No. 9 - The defensive line

While a lot of attention and talk has been about who’s not here to play on the defensive line, I want to give props to this group that I’ve enjoyed watching during fall camp at TCU.

Coach Dick Bumpas has been around a long time, and he knows D-Line play. He has his gritty group playing fast and a little angry.

I think you’re going to like what this group brings to the line of scrimmage when they dig in for real next week against Samford.

Chucky Hunter (above) is the leader, and I think he’s primed for a season in which he’ll finally be recognized on a national basis for the dominant player he is.

Next door defensive tackle Davion Pierson is lighter and faster at a svelte 305. Mike Tuaua never stops at defensive end. Josh Carraway at the other end knows his way around a block – he’s quick.

The guys who’ll make news this year include defensive tackle Tevin Lawson and defensive end Terrell Lathan. But keep an ear open for the names Bryson Henderson and inside guys L.J. Collier and Chris Bradley – both true freshmen who add depth.

They’ll all get a good test in the first two games as both Samford and Minnesota are power teams who like to feature physical running attacks.

We’re nine days away!

Tomorrow…..#8

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Ten reasons you're going to love these Frogs 
Aug. 20: No. 10 - The schedule

10 Reasons You’re Going to Like These Frogs

No. 10

THE SCHEDULE – I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s just well-arranged.

The Frogs play seven home games this year and don’t leave the state of Texas until Nov. 1, when they travel to West Virginia.

The Frogs host both Oklahoma schools, K-State, Texas Tech, non-conference foes Samford and Minnesota and finish up with Iowa State.

Oh, and there are two open dates sprinkled in early on Sept. 6 and 20 to help the Frogs tune up some more for the Big 12 run which starts Oct. 4 when the Sooners come to visit.

Tomorrow, No. 9.

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Focused on Omaha

Frog Fans, like you, I’ve been thinking about Omaha a lot lately. This weekend at Lupton Stadium is already historic and could be an epic one for Coach Schloss and his crew. 

Go get ‘Em!

But take a moment with me on this June 6th. And remember.

D-Day.

I woke up early this morning, went out in the front yard and took down my TCU flag that flies there most every day and put up the American flag to honor all those Allied soldiers who landed on the coast of France 70 years ago this morning. Their efforts, sacrifice and the surprise attack were the beginning of the end of World War II.

Operation Overlord was the official name of the largest amphibious invasion to ever take place. The target was a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast that was well-protected by Hitler’s Atlantic Wall.

It began in the early morning with landings on five beaches named Juno, Gold, Utah, Sword …and Omaha. And onto the beaches they went, into a man-made hell with German gun emplacements above the beaches. 

Along the shore, mines, wooden stakes, metal tripods, barbed wire all had to be dodged while bullets rained down from above. Many were mowed down before they ever made it to the beach. 

And they kept coming. 

By afternoon, the Allies owned the beachheads and the invasion was in high gear.

It was no doubt the big play of World War II, and it’s my father’s generation that made it happen. Tech Sergeant Joe D. Denton of the U.S. Army Air Corps was based California on D-Day, working on the XP-59 fighter project - the first American jet fighter.

He is now 89.

I’m going to see him today in Dallas and tell him thanks.

Stats show that World War II vets are dying at the rate of about 1,000 a day. Find one that you know today and thank them. They saved the world.

Omaha.

On this day it has two meanings.

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Can One Guy Make That Much Difference? - Exhibit B

A couple of weeks ago, I asked the question, “Can one guy make that much difference?”

The answer is yes.

If it pleases the court, I’d like to offer Exhibit B in the form of Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder. At the ripe young age of 73, Snyder is in his second tour of duty at the helm at K-State.

In his first stint, he took Kansas State University of Agriculture and Applied Science from being the laughing stock of college football to a feared power.

Sidebar on Kansas State: K-State used to appear in the AP’s Bottom 10 rankings every week back in the 1970s with Rice, TCU and Northwestern. They were a joke. In 1984, I played against KSU, and we beat them in the home opener 42-10 and it wasn’t THAT close.

After winning just one game in 1989, Snyder got the PowerCats to 11 wins in 1997 and again in ’98, ’99 and 2000. He retired a Kansas State legend in 2005.

Then Kansas State Football suffered.

So they talked him in to coming back in 2009 and the Wildcats showed life at 6-6. They’ve improved every year since Snyder came back, with win totals the last three years of 7, 10 and 11.

Today, I say they’re the hottest team in the Big 12 right now, having won three in a row and rolling up 49 on Texas Tech last week.

Yes, one guy can make that much difference.

BUT, I like the Frogs chances in The Little Apple on Saturday.  Why?

• Kansas State wants to run the football and grind it out. TCU rolls into Aggieville with the best rushing defense in the Big 12.
• The Frogs found a way to win last week for the first time in a month when they weren’t their best. I see a spark.
• TCU can sell out, play loose and they have two weeks to heal up for Baylor. K-State, on the other hand, has Oklahoma next week.

