Editor’s Note: The TCU preview is written by Stephen Francis, the TCU Examiner at Examiner.com.

Stephen grew up cheering for the Horned Frogs at an early age: from the Southwest Conference and TCU’s short-lived trip into the WAC, to their domination of Conference USA and then the trip into the Mountain West. He’s a sportscaster and writer, having covered TCU Athletics on Examiner since the start of the 2009 season. Thanks to his experience in radio, he knows a thing or two about communicating and voicing his opinion and he has fun doing it. Stephen graduated from American Broadcasting School and lives in Southlake with his wife and their four -year-old daughter.

Read Part I

The Defense

The TCU defense will have their hands a little more full in 2010 with the loss of four starters from last year. As is the tradition though with Patterson defenses, they will adapt quickly and contend for the lead for fewest yards allowed once again. The two biggest losses come from the TCU secondary due to the graduation of cornerbacks Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders. Fortunately though, junior Greg McCoy saw significant playing time in the nickel and dime packages last year and will transition nicely into the starting role. It doesn’t hurt, either that McCoy has been named “the fastest Horned Frog” by the players and coaches. Senior Jason Teauge will likely fill the other corner position to provide solid speed and pass-breaking ability for the corners. Seniors Alex Ibiloye and Tejay Johnson will return as the safeties and will patrol the receiving lanes with authority. They fit the TCU defense perfectly and serve as great lines of last defense with their ability to lay the wood to anyone daring to cross into their territory.

Junior Tank Carder heads a group of stout linebackers that looks to fill the void left by the graduation of now-Arizona Cardinal Daryl Washington. Carder is the perfect man for the job and will take the reigns as the defensive captain and leader. Carder’s breakout season in 2009 proved he’s capable of taking control of a game defensively with play-stopping instincts and a nose for the football. Sophomore Tanner Brock will come off the bench to join the starting lineup and should make an immediate impact. In the 13 games he played last season without starting, Brock totaled 32 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Despite not starting, he earned second team All-Freshman Mountain West honors. He’s speedy-quick and contributed mainly on special teams in 2009 but the word on the street is that Brock’s added some poundage to his frame and will become a force to be reckoned with in 2010.

The biggest loss from last season for the TCU defense came with the graduation and first round drafting of defensive end Jerry Hughes. Coach Patterson’s defense will look to replace the fire, tenacity and overall quarterback hunting ability that he leaves a need for. Senior Wayne Daniels might be the first ingredient for that recipe. He totaled nine tackles for a loss and five and a half quarterback sacks in 2009 and could easily improve on those numbers this year as he now becomes the main TCU threat on the pass rush. He’s quick, has good moves and gets into the backfield in a hurry, which could lead to key mistakes by opposing offenses. Senior tackle Cory Grant will shore up the inside of the defensive line and with his size and overall “beastly-ness” he’ll have no problem doing so. From the defensive tackle position he reached opposing quarterbacks for two and a half sacks and five and a half tackles for a loss. Senior Kelly Griffin lines up at the other tackle position and will easily hold his own against opposing running attacks. That will be his primary job in 2010 and just watch: When a Horned Frog opponent runs the ball, Griffin will be right in the middle of it all.

Final analysis

This could be the marquee year for TCU Horned Frogs football. They’ve set the table for themselves to make another run at a BCS appearance. In fact, if some chips fall right they could even find themselves with an outside shot at the BCS National Championship. With 14 weeks of college football yet to be played and an endless myriad of possibilities, the sky could be the limit for TCU.

They face a tough opponent in a ridiculously-hyped atmosphere with Oregon State at Cowboy Stadium on September 4. They’ll immediately be challenged and will then play SMU three weeks later. Something says though, that this team will not allow that game to “surprise” them again. At the mid point of the season, the Frogs will face Wyoming, BYU and Air Force in back-to-back-to-back weeks. All three of those games take place at Amon G. Carter Stadium, but all three have mild upset potential. Then, two weeks after the Air Force game, the Frogs will travel to Salt Lake City to face Utah.

Despite what ESPN pundits and polls will say, that looks like a moderately formidable gauntlet for the Horned Frogs on paper. Having said that, this team should go 10-2 at worst and 12-0 at best in the regular season. Expectations are high around Fort Worth and this team is fueled by a hunger they were unable to quench last season. Not even with a hand full of Tostitos. Perhaps a second helping would do the trick this time around.

