Freshmen, second half start pace win
Propelled by two quick third quarter touchdowns, and a freshman offensive duo, the Horned Frogs defeated Houston 34-17 at Homecoming.
By Danny Gillham
Sports Editor

All season long, the Horned Frogs have talked about the benefit of experience and age they had returning this season.

On Saturday, however, it was youth that helped the Frogs (4-1, 1-1 Conference USA) to a 34-17 win over the Houston Cougars (2-3, 0-2).

Redshirt freshman Tye Gunn made his first career start at quarterback, and made the most of his opportunity. Utilizing his mobility, the coaching staff used Gunn in rollouts and bootlegs. He responded with 172 yards on 15 of 26 passing, including a 3-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Cody McCarty. Gunn also ran for 63 yards and a touchdown.

He did show his inexperience with two interceptions, but teammates like senior wide receiver LaTarence Dunbar said Gunn showed presence.

“He’s poised,” Dunbar said. “You can’t tell he’s a redshirt freshman. Tye seems like he’s been here for a while. He doesn’t get nervous, and if he does, he doesn’t show it.”

The game also saw the debut of true freshman tailback Lonta Hobbs. Hobbs, who had been practicing with the first team for a few weeks, carried the ball 12 times for 73 yards.

“He’s not scared,” head coach Gary Patterson said. “Some freshman running backs step up and see people in front of him (and are afraid), and he’s not one that is like that. He wants to play.”

Hobbs, along with Gunn and junior Ricky Madison, was part of a rushing attack that rolled up a season-high 201 yards.

The score was tied at 10-10 heading into the second half, but that score would quickly change.

Two offside calls forced the Cougars to kickoff the ball three times to Dunbar, and he made them pay with a 96-yard return for a touchdown.

“I don’t know if they were tired or forgot that I led the nation two years ago,” Dunbar said. “They just kept kicking to me. I just knew one time somebody was going to miss and I was gonna take it to the house, and that’s what happened.”

Just a little more than a minute later, senior safety Kenneth Hilliard picked off a pass for a 43-yard touchdown, the first touchdown of his collegiate career.

Hilliard, who went to Kimball High School, said he couldn’t let fellow Dallas native Dunbar have a touchdown without him on Homecoming.

“His kickoff return got me enthusiastic, so I know I couldn’t just let him go away with something,” Hilliard said. “I had to come away with something also. He’s from South Oak Cliff, so I didn’t want everybody saying SOC at the end of the game. I wanted some people saying Kimball also.”

The victory also served as the first conference win for the Frogs this season, making the victory that much sweeter.

“We didn’t want to fall behind in conference 0-2,” Dunbar said. “Once you fall behind early, it’s hard to catch back up. Our goal is set to go to Memphis this year, and without victories, we can’t go.”