Friday food for thought

It’s another Friday afternoon already!   Funny how fast they come around this time of year.  The anticipation is palpable.  (Look it up.)

WAILING OVER WAYMON

I’m getting lots of calls about Waymon James. Yes, he’s a great back, and, yes, we’re going to miss him the rest of 2012. But let me remind you of one of Denton’s 15 Laws of College Football:

INJURIES ARE PART OF THE GAME

Now, while many fans worry about what might have been, I urge you to look ahead just the same as if you were standing in the bench area in uniform and the play clock is rolling:  19, 18, 17….

No time to fret – get the next guy in there.  And that’s where your focus should be.

Matthew Tucker is a quality running back – bigger than Earl Campbell and probably faster. He now will be “the man” and get more touches that ever. That may be the difference in this season. Frankly, I’m excited that No. 29 will be launched at opposing defenses on a more frequent basis.

Also, B.J. Catalon — No. 23 on your purple wine list — presents a bouquet of surprises and ability. He also has the juice to finish plays 70 yards from the line of scrimmage. And don’t forget Aundre Dean, who doesn’t like to be tackled.

So before you sink like the Friday afternoon sunset crying about no Ed Wesley and no Waymon James, remember that college football is the land of opportunity – and in the TCU backfield, they’re just getting warmed-up.

By the Waymon, No. 32 will have two more years to tunnel his way up and down the field for the Frogs. Look forward.

FUMBLES

Item No. 2 on the email/text parade this week was the rash of fumbles that afflicted the Frogs at Kansas last week. Chalk it up to something akin to the 24-hour flu. You won’t likely see it again, specially in the red zone.

WHO ARE THE HOOS?

I’m not sure why the Virginia Cavaliers are called Wahoos or Hoos, but I will tell you that they are much improved compared to the team that TCU faced in 2009 in Charlottesville. And they are LARGE.

Head coach Mike London has done a nice job upgrading the talent, and he’s brought in a staff with NFL backgrounds to add some zip to the game planning. Be ready for anything  on Saturday morning.

They run a 4-3 on defense that gave up 461 yards on the ground against Georgia Tech last week. Linebackers are the strength of the defense.

On offense, watch out for No. 33 Perry Jones, a quality running back who’s been around the block and No. 20 Tim Smith, a wide receiver.  Smith missed the GT game with leg injury, but if he’s back tomorrow, the TCU secondary will have to keep an eye on him. Last year, Virginia lacked big play sparkle, something that quarterback Mike Rocco is trying to bring with a vertical passing game. Rocco’s not the fastest guy in the stadium, so pressure will be a key for TCU’s front seven.

All in all, Saturday’s game is about who the Frogs are and how much they improve over last week’s performance.

OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING

The Frogs' 11 a.m. kickoff means you gotta get up with the chickens to see the Frogs. It’s another sellout, so get there early. Parking lots open at 6 a.m.  Is that Regular or Decaf?

Kick ‘Em High!!