Stephen Francis

Special contributor to dfwfootball.net and TCU Horned Frogs Examiner on examiner.com

Editor’s Note: The TCU preview is written by Stephen Francis, the TCU Examiner at Examiner.com.

Stephen grew up cheering for the Horned Frogs at an early age: from the Southwest Conference and TCU’s short-lived trip into the WAC, to their domination of Conference USA and then the trip into the Mountain West. He’s a sportscaster and writer, having covered TCU Athletics on Examiner since the start of the 2009 season.  Thanks to his experience in radio, he knows a thing or two about communicating and voicing his opinion and he has fun doing it. Stephen graduated from American Broadcasting School and lives in Southlake with his wife and their four -year-old daughter.

This Team is Hungry

Last season, the TCU Horned Frogs put together an unforgettable season. They exceeded the expectations of many with an undefeated regular season and the first BCS Bowl berth in school history. Names like Jerry Hughes, Andy Dalton, Tank Carder and Jeremy Kerley became widely know beyond more than just Tarrant County. Although that quest for a perfect season fell just a fake punt short of coming to life, the Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State may turn out to be the perfect stepping stone and motivating factor the 2010 Frog team needs. This time, it seems to have created a hunger.

TCU returns 16 of their 22 starters from the Fiesta Bowl team of 2009. As if the Frogs didn’t already set the bar high enough by finishing ranked sixth in the NCAA’s two major polls, the preseason rankings hold it in place. They’re starting the season with the highest USA Today Coaches Poll ranking (seventh) since 1956 (also seventh) and also ranked the highest in the Associated Press poll (sixth) than any other team in school history.

The Offense

Offensively, TCU sits in a good position. Nine of last season’s 11 starters return and the two losses came at right tackle (Marshall Newhouse) and running back (Joseph Turner). While those are both vital positions to a run-first ball control offense, the Frogs still find themselves in good hands offensively. For that reason, good things will still happen while TCU holds the ball.

For one, quarterback Andy Dalton returns for his fourth season as the starting quarterback for TCU. Coaches, players and even school officials unanimously agree he’s the leader of the Horned Frog offense, and for good reason. He enters 2010 tied with the legendary Sammy Baugh for the school record for victories by a quarterback with 29 and finished 2009 on several All-American teams and award finalist lists. In addition, he’s on the watch list this year once again for the Manning Award, the Davey O’Brien Award and again sits on numerous preseason All-American and All-Conference teams. Dalton became known by many college football scouts and experts in 2009 and might just become widely-recognized this season if all goes well. In all, the overall success of the TCU offense will correlate exactly with the success of Dalton.

For that reason, his receiving corps must prove reliable for him this season. The talented and experienced Frog receiving corps returns four of their top five receivers from 2009. Senior Jeremy Kerley, known mainly for his return skills, led the team in both receptions and receiving yards last year and will likely do the same as Dalton’s main first down maker. Kerley shows a knack for getting open early and catching the quick pass to move the chains effectively and help the offense keep the ball. Senior Jimmy Young, who finished second in receptions and receiving yards, will also provide great value to the TCU air attack. He’ll be an effective tool this season when Kerley lines up against talented cornerbacks and gains extra attention from opposing defenses. Senior Bart Johnson and junior Antoine Hicks will contribute largely from the slot positions and will simply expand the options for Dalton to throw to. Hicks should be the one everybody keeps an eye on in the passing game as he proved to become the biggest “home run threat” for TCU last season with a team-leading six touchdowns and an impressive 20.8 yard per reception average. Behind every good passing game though, there’s a great running game to set it up.

During Coach Gary Patterson’s time as head coach, besides quality defense, there has been one other constant: Quality running backs. In 2009, an amazing 15 players ran the ball for the Horned Frogs. They combined for 2,554 yards as one of the most efficient and effective ground games in the NCAA (Note: That number does not include Dalton’s 610 rushing yards). In addition to the time taken off the clock during those possessions, the Frog runners reached the end zone a combined 32 times (again, not including Dalton’s three rushing touchdowns). What bodes well for future TCU run games is that a pair of sophomores will lead the TCU running game in 2010.

