The Texas Christian football team was unstoppable. At 10-0, the Horned Frogs were poised to break the mid-major label by being invited to a BCS bowl despite coming from Conference USA. After winning five games by three points, TCU seemed to have luck on its side.

That changed on Nov. 20, 2003, when Southern Mississippi held off a furious TCU comeback to win, 40-28. The loss dashed the Horned Frogs’ BCS dream, and they finished 11-2.

When TCU opens its season tonight against Northwestern in Fort Worth, Texas, it is primed to take the next step and reach the dream it lost last year.

This off-season, the Horned Frogs have closely practiced the base of the John Wooden Pyramid of Success – accountability, attitude and chemistry. By preaching the values of playing as a team, taking responsibility and staying confident yet humble, head coach Gary Patterson hopes TCU won’t get ahead of itself just because it was successful last year.

In 2003, the team won despite losing key players like safety Marvin Godbolt to injury. Although TCU recovered from the loss of Godbolt, Patterson knows his team may not be as fortunate this year if a player goes down.

‘It’s really hard for you to adjust because one guy can change the whole landscape of your football team,’ Patterson said. ‘It’s just so hard to win 10 or 11 ball games. You have to have a little bit of luck.’

But Patterson’s peers also give him credit for the Horned Frogs’ recent success. After three years at TCU, Patterson is bringing attention to his program not just in Conference USA, but nationally.

‘Coach Patterson did the best job (last year),’ Alabama-Birmingham head coach Watson Brown said. ‘I voted for him for coach of the year. He didn’t get enough credit because they did have some critical injuries. I don’t see weaknesses in those guys.’

The toughness of the TCU players under Patterson has even factored into opponents’ scouting reports. When a team is looking to beat the Horned Frogs, it first looks at TCU’s recent prestige.

‘Gary has done a great job with this program,’ Northwestern head coach Randy Walker said. ‘We all know the kind of success they’ve had. TCU is a football team that knows how to win. They are playing with a great deal of confidence.’

And TCU has good reason to be confident, returning 11 starters from last year. The Horned Frogs also boast tremendous depth at skills positions like quarterback and running back.

Newly appointed starter Tye Gunn has gone undefeated as quarterback, winning eight games. Second-stringer Brandon Hassell has fared similarly, going 7-2 as a starter. The quarterback position is just one of TCU’s strong suits.

‘We’re excited,’ Patterson said. ‘We feel like both players have the potential to lead us to victory. This would be the first time we’d ever have that. We’re in a lot better situation than we have since I’ve been here.’

The Horned Frogs also return two running backs that rushed for 1,000 yards in their freshman years. Junior Lonta Hobbs, a preseason Doak Walker Award nominee, had a ‘great summer’ after rushing for a team-high nine touchdowns last season despite an ankle injury.

Sophomore Robert Merrill is expected to start even after a hamstring injury hindered him during camp. Merrill, the school’s leading rusher last year, set the TCU freshman rushing record, running for 1,107 yards.

Patterson enjoys the flexibility his running backs give him and returns the favor by giving them the ball often.

‘When one guy’s tired, he raises his hand and the other goes in,’ Patterson said. ‘It’s not real complicated. They both know that they are going to get their carries and their touches. Our offense is set up to run the football and to be able to put those guys in that position.’

Despite the achievements of his team last year, Patterson believes that his players need to ‘grow up’ before they become successful. Once they do, opponents of the Horned Frogs had better watch out.

‘If you want to have tradition and you want to have a winning program, you’ve got to do those things,’ Patterson said. ‘We always talk about how it’s not how they talk about you in August, it’s how they talk about you in December.’

Tough week

It was a week of ups and downs for the USC football team.

On Aug. 26, All-America wide receiver Mike Williams was denied reinstatement by the NCAA after an attempt to enter the NFL draft. The NCAA ruled that since Williams hired an agent prior to being closed out of the NFL, he is no longer considered an amateur.

Two days later, the Trojans played Virginia Tech to open the 2004 college football season.

USC replaced the hole left by Williams not with another receiver, but with a running back. Sophomore Reggie Bush came out of the backfield to gain 127 yards on five receptions and score all three of USC’s touchdowns in the 24-13 win.

New guys under center

Two Big Ten rivals named starting quarterbacks this week after losing veterans to graduation.

Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr named junior Matt Gutierrez as the quarterback to replace three-year starter John Navarre. Gutierrez was expected to start, and he never saw much competition for the job.

At Ohio State, head coach Jim Tressel announced that sophomore Justin Zwick will start against Cincinnati on Sept. 4. Zwick’s job is all but secure, and sophomore Troy Smith is sure to see some time in the season opener. Smith has yet to throw a pass in a game and Zwick is almost as inexperienced, throwing eight passes and completing four.

Published on September 1, 2004 at 12:00 pm