Frogs tied for fourth nationally last season in their number of
freshmen (21) played. Sixteen were redshirt freshmen with five true
freshmen.
NEW FACES
-While preseason All-American and Lombardi and Outland Trophy candidate Herb Taylor has made 39 consecutive starts, representing every TCU game over the last four years, the other four starters (OG Maurice Bouldwin, OG Matty Lindner, C Blake Schlueter, OT Wade Sisk) on the Frog offensive line have made their first collegiate starts this season.
-When including wide receivers Ervin Dickerson and Donald Massey, TCU
had six first-time starters on offense in the season opener at Baylor.
-Also against Baylor, the defense had three first-time starters (DT Cody Moore, CB Rafael Priest and CB Nick Sanders) while nose tackle Jarrarcea Williams made his first start since the final two games of the 2004 campaign.
LONG-DISTANCE FROGS
-TCU recently had 84-yard touchdown passes in back-to-back games, tying for the seventh-longest pass plays in Frog history.
-Jeff Ballard and Michael DePriest connected on an 84-yard scoring toss in the 2005 Houston Bowl win over Iowa State, while Marcus Jackson and Aaron Brown did the same in the season opener at Baylor.
PATTERSON MILESTONES
-Gary Patterson is the only head coach in TCU history with three 10-win seasons (2002, 2003 and 2005).
-With a .719 winning percentage (46-18), Patterson is 16th among active coaches in Division I-A. He has taken part in half of the eight 10-win campaigns in TCU¹s history. He was defensive coordinator during a 10-2 campaign in 2000.
-Prior to Patterson¹s arrival, the only 10-win seasons at TCU were
recorded in the 1930s. Francis A. Schmidt led the Horned Frogs to 10-0-1 and 10-1-1 marks, respectively, in 1932 and 1933. Dutch Meyer then guided TCU to its national championship seasons in 1935 (12-1) and 1938 (11-0).
HE'S HERE TO STAY
-At a Nov. 22, 2005 news conference, TCU athletics director Danny
Morrison announced that football coach Gary Patterson agreed to a contract extension through the 2012 season.
BONUS FOOTBALL
-TCU is 5-4 since the NCAA adopted overtime play in 1996.
A SPECIAL BACKFIELD
-TCU's trio of Aaron Brown, Lonta Hobbs and Robert Merrill was ranked in the preseason by The Sporting News as the fourth-best backfield in the nation.
-Merrill (2,771 yards) and Hobbs (2,406) rank sixth and ninth,
respectively, on TCU¹s career rushing list. Merrill needs just 13 yards to move past Basil Mitchell (2,783 yards, 1994-98) into fifth place.
-Merrill has led TCU in rushing in each of the last three seasons.
-Brown, Hobbs and Merrill make the Frogs one of just 13 teams in
Division I-A to have three players with 100-yard rushing games on their resume.
THE CENTURY MARK
-Tailbacks Lonta Hobbs and Robert Merrill are tied for seventh in TCU
history with 10 100-yard rushing games. They sit one behind 1955 Heisman Trophy runner-up Jim Swink who had 11 100-yard efforts.
-TCU is 8-2 when Merrill rushes for at least 100 yards and 7-3 when
Hobbs reaches the milestone. The Frogs are 3-0 when Brown hits the century mark.
-Merrill and Hobbs have reached 100 yards in the same game on one
occasion, a 62-55 win at Houston in 2003. Merrill ran for a career-high 204 yards on 22 carries, while Hobbs added 102 yards on 22 attempts.
A SPECIAL FROG
-Former TCU tailback and current National Football League star LaDainian Tomlinson was named to CBS SportsLine.com's All-Decade Team. He was joined in the All-Decade backfield by former USC standouts Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush.
-The Web site wrote of Tomlinson, Before he started running wild with
the San Diego Chargers, Tomlinson was an excellent college player at TCU.
-Tomlinson rushed for a combined 4,008 yards in his final two years of
college, including 2,158 as a senior. He ran for an NCAA single-game record 406 yards versus UTEP in 1999 and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back in 2000. Tomlinson, who has earned his TCU degree, had his No. 5 jersey honored by the Frogs last season.
MASSEY REGAINS YEAR
-TCU wide receiver Donald Massey has been granted a medical redshirt
after playing in just two games as a true freshman in 2004. He is now a sophomore in eligibility.
OFFENSIVE BREAKTHROUGHS
-TCU's 50 touchdowns in 2005 set a new single-season school record. The previous mark was 49 in 2000. With 48 touchdowns in 2004, the Frogs have recorded their top three single-season touchdown totals in school history over the last six years with Mike Schultz as offensive coordinator.
-During that same period, TCU has had three of its top four
single-season point totals. TCU¹s 398 points in 2005 represented the
second-best mark in school history, trailing only the 410 in 2000.
VERSATILE FROGS
-The TCU defensive line features five former high school running backs:
-Tommy Blake, Jerry Hughes, Cody Moore, Jared Retkofsky and Jarrarcea
Williams.
OUTRIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS
-The 2005 campaign saw TCU capture its first outright conference title
since 1958.