Sophomore Matthew Tucker, last season’s latest in a long line of impressive Freshman Frog runners, finished second on the team in carries (140), rushing yards (676) and rushing touchdowns (eight). While he’ll be a key component to the TCU ground attack, it may be another sophomore that gets the bulk of the carries. Ed Wesley accounted for three of TCU’s six longest plays from scrimmage in 2009. Expect to see what will likely come close to a 50/50 split in carries between Tucker and Wesley. Think of Tucker as the “thunder” portion of the backfield while Wesley is the “lightning.” They’ll be a fun duo to watch and how well they fare will of course rest upon the offensive line.

Although Newhouse’s departure (graduation) is a big one, the Frogs have a history of great offensive linemen. Senior Marcus Cannon will likely move from the left side of the ball to the right and the starting job on the left comes down to a preseason battle between junior Jeff Olsen and senior Zach Roth. As it stands now, Olsen appears to have the edge, but it could change in the final week before the Oregon State game at Cowboys Stadium. Both players are fairly comparable in size (both 6’4″ while Roth has about a 13 lb. advantage) and will be set up for success with the other four starting linemen surrounding them.

Bold Predictions

In all, this offense is primed to put up big numbers again and could become even more prominent than the perennially-strong TCU defense. For Dalton, he will likely complete around 200 passes for 2,900 yards with 25 touchdowns and about seven interceptions to justify his preseason hype. Jeremy Kerley will catch roughly 50 passes for 600 yards with five touchdowns while Young compiles 40 grabs for 560 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, expect Wesley to gain 1,050 yards with 14 touchdowns and Tucker will provide 850 yards and 10 touchdowns of his own.

(Fort Worth, TX, August 16, 2010)–TCU has announced a $105 million renovation of the west side and north end zone of Amon G. Carter Stadium to better enhance the football fan experience, upgrade amenities and transform the historic Fort Worth icon into the “Camden Yards” of collegiate football stadiums.

Work on the renovation, which is funded by donor support, will begin immediately following this year’s football season and be fully completed in 2012.

Courtesy of TCU

“We must continually provide students the best possible university experience,” TCU chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. said. “This includes building facilities to support a vibrant living experience and an outstanding learning environment. I am pleased that over the past five years we have successfully raised funds to improve academics, athletics and student living.

“This stadium renovation, which would not have been possible without the generous support of our donors for which we are very grateful, will propel us to yet another level of excellence that will positively impact our university as well as the city of Fort Worth. We also are extremely grateful to the Amon G. Carter Foundation for their initial gift of $15 million that made this entire project possible, one that will result in a significantly improved game day experience for all fans.”

Construction will begin immediately following TCU’s final home game (Nov. 13 versus San Diego State) in the 2010 season. After construction, Amon G. Carter Stadium will have a seating capacity of 40,000 that can be expanded to more than 50,000 seats.

“We are very grateful to our donors for making this possible,” TCU director of intercollegiate athletics Chris Del Conte said. “Having a first-class stadium with all the modern amenities is key in enhancing the student-athlete experience and providing our community with a fabulous venue to enjoy football games.

“I also would like to thank Chancellor Boschini and our Board of Trustees who are truly the wind beneath our wings on this project. They were behind us every step of the way. Special thanks also go to associate athletics director Davis Babb and head football coach Gary Patterson for their unbelievable fundraising efforts. They are true leaders and team players. We are incredibly appreciative of the tremendous support we received on this historic project from TCU and Fort Worth.”

TCU began examining the possibility of renovating its stadium in 2006 when Luther King, chairman of TCU’s Board of Trustees (BOT), appointed Clarence Scharbauer, vice chair of the BOT, to lead a stadium renovation committee. The committee’s invaluable work, along with that of TCU administrators, led to a stadium renovation that will lift the historical icon to a level of national visibility on par with the University’s championship-winning football team.

Courtesy of TCU

“Having a new stadium will have a great impact on our recruiting efforts,” Patterson said. “It helps us take the next step in what we’re trying to accomplish as a program, and that’s winning a national championship. We want to thank all of our friends for making this stadium possible.”

This is the first major renovation to Amon G. Carter Stadium, built in 1930, since the upper deck was added in 1956.

Designed by HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, who most recently completed work on the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, the renovation greatly enhances the fan experience by improving stadium accessibility, seating and views of the playing field.

