Oct. 6, 2008
TCU-Colorado State Game Notes
Game #7
TCU (5-1, 2-0) at Colorado State (3-2, 1-0)
Fort Collins, Colo. -- Hughes Stadium (34,400)
Saturday, Oct. 11 -- 2:30 p.m. (Central)
Television: CBS College Sports [Carter Blackburn (PBP), Aaron Taylor (color)]
Radio: TCU/ISP Sports Network -- 103.3 ESPN; 88.7 KTCU; GoFrogs.com [Brian Estridge (PBP), John Denton (color), Jeff Williams (sideline)]
ABOUT THE GAME
*TCU begins the second half of its season with a trip to Colorado State. It will mark the Horned Frogs' only road game in October.
*The Frogs' 5-1 record matches their best start to a season in the last five years.
*Dating back to last season, TCU has won nine of its last 11 games.
*TCU leads the nation in run defense (22.3 yards per game), total defense (208.8 ypg.) and fewest first downs allowed per game (10.0). The Frogs are also No. 1 in time of possession (37:09) and ninth in team rushing (246.7 ypg.).
*TCU's Gary Patterson is 4-0 as a head coach against Colorado State.
*Prior to taking over the TCU program, Patterson was quite familiar with the Rams. As an assistant coach, Patterson faced Colorado State three times at three different schools (Utah State, 1994; New Mexico, 1997; TCU, 1998) in a five-year period.
*Traveling to Fort Collins marks TCU's only plane trip in a two-month span. The Frogs are in an eight-game stretch that includes five home dates and bus trips to SMU and Oklahoma.
THE SERIES
*TCU holds a 4-1 series lead over Colorado State with four straight wins.
*Since beginning Mountain West Conference play in 2005, the Frogs have won all three games versus the Rams.
*Against Colorado State, TCU is 2-0 in Fort Worth, 1-1 in Fort Collins and 1-0 at neutral sites (2002 Liberty Bowl).
*In its last visit to Fort Collins in 2006, TCU totaled 606 yards of offense in a 45-14 victory. The Frogs used a 28-point second quarter to build a 31-7 halftime lead.
*In the 2002 Liberty Bowl, Conference USA co-champion TCU posted a 17-3 victory over MWC champion and 23rd-ranked Colorado State.
*The first meeting between the Frogs and Rams took place in 1998, when both teams were members of the Western Athletic Conference. Colorado State won 42-21.
PLAYER TO WATCH
*The last two 100-yard rushing games for TCU senior tailback Aaron Brown are against Colorado State.
*In three career contests versus the Rams, Brown has rushed for 374 yards (124.7 per game) on a 7.6 per carry average while totaling eight receptions for 88 yards.
*Brown received MWC Player of the Week honors after last year's meeting in Fort Worth. He rushed for 124 yards while adding three receptions in a 24-12 Frog victory.
*In a 2006 contest in Fort Collins, Brown totaled 285 all-purpose yards in a 45-14 TCU win. He ran for a career-high 166 yards and three touchdowns. He added three catches for 48 yards and two kickoff returns for 71 yards.
*Brown rushed for 84 yards, including a 10-yard score, with two receptions in a 33-6 win over the Rams in 2005.
SIGNAL CALLER UNIQUENESS
*TCU is the only school in the nation to have one quarterback (Marcus Jackson, 298 yards) lead the team in rushing while another (Andy Dalton, 818 yards) is the passing leader.
FINISHING STRONG
*TCU has outscored its opponents 62-0 in the fourth quarter this season.
POINTS ON THE BOARD
*The Frogs are on pace to score 484 points this season which would shatter the school record of 410 from 2000.
MAKING THE STOPS
*Preseason All-America safety Stephen Hodge totaled six tackles on special teams against San Diego State. Five of those stops came in the first quarter, including the first four special teams tackles made by the Frogs.
STREAKS
*True freshman placekicker Ross Evans has made eight consecutive field-goal attempts and 25 straight PATs.
*Evans is 9-of-10 on field goals and 26-of-27 on PATs for the season. Four field goals have been successful from at least 39 yards.
