Making The Grade
Team keeps focus, wins third straight game despite injuries
Compiled by Braden Howell and
Brent Yarina

TCU 30
Vanderbilt 14

Quarterback: A
Head coach Gary Patterson said he would give junior Brandon Hassell an “A” because he came away with the win, so we figured we should too. Hassell overcame a very shaky start, which included three fumbles and an interception to lead the Frogs to victory. He finished the game 15-30 for 227 yards with one touchdown and an early interception. His stats are not exceptional, but in the second half, he did exactly what Patterson asks of his quarterbacks by controlling the clock. Hassell proved he is a capable leader.

Running Backs: A
Sophomore Lonta Hobbs was on his way to a big day when he went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter, but the Frogs didn’t skip a beat after the injury. Freshman Robert Merrill ran for 119 yards on 29 carries and put the Frogs ahead for good with an 18-yard touchdown run in the second, the first touchdown of his career. With two of the top running backs out with injuries, the Frogs’ ground game still managed to pound out some yards.

Wide Receivers: B+
The receiving core easily had their best game of the year against the Commodores. Seven different Frog wideouts caught at least one Hassell pass Saturday night. Junior Reggie Harrell led the way with four receptions for 70 yards. Freshman Quentily Harmon caught the team’s first touchdown pass this season from the wide receiver position with a 17-yard reception, which gave the Frogs a 30-14 lead late in the fourth quarter. Junior tight end Cody McCarty continues to be a favorite target of Frog quarterbacks. McCarty caught two passes for 46 yards, averaging an impressive 23 yards per reception.

Offensive Line: A-
Without a doubt, the offensive line played an instrumental role in the great performances of Hassell and Merrill. They took a lot of pressure off the two by providing excellent pass and run blocking throughout the game. Any time an offensive line only gives up one sack in a game, its doing a good job. The entire unit gave Hassell the time he needed to make good decisions and to find the open man on almost every play. As evidence of the 218 combined rushing yards, the run blocking was terrific. If the line can continue to provide huge holes for the team’s running backs, look for Merrill to have another career day at Arizona.

Defensive Line: A
Against possibly their most physical opponent of the season, the Frogs defensive line again proved they are the strength of the team. They helped hold Vanderbilt to 90 yards rushing for the game, and senior Bo Schobel had four tackles that went for a loss. The line only recorded one sack but not because they didn’t pressure quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler is a good runner and was able to escape, but TCU still helped hold him to 21 yards on 12 carries. Through the first three games, the Frogs defensive line has been able to disrupt three different offensive schemes.

Linebackers: B+
Junior Martin Patterson is starting to look more and more like his predecessor LaMarcus McDonald. Patterson was a one-man wrecking crew against Vanderbilt, finishing with seven tackles, including three for a loss.

It helps that Patterson rarely has an offensive lineman in his face, but he has shown the ability to cover the entire field quickly and is always near the ball. Senior Josh Goolsby didn’t have his best game statistically (four tackles), but he was an instrumental factor in filling the middle and stopping the Vanderbilt running game.

Secondary: B
It was a back and forth kind of day for the Frogs secondary. They would make a big play, but Vanderbilt would respond with a big play of their own. When it was all said and done, Cutler finished the day with 250 yards but completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw two interceptions. Junior safety Marvin Godbolt forced one fumble and had one interception, but he could have easily finished the game with three interceptions. Too many times the secondary allowed Vanderbilt receivers to get behind them, and Vanderbilt capitalized. Junior cornerback Mark Walker also had an interception and finished with three breakups.

Special Teams: B
Although Patterson said the return teams must improve to meet his expectations, we are still impressed with the unit’s overall performance. Senior Nick Browne continues to shine and prove that he is worthy of Lou Groza award recognition. He was successful on all three of his field goal attempts, including a 50-yard field goal. Browne has proven to be automatic from either side of the hash marks and from any distance. The biggest special teams play of the day came from probably the least likely source: sophomore place-kicker Mike Wynn. Wynn’s perfect form tackle on Kwane Doster’s 50-yard kick return not only saved a touchdown, but it also provided the defense with a much needed spark. Junior punter John Braziel had another solid game. Two well placed punts inside the opponent’s 20- yard line highlighted his day.

Overall: B
It wasn’t the prettiest game the Frogs have played. In fact it was downright ugly sometimes, but give the Frogs credit for overcoming adversity and coming away with the win. It would have been very easy for the Frogs to lose faith in themselves and the game after Hobbs went down. This team has been decimated by injuries, but Patterson kept the Frogs focused, and they proved just how far this program has come in recent years. Regardless of who plays, the Frogs believe they can win, and Saturday night proved them right.