The renovation consists of:

• Significantly upgraded and new concession stands for better access and reduced wait times
• Elevators and escalators to better facilitate stadium accessibility and crowd flow
• A new, raised seating bowl on the west and north end for enhanced field views
• Upgraded and additional men’s and women’s restrooms
• Suites, club seating and lounges on the west side of the stadium
• A new press box

Dan Phillips, AIA, senior designer with HKS, said the design references the 1930s style of Southwestern art deco prevalent throughout Fort Worth and the surrounding region.

“Through research, we discovered that Amon G. Carter Stadium’s original design intent incorporated this architectural style,” Phillips added. “However, it was not fully realized. The new design blends seamlessly with the Meyer–Martin Athletic Complex, the TCU campus and the city of Fort Worth.”

Suites and lounges also will reflect the Southwestern art deco as well as the graphics and way-finding signage throughout the stadium. By integrating the University colors, HKS has created a unique look and feel for the renovated Amon G. Carter Stadium. In addition, the north concourse will mirror the south concourse and fans will be able to see the field while walking through either concourse.

“Unlike the majority of major college football facilities in the country, which tuck fan amenities under the seating bowl, the new Amon G. Carter Stadium brings the action on the field into the main concourse – allowing fans to always be connected to the game,” Phillips said.

Courtesy of TCU

The 2010 version of college football will kick off the weekend of September 3rd, and if you are an NCAA football betting kind-of-guy, you might be willing to count on the local teams to have an exciting year!

All three of the Dallas-Fort Worth NCAA football teams will kick off their football seasons.  All three games will involved ranked teams, and TCU will headline the DFW football weekend with a game in Arlington at Cowboys Stadium against Oregon State and Jacquizz Rodgers.

The Horned Frogs are ranked number 6 by the pre-season Associated Press poll and the USA Today Coach’s Poll.  Oregon State will be considered a challenger for the Pac 10 Championship.  Their should be an electric atmosphere in Arlington on September 4th.

North Texas will kick off their season on the road against the always-dangerous Clemson Tigers (September 4th).  The Tigers always has exceptional talent, but will be starting over after the career of C. J. Spiller who had 3,547 yards rushing in four years for Clemson.  Could the Mean Green sneak in to Death Valley and pull off the upset?  Who will take the field at quarterback for Todd Dodge and UNT?  The Tigers have snagged a number 24 ranking in the pre-season AP poll.

SMU will start with a road game against Texas Tech and their new head coach Tommy Tuberville (September 5th).  Double T has a new meaning in Lubbock with Tuberville taking over for the departed Mike Leach.  Tech will enter the pre-season ranked 21st.  The quarterback battle is as big of a question in Lubbock as it is settled in Dallas.  Kyle Padron will start his second season as the top QB for June Jones and the Mustangs.  What kind of fireworks will these two teams shoot off  in the Lubbock sky?  Pony Up?  Guns Up?

In just a few short days, all three teams will begin Fall camp.  Of course, there is nothing Fall about the North Texas summers!  Could this be a magical year for DFW teams?  Can TCU return to a BCS bowl?  Can SMU upset Houston and go on to win the Conference USA Championship?  And, is this the breakthrough year for Todd Dodge in Denton?

Stay with Dfwfootball.net to find out!

TCU Horned Frogs

09/04/10
vs. Oregon State TV, Arlington, TX, 6:45 p.m. CT

09/11/10
vs. Tennessee Tech, Fort Worth, TX, 6:00 p.m. CT

09/18/10
vs. Baylor, Fort Worth, TX, 3:30 p.m. CT

09/24/10
at SMU, Dallas, TX, 7:00 p.m. CT

10/02/10
at Colorado State, Fort Collins, CO, 1:00 p.m. CT

10/09/10
vs. Wyoming, Fort Worth, TX, 2:30 p.m. CT

10/16/10
vs. BYU, Fort Worth, TX, 3:00 p.m. CT

10/23/10
vs. Air Force, Fort Worth, TX, 7:00 p.m. CT

10/30/10
at UNLV, Las Vegas, NV, 10:00 p.m. CT

11/06/10
at Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 2:30 p.m. CT

11/13/10
vs. San Diego State, Fort Worth, TX, 3:00 p.m. CT

11/27/10
at New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 3:00 p.m. CT

Dalton is on several watch lists including the Davey O'Brien

TCU, Fort Worth, TX–Seven TCU football players have received preseason All-America honors with six Horned Frogs appearing on watch lists for national awards.

