#32 TCU Horned Frogs Preview
DJ Boyer |Jul 29,2008
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 #32 TCU Horned Frogs Preview
TCU Horned Frogs
Head Coach – Gary Patterson
2007 Record– 8-5
2007 Review
TCU was all the rave at the beginning of the season. The media always likes to latch onto that one team from a non-BCS conference that can make a run at getting a BCS invitation and spoiling the party. TCU seemed to be the popular choice heading into last season by many with myself included. TCU struggled from the onset of the season after shutting out Baylor they lost to both Texas and Air Force. Their best player (Tommy Blake) had left the team with issues dealing with bipolar disorder and the Horned Frogs never quite became the national contender that many had picked them to be. TCU was able to score a bowl win against a respectable Houston Cougar team but 8-5 was far below the expectations they had set for themselves coming into the season.
Team MVP
TCU has been known for their defensive prowess over the last five years and that remains the hard and soul of this team even after losing All Conference defensive ends Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz to graduation. Jason Phillips has been starting since he was a freshman in the middle f-or TCU and last year he established himself as the best middle linebacker in the WAC and one of the best in the country. The linebacking corps is fantastic at TCU and Phillips is the leader. Phillips recorded 87 tackles totaled the team in 2007 with 10.5 coming for loss. Phillips has 237 total tackles in his three seasons at TCU and will certainly add to that total in 2008.
Offense
Quarterback
Andy Dalton showed the country he is ready to be a big time quarterback at the NCAA level. Dalton threw for nearly 2,500 yards as a freshman but only 10 touchdowns through the air. In fact Dalton made the no-no of throwing 3 interceptions in the red zone a season ago. Now with another year under his belt and a seasoned running back stable that can hopefully stay healthy, things should improve for Dalton. He has already showed the talent and now the other factor here is durability. Dalton
suffered through some injuries a year ago so Marcus Jackson better be ready. Jackson looked the part in 2007 as he threw 69 passes but the offense was noticeable conservative with him at the controls.
Running Back
Joseph Turner led the Horned Frogs in rushing last season but he is #3 on the depth chart heading into this season. Turner had nearly 600 yards but he played due to injuries suffered by Aaron Brown and Justin Watts. Brown is expected to be the workhorse and looks to be the next in a long line of successful TCU runners (Kenneth Davis, LaDainian Tomlinson, Lonta Hobbs etc etc). Brown is also a big help in the passing game as he needs to improve his route running but his pass receiving and blocking skills will get him a serious look at the next level. Brown seems to be
the complete back that can play any down and in any situation. Justin Watts and Joseph Turner will both get their chances and each of the three running backs seem to have their own style which makes things a little harder for opposing defenses. Don’t forget Andy Dalton is going to help in the running game and is capable of 500yards rushing with 7-8 touchdowns on the ground by himself.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
No starting wide receiver from last season is back in the fold but the receivers have a chance to become one of the focal points of the offense because the talent needed to excel is there. Jimmy Young and Bart Johnson were both highly recruited individuals and now as sophomores they have the ability to turn it loose on the football field. Jimmy Young and his 14.1 YPC is the top returning number of anyone in the receiving corps but most of his yardage covers after the catch, not because he is a deep threat on runs longer patterns. Young is a beast to bring down and what I like about all of the receivers is they seem to know the blocking scheme and will help their running backs downfield. Donald Massey may not be penciled in as a starter but he provides the veteran leadership and works the tough routes in the center of the
field. Shae Reagan only had 11 catches at tight end but 9 of them went for 10 or more yards showing he has the ability to stretch the field. Look for Reagan to have his catch totals near 30 for his senior campaign.
Offensive Line
Four of the five starters are back along the line for TCU but this was a unit that struggled mightily at times in 2007 and was not up to the usual high TCU standards. Blake Schlueter at center has pro potential and will be the focus of the running game. TCU has traditionally been a team that has been stronger in the interior of the line then outside and in pass protection. Giles Montgomery and Nick Richmond look likea formidable duo along the line. One thing that the line did show a season
ago was toughness and the depth has improved with players like Josh Vernon and Marcus Cannon on the bench, these players would be starting at roughly 75% of the schools in their conference but at TCU they are little more than role players who serve a specific purpose.
Defense
Defensive Line
Going into 2007 Chase Ortiz and Tommy Blake were thought by some to be the best 1-2 defensive end combo in the country. It was well documented that Blake had some mental health issues and he missed a considerable amount of time because of it. It may have inadvertently helped the Horned Frogs as players like Matt Panfil and Kelly Griffin saw their roles and responsibilities increase and for the most part they responded well. The defense was still very good a season ago and they did lead the
conference in sacks. Not only did TCU get after the passer they remained stout against the run as they ranked 11^th nationally. TCU employs a speed first mentality and as usual their defense is without a 300-pounder to be found and they are undersized by most standards at all positions. Cody Moore is a 285-pound defensive tackle who flies to the football and with a little weight on his frame will project as an NFL player.
Linebackers
We know Jason Phillips is a deadly linebacker but when you have Robert Henson playing with you that you start to see why even though the team normally only uses 2 linebackers in their sets why this may be the most effective area for the defense.There are a lot of gap responsibilities when a team uses a 4-2-5 primary formation for the linebackers but the TCU starters have so much experience and they are so gifted that they can read plays before they happen. This is a read and react scheme and having experience at this position is crucial. If injury occurs TCU gets
high marks for their bench where players like Daryl Washington are waiting and provide little to no degradation in play.
Secondary
If you are looking for a weak spot on the defense don’t look here as the secondary completes all three major sections of the defense and all seem to be in great shape heading into the season. There may not be a better starting pair of junior corners in the country than Nick Sanders and Rafael Priest. While both stand in the 5-9 to 5-10 range and are no more than 180 pounds they are both ballhawks that play the run very well for smaller corners. Sanders and priest form a great combo and I liken them
to what we saw from Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins at South Florida a year ago. Corderra Hunter will be the third safety on the team and is the only member of the secondary that isn’t a returning starter. Sir DeMarco Bledsoe is a new incoming freshman that figures to see some time on the field behind both Steven Coleman and Stephen Hodge. This secondary is very deep and injuries will not be an issue unless they occur for a long period of time to the starting corners because they play at such a high level.
Special Teams
The only question here is who is going to be the return men as TCU doesn’t seem to have a solid starter at punt or kick returner. It doesn’t look like it matters at this point because the Horned Frogs have a few players who are capable of filling the roles. Even though we have a freshman coming into be the kicker and punter both are players the team is worried little about, in fact TCU feels both can be strengths
heading into the season. Punter Anson Kelton has been using all of his 255-pound frame in the spring to hit some booming balls.
2008 Outlook
Obviously TCU will not have the insane standards to live up to in the preseason that they failed to meet a season ago. Thinking that TCU can improve on their 8-5 record from 2007 is however a safe bet. The defense is still strong enough to keep even the biggest non-conference opponents at bay and there is enough talent on offense if TCU can do something they failed to do a year ago…stay healthy at the key positions.
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