Here’s to a big Frog road win Saturday and the perfect setup for a big game with Baylor at the end of the month.

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Can One Guy Make That Much Difference?

College football is a team game.  One hundred guys sticking together as a group, playing for each other.   You’ve heard it 1,000 times from Gary Patterson:  Each player doing his 1/11^th.

As we say hello to the 11^th month of the year and Thanksgiving looms just 27 days away, we get into the wheelhouse of college football.  Players lost for the year to injury and some coming back from injury. Some teams up, some teams down. Surprise teams and a few team buses with flat tires along the side of the college football road looking for help.

Speaking of help, I ask the question, “Can one guy make THAT much difference?” The answer is yes. One example is Texas new Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson. Nowhere mentioned in relation to UTex football at the beginning of the year. Mack Brown when to the bullpen phone and brought Robinson out of the shadows to revamp Bevo’s defense and fix the leaks, while standing in waist deep water, extension cords dangerously close to the surface. Robinson grabbed a wrench and fixed the leaks, went back to the basics.  He has done more than fix the defense at UT. He has reinstalled attitude and swagger throughout the UT program. And saved Mack Brown.

   

The Texas defense I saw last Saturday night has come light years since BYU made hamburger out of them earlier in the year.

Here’s another guy. Casey Pachall. With a presence and an arm to go with it, Pachall is now the difference maker for this TCU team. What a story if he can lead the Frogs to three more wins, get them to a bowl and leave TCU on the upswing. Pachall adds another gear to the TCU offense and gets rid of the ball in a hurry. His arm is strong and accurate. So strong, in fact, that TCU’s wideouts didn’t look ready for the delivery velocity that No. 4 gave them last week. Casey also delivered a heartfelt assessment of the offense in the wee hours postgame media session, basically saying that the offense needs to look inside and get it fixed. Casey Pachall can make THE DIFFERENCE. I’m pulling for him and you should be, too.

West Virginia comes to town with the same record as the Frogs — 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12. Look for a lot of motion and screens from the Mountaineers. They are last in the Big 12 in total defense, so the Frog offense should have some room to work. Both teams are missing their big offensive weapons from 2012, WVU's Tavon Austin and TCU’s Josh Boyce. Both of those guys put on a show last year in TCU’s 39-38 overtime win. Each team needs someone to step up as a playmaker. It’s time.

Brian and I are on the air tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m. on the TCU Sports Network. It’s Frogs For The Cure Day at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

And, Trent Johnson’s new, young Frogs open their season tonight with an exhibition game with Arkansas-Fort Smith at 7 p.m. at DMC.  This is an athletic and talented group that features some of the best scoring talent that TCU has put on the floor in a while. Catch them in action tonight and next week at the AAC in Dallas against SMU.

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Longhorns return to Fort Worth

Today, Texas makes its first visit to Fort Worth since 1994 for a matchup of the "revamps."

Texas and its revamped defense versus TCU and its offense that features a different play-caller and maybe even Casey Pachall.

In addition, to those plot elements, keep these in mind:

• The TCU defense vs. the UT running game
• Case McCoy vs. the TCU front four - Frogs gotta bring the pressure!
• TCU's running game vs. UT's defense. Did you see the BYU game? Sure an updated defensive scheme but still the same players.
• Weather - It could be wet!

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Needing wins, speaking of losses

As we hit the halfway pole of the season and head to Stillwater for a return engagement of Pickin’ & Grinnin’ at Boone Pickens Stadium, here are some things to grind on:

• The Frogs’ next two opponents — Okie State and Texas — both have open dates before they play the Frogs. Welcome to the Big 12.
• This Frogs-Cowboys matchup features two very mobile quarterbacks who’ll be tracked copiously throughout the game. Job 1 for the defenses will be containing them.
• These two defenses are tough against the run.
• Key matchup: OSU’s wide receivers vs. the TCU secondary. This could be fun.
• The Frogs need to run the ball in this one. Waymon James and B.J. Catalon need a minimum of 15 touches each. Load up and pound it.
• Big wide receivers for big plays – TCU has four big wide receivers: LaDarius Brown, Cam White, Josh Doctson and Ja'Juan Story. A mix of them on the field at the same time will help Trevone Boykin. To hit a receiver, a quarterback must first find them. So make it easy.
• Did you know that back in the day, Oklahoma State was actually called Oklahoma A&M?

Finally, I want to mention that we lost a great Horned Frog in the last week: Herb Zimmerman, Class of 1952. A two-time All SWC performer for the Frogs in the early 1950’s, Herb went on to a great coaching career before launching a second career as a real estate developer and rancher. Herb coach in Texas high schools at Weatherford and Mount Pleasant and then went on to become one of the best defensive coordinators in college football, working for John Bridgers at Baylor and under Hayden Fry at SMU. Herb was laid to rest earlier this week in his hometown of Mount Vernon. He as 83 and he will be missed.

Make is a great weekend.

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