Included below is an updated TCU preseason honor roll, as of July 16:

Gary Patterson, Head Coach

• Preseason Coach of the Year, Playboy

Marcus Cannon, OT

• Outland Trophy Watch List
• Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List
• Preseason All-American, Playboy
• Preseason Second-Team All-American, Rivals.com/Yahoo! Sports
• Preseason Third-Team All-American, Phil Steele’s College Football Preview
• Preseason Honorable-Mention All-American, NationalChamps.net
• Best Offensive Lineman in Texas, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football
• Preseason First-Team All-Texas College, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football
• All-Texas Team, Sporting News
• Ranked third among offensive tackles for the 2011 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
• Ranked fifth in the nation among offensive tackles, Lindy’s

Tank Carder, LB

• Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
• Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List
• Preseason Third-Team All-American, Sporting News
• Preseason Fourth-Team All-American, Phil Steele’s College Football Preview
• Best Linebacker in Texas, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football
• Preseason First-Team All-Texas College, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football
• All-Texas Team, Sporting News
• Ranked 10th in the nation among inside linebackers, Lindy’s
• One of 12 “New stars you must know” in 2010, CollegeFootballNews.com

Andy Dalton, QB

• Davey O’Brien Award Watch List
• Johnny Unitas Award Watch List
• Preseason Honorable-Mention All-American, NationalChamps.net
• Ranked 12th in the nation among quarterbacks, Lindy’s
• One of 10 “Players who will take their game to the next level” in 2010, CollegeFootballNews.com

Wayne Daniels, DE

• Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List
• Preseason Second-Team All-Texas College, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football
• One of 10 “Fresh new faces” in 2010, CBSSports.com

Ross Evans, PK

• Preseason Honorable-Mention All-American, NationalChamps.net
• Preseason First-Team All-Texas College, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football
• All-Texas Team, Sporting News

Cory Grant, DT

• All-Texas Team, Sporting News

Kelly Griffin, NT

• Preseason Second-Team All-Texas College, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football

Tejay Johnson, S

• Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
• Lott Trophy Watch List
• Preseason Second-Team All-American, Rivals.com/Yahoo! Sports
• Preseason Third-Team All-American, Phil Steele’s College Football Preview
• Preseason Second-Team All-Texas College, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football
• Ranked 10th in the nation among safeties, Lindy’s

Jeremy Kerley, PR

• Preseason First-Team All-American, Phil Steele’s College Football Preview
• Preseason First-Team All-American, Rivals.com/Yahoo! Sports
• Preseason First-Team All-American, NationalChamps.net
• Preseason Second-Team All-American, Sporting News
• Preseason Third-Team All-American, Athlon
• Preseason First-Team All-Texas College, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football
• All-Texas Team, Sporting News

Jake Kirkpatrick, C

• Outland Trophy Watch List
• Rimington Trophy Watch List
• Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List
• Preseason First-Team All-American, Sporting News
• Preseason First-Team All-American, Rivals.com/Yahoo! Sports
• Preseason Second-Team All-American, NationalChamps.net
• Preseason First-Team All-Texas College, Dave Campbell’s 2010 Texas Football
• Ranked third in the nation among centers, Lindy’s

Jason Teague, CB

• Named an “Under-the-radar difference-maker to watch” in 2010, Rivals.com

TCU Offensive Backfield

• Ranked fifth in the nation, Lindy’s

TCU, Fort Worth, TX–The Gary Patterson Foundation has donated $1,500 to fund four Super Bowl XLV SLANT 45 projects, encouraging elementary school children to be active in their community.

The announcement was made at Clarke Elementary in Fort Worth, where four groups of 10-to-12 students have undertaken community projects.

The Clarke Elementary student involvement includes painting over gang graffiti prevalent in the neighborhood as well as a recycling program through which SLANT 45 donates the funds to SafeHaven of Tarrant County, a women and children’s shelter. Other projects involve a campus beautification program that features planting flowers and improving the overall appearance of their school, and an anti-gang campaign inviting police officers to campus to discuss gangs in the neighborhood.