-The Horned Frogs have taken part in conference championships in four
different leagues over the last 12 years.
-Prior to last season, the five previous conference titles for TCU had
been shared. TCU was co-champions of the Southwest Conference in 1959 and 1994, while also sharing a pair of Western Athletic Conference titles (1999, 2000) and a Conference USA championship (2002).
PERFECTION
-With an 8-0 record in its debut season in the Mountain West Conference last year, TCU posted its first undefeated conference record (8-0) since the 1938 national championship team swept through the Southwest Conference.
-The 2005 Frogs were just the fourth team in school history to go
through a season undefeated in league play, joining the 1938 and 1932
Southwest Conference squads as well as the 1920 team that was unblemished in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
HOME OPENERS
-TCU has won five straight home openers and is 5-1 overall in those
games under coach Gary Patterson.
-Three of Patterson¹s six home openers went to overtime with TCU winning twice.
A LOOK BACK
-The 17-7 win at Baylor represented the largest margin of victory in a
TCU season opener since 2001. In each of the previous four debut contests, the game was decided by seven points or less.
-Baylor was TCU's first intrastate season opener since the 1979
campaign, when the Frogs faced SMU.
NFL DRAFT PICKS FROM MWC TEAMS
-TCU 163, San Diego State 133, BYU 131, Utah 123, Colorado State 93,
Wyoming 75, New Mexico 59, UNLV 40, Air Force 7.
WIN-LOSS UPDATES
-After just three winning seasons in 13 years (1985-97), TCU has won
over 70 percent of its games (71-29, .710) since the start of the 1998
campaign when head coach Gary Patterson arrived on campus.
-TCU has an all-time record of 530-502-57 (.513) in its football history which began in 1896.
THE GRADUATE
-TCU starting tight end Chad Andrus is a graduate student this fall.
FINDING THE SCOREBOARD
-At 167 games, TCU currently has the seventh-longest streak in the
nation for not being shut out. The Frogs haven't been blanked since a 32-0 defeat at Texas on Nov. 16, 1991.
QUARTERBACK U
-Five of the top-six career completion percentage leaders for TCU have
played in the last six seasons:
1. Jeff Ballard - 60.8 (2004-06)
2. Sean Stilley - 57.9 (1999-02)
3. Brandon Hassell - 56.7 (2003-04)
4. Casey Printers - 56.1 (1999-01)
5. Max Knake - 55.8 (1992-95)
6. Tye Gunn - 55.0 (2002-05)
FAMILAR NUMBERS
-Aaron Brown is wearing the same jersey number (23) as former TCU
standout Jim Swink, a consensus All-America selection and the runner-up for the 1955 Heisman Trophy.
ROCKSTAR/COACH?
-During the offseason, TCU coach and guitarist/singer Gary Patterson
will perform all genres of music in local concerts. In one setting for
children, he did a memorable rendition of ³Old McDonald had a farm.
TV DARLINGS
-TCU played in a nationally-televised season opener for the sixth
straight season:
2001 - Nebraska 21, TCU 7 (ABC)
2002 - Cincinnati 36, TCU 29 (OT, ESPN)
2003 - TCU 38, Tulane 35 (ESPN)
2004 - TCU 48, Northwestern 45 (2 OT, ESPN2)
2005 - TCU 17, Oklahoma 10 (ABC)
2006 - TCU 17, Baylor 7 (FSN)
FROGS AND THE NFL
-In Gary Patterson's five-year tenure as head coach, TCU has had 14
players drafted with a total of 25 in NFL camps.
-Seven players from last year's Frog team were in NFL camps: Cory
Rodgers (WR, fourth-round draft pick, Green Bay), Michael Toudouze (OT, fifth-round draft pick, Indianapolis), Drew Coleman (CB, sixth-round draft pick, New York Jets), Quincy Butler (CB, free-agent, Dallas), Tye Gunn (QB, free-agent, Chicago), Jeremy Modkins (S, free-agent, Green Bay) and defensive tackle Ranorris Ray (DT, free-agent, Dallas).
-Six other former Horned Frogs are currently active in the NFL: Anthony Alabi (OT, Miami), Robert Pollard (DE, Seattle), Aaron Schobel (DE, Buffalo), Bo Schobel (DE, Indianapolis), Matt Schobel (TE, Philadelphia), LaDainian Tomlinson (RB, San Diego) and Ryan Tucker (OL, Cleveland).
DEFENSE,DEFENSE,DEFENSE
-The Frogs have been the nation's top-ranked defense twice in coach Gary Patterson's eight years on the TCU campus. Overall, the Frogs have been in the top five in the nation in total defense three times in Patterson's tenure.
TCU AND THE HEISMAN
-In 1938, quarterback Davey O'Brien became the first player from TCU and the Southwest Conference to capture the Heisman Trophy. O'Brien's name dons the trophy awarded each year to the most outstanding quarterback in the country.
-In the 70-year history of the Heisman Trophy, five Frogs (O¹Brien;
Sammy Baugh, 4th - 1936; Jim Swink, 2nd - 1955; Kenneth Davis, 5th - 1984; LaDainian Tomlinson, 4th - 2000) have finished in the top five in voting.
