Younger members of Patterson’s Posse take over
By Braden Howell and Brent Yarina
Sports Editors

Going into this season, the six players poised to lead the Frogs to another successful year were touted as “Patterson’s Posse.”

There was Tye Gunn: The Rifleman. Lonta Hobbs: The Kid. Ricky Madison: The Veteran. Bo Schobel: The Sack Artist. Chad Pugh: The Run Stuffer. Robert Pollard: The Enforcer.

Heading into a showdown in the desert against Arizona, “Patterson’s Posse” is now starting to look more like Patterson’s Walking Wounded. The Rifleman is now the Separated Shoulder, The Kid is the High Ankle Sprain, and the Veteran is the Torn Ligaments, yet the Frogs continue to rise in the polls with a perfect record.

Enter Patterson’s New Guns.

Now starring as the team’s Rifleman and Kid are Brandon Hassell and Robert Merrill, respectively. Their duty: Keep the Frogs’ offense operating in high gear, until their counterparts can recover from injury.

“We’ve been able to overcome it up to this point, but it just keeps getting tougher and tougher,” head coach Gary Patterson said. “You’ve got to be able to step up at some point and time.”

Patterson said he and the coaching staff have stressed the importance of having every player ready to play from the beginning of the season.

“You’ve got to find out within the players you have what you can do best,” Patterson said. “It’s all about personality; sometimes the personality of a team changes with one player.”

Redshirt junior quarterback Brandon Hassell said much of the success he encountered in his first career start was due in large part to the preparation the coaching staff put him through.

“I think it’s just preparation,” Hassell said. “The way they prepare us, always telling us to be ready to step in because you never know what may happen in the game or what may happen out here at practice. It’s all about taking that attitude and working as hard as you can.”

Hassell also said his teammates on the offensive side of the ball made his job easier.

He said redshirt freshman tailback Robert Merrill, in particular, stepped up for the offense following the injuries to the starting backfield.

Merrill, who is expected to get a majority of the repetitions out of the backfield Saturday night, said he is prepared for his first start.

“I’ve been working hard during practice and have been trying to stay focused on the field,” Merill said.

Despite the team’s ability to overcome each injury, Patterson said it does not interfere with the team improving throughout the season.

“We’ve got to get healthy so we can move forward,” Patterson said.