“Gary and I are excited about the SLANT 45 program because it energizes the youth of our communities,” said Kelsey Patterson, wife of TCU football coach Gary Patterson and the Foundation’s secretary and treasurer.

“Through SLANT 45, Super Bowl XLV will leave behind a legacy, something positive in our communities. I think we’ll be seeing the effects of Super Bowl XLV for years to come.”

With TCU, the Gary Patterson Foundation also introduced an incentive program for students to participate in SLANT 45. Elementary­ aged students in the Fort Worth Independent School District and throughout Tarrant County can
submit their service-learning ideas into a competition for funding and awards.

Any team that registers for the program by July 2 will be entered for a chance to receive a private tour of the TCU campus, a meet and greet during practice and a Horned Frog football game-day experience.

More than 5,000 elementary school students in the North Texas region have signed up for SLANT 45. The goal is 20,000.

To learn more and register, visit www.slant45.org or call (469) 621-8989.

TCU, Fort Worth, TX–Former TCU wide receiver Ryan Christian has signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Ryan Christian eludes the tackle and scores

A four-year letterman for the Horned Frogs who also saw significant time at tailback, Christian totaled 74 career receptions for 750 yards (10.1 average) and three touchdowns. He added 777 career yards rushing on a 4.0 per carry mark with six scores.

Christian averaged 23.6 yards on 14 kickoff returns. He played in 47 career games with eight starts.

Christian was the 2009 recipient of TCU football’s Davey O’Brien Fightin’est Frog Award.

An Aledo, Texas, native, Christian recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game with three catches for 106 yards in a 55-10 win at San Diego State. He also had his first career receiving scores with touchdown grabs of 44 and 29 yards. Christian came back the next week with a 16-yard scoring reception against Utah. It was part of a season-best five grabs for 48 yards
against the Utes.

As a junior, Christian tied a career-high with six catches for 53 yards in the Poinsettia Bowl victory over Boise State. He rushed for a career-best 82 yards on 19 carries while adding four receptions in a 31-14 win over Stanford.

Photo Credit: Dirk Hansen

Five TCU football players have received All-America honors from Rivals.com.

(TCU Athletics, Fort Worth, TX)–TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes was a first-team selection. Jeremy Kerley was a second-team choice at punt returner, while center Jake Kirkpatrick, offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse and linebacker Daryl Washington were third-team picks.

Seven Horned Frogs have been named All-Americans this season. Quarterback Andy Dalton was cited by SI.com with cornerback Rafael Priest garnering honors from Sporting News.

Hughes is only the second two-time consensus All-American in TCU history (Darrell Lester, 1934-35). Hughes is the 2009 recipient of the Ted Hendricks Award and Lott Trophy. He has 15 tackles for loss, including 11 1/2 sacks, among a career-high 54 stops this season.

Kerley has returned two punts for touchdowns. He tops the Mountain West Conference in both punt return (14.3 yards) and kickoff return (26.9 yards) average. He’s one of only two players in the country (Javier Arenas,
Alabama) to rank in the top 20 nationally in both categories.

Kirkpatrick and Newhouse help anchor a TCU offensive line that paves the way for the Horned Frogs to rank in the top five nationally in scoring offense (40.7 points per game), total offense (469.1 yards per game) and rushing offense (256.5 yards per game). The Horned Frogs have set single-season school records for points scored (488) and total offense (5,629 yards).

Kirkpatrick was one of six finalists for the Rimington Trophy, awarded to
the nation’s top center.

Washington tops TCU with 99 tackles, the most stops by a Horned Frog since 2004 (Martin Patterson, 131). A senior from Irving, Texas, Washington was a Dick Butkus Award semifinalist. He has 7 1/2 tackles for loss and is tied for the TCU lead with three interceptions.

A signature play for Washington was catching Clemson’s C.J. Spiller from behind to make a touchdown-saving tackle in TCU’s 14-10 win in Death Valley.

Don’t look now, but we have a sweep this weekend in local college football. The number 6 ranked TCU Horned Frogs took care of UNLV in their first shutout of the season. The SMU Mustangs won the battle of “Back up QB’s” against Tulsa, and the UNT Mean Green got their second win of the season. Next thing you know, the Cowboys will win too!

TCU 41
UNLV 0
Recap

SMU  27
Tulsa 13
Recap

UNT 68
W KY 49
Recap