By Gregg Xenakes Aug 22, 2007, 16:50 GMT
OFFENSE: First and foremost, the Horned Frogs have Aaron Brown to count on coming out of the backfield, following up a hugely successful 2006 campaign, one that prompted him being tabbed Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in the MWC. However, Brown is quick to point out that such accolades don't mean that much until he actually steps onto the playing field this season. Brown is actually second among returning players in terms of rushing from a season ago, having produced 801 yards, but he averaged better than five yards per carry and scored nine times on the ground. He also placed second on the team in receptions with 34 for 455 yards, making him even more of a threat when he's not toting the ball out of the backfield. Unfortunately, the bigger question heading into the campaign is who exactly will be getting Brown the ball? Early on, sophomore Marcus Jackson has been penciled in as the starter, but coach Patterson is quick to point out that the man that he goes with once the season starts might not be the top athlete at the position, rather the one who makes the best decisions, manages the game well and gets the most respect in the huddle. That leaves the door open for redshirt freshmen Andy Dalton and Zack Eskridge to possibly gets some snaps. The returning starters along the offensive line (Blake Schlueter, Matty Lindner and Wade Sisk) should keep things safe for the skilled players, while returning wideouts Donald Massey and Derek Moore will be stretching the field and opening up the offense.
DEFENSE: The defense for the Horned Frogs was one of the most aggressive and threatening forces in not only the Mountain West, but all of college football last season. Only twice did the unit surrender as many as 21 points in a single contest in 2006 and five times limited foes to a touchdown or less, including Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl. Defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas must be smiling from ear to ear when he thinks about the players he has coming back and the amount of complete chaos they can cause. A unanimous selection last season and a two-time All-MWC First Team member on defense, defensive end Tommy Blake is the choice for defensive player of the year in the conference now that Utah's Eric Weddle has abandoned the college ranks and moved to the pros. Blake is an all-out menace who in 13 games last season placed fourth on the team in tackles with 54 but, more importantly, made 16.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and was responsible for a team-best seven sacks. Behind his leadership the Horned Frogs managed to take out opposing quarterbacks a whopping 36 times for a loss of 267 yards overall. Add to that another 63 TFLs and it became obvious that TCU was rising above mid-major level in terms of talent and coaching. In addition to Blake, TCU has another well-rounded defensive end in Chase Ortiz who always seems to be making an impact. A year ago Ortiz registered just 27 tackles, but of those 11 were in the backfield. Attacking with a 4-2-5 defensive scheme, the Frogs put more emphasis on the secondary than they do the middle of the field where linebackers David Hawthorne (5.0 TFLs) and Jason Phillips (6.0 TFLs) will roam, which is why having four returning starters producing the last line of defense is so critical. Of those coming back for another turn, senior safety Brian Bonner is the one to key on after he tallied 9.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks and a pair of interceptions last year.
SPECIAL TEAMS: As one of the most accurate kickers in the MWC a season ago, Chris Manfredini is back again to put points on the board when the TCU offense stalls. As a junior the kicker missed just two of his 14 attempts, making 8- of-9 from 30 yards and beyond, with a long of 47 yards. In 2006 as many as four different players had the chance to let loose with at least one punt, but now the job falls squarely to Derek Wash after he forced five fair catches on just 13 attempts. As far as returning kicks, Brian Bonner figures to reprise the role after being named to the All-MWC First Team for his efforts a season ago when he averaged close to 13 yards per punt return, which in turn pushed the Horned Frogs to third in the Mountain West in that department.
OUTLOOK: Coach Patterson warns against getting overconfident against seemingly lesser programs, like Baylor and SMU during the first month of action, mainly because the Bears refused to go quietly a year ago. Keeping with the Big 12 Conference theme, the visit from Baylor in the season opener is followed by a trip to see the Longhorns at Texas, and then a short week sees the squad turning around and heading to Air Force for the conference opener just five days later. Considering the number of returning starters that TCU has on the roster and the caliber of play expected to come from the rest of the MWC, Patterson and Co. should be setting up for yet another postseason bid and quite possibly another first-place finish in the league standings once the dust clears.
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