MakingTheGrade
Defense carries Frogs to road victory in Tampa
Compiled by Braden Howell and Carlos Alvarado

Quarterback: C
Sophomore Tye Gunn took all the snaps in this game and showed some rust but managed to throw many nice passes, including a brilliant pass to a streaking freshman Cory Rodgers for the team’s only touchdown. Gunn was able to convert a high number of obvious passing situation third downs, but he was unable to do it consistently enough to loosen up the South Florida defense enough for the running game to get going. He finished 10-19 for 133 yards and one touchdown. The offense is struggling, but Gunn did enough to get TCU the win. The most important statistic of the night was that there were no interceptions thrown.

Running Back: C
Yards on the ground were hard to come by for the Frogs Friday. They had previously run rampant over all of their opponents, but 100 yards on 45 carries illustrates how poor a night this unit put together. It was good to see sophomore Lonta Hobbs back in the mix of things. He was stifled by the USF run defense, but he made some good, solid cuts that showed he is on the positive side of his injury. The running game is crucial to this team’s offensive success, and it needs to average more than 2.2 yards a game to get things going.

Wide Receivers: C
Freshman Cory Rodgers made a big catch early by taking advantage of the one-on-one coverage afforded TCU’s receivers because of USF’s lack of respect for the TCU passing game. He had a good game in his first start and shows much potential. Junior Reggie Harrell made another big catch at the end of the half that allowed senior Nick Browne to make a crucial kick. As a whole, this unit needs to get open against the one-on-one coverage and force opposing team’s safeties to back off the line, so the Frogs can get more consistent yards on the ground. They also must block better on the option. Many of their blocks were ineffective, allowing their defender to make a play.

Offensive Line: C-
There is not much that can be done when you have fewer blockers than there are defenders. The USF safeties came up hard and fast to prevent any big runs. Nine-man fronts are never easy to run on, but the line didn’t seem to get the consistent push they are used to delivering. The line seemed a little fazed by USF’s quickness, which led to the clipping penalty that stalled an early drive. The pass protection was inconsistent at best, and Gunn was sacked four times in the game. The line needs to prove it can create running lanes against an athletic defense.

Defensive Line: A+
It was hard for USF to get anything going on the ground or in the air; the line was always in on a big play. Quarterback Ronnie Banks never looked comfortable in the pocket, and he did not have much time to throw as senior Bo Schobel and company made him pay for the time he took to make his decision. The starting four finished with a combined 14 tackles, including six sacks. Every member of this unit plays relentless football: hustling, attacking, stuffing the run, making plays behind the line and making plays down the field.

Linebackers: A+
It was another day at the office for the TCU linebackers. Junior Martin Patterson played smart, hard-nosed football, often blitzing late to fluster the USF passing game. Patterson led the team with 13 tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage. The linebackers do everything that head coach Gary Patterson asks of them: run support, blitz and pass coverage. Against USF, the linebackers dominated against the run.

Secondary: A+
Huey Whittaker was another big, physical receiver that was manhandled by the smaller, tougher TCU cornerbacks. Junior Mark Walker and senior Tyrone Sanders jammed the USF receivers on the line and didn’t allow them to get into any rhythm, forcing the entire USF offense to struggle. This was a prime reason for many of the defensive line’s sacks. Senior Brandon Williams is the unsung hero of this group. He excels in run support, coverage and blitzing. Although both USF quarterbacks completed over 50 percent of their passes, they combined for only 104 yards in the air. Junior Chris Peoples continues to play smart football in junior Marvin Godbolt’s absence because of injury.

Special Teams: C-
Senior Nick Browne went 2-2 Friday, and junior John Braziel put two punts inside the USF 5-yard line. For the most part, Brian Fisher was kept in check. However, it was Fisher’s late game return that almost cost TCU the game. The coverage and return units put the Frogs in bad situations, and TCU lost the battle of field position. The punt return team could not get anything going thanks to the excellent kicks made by USF punter Brandon Baker. The penalties continue, including an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that contributed to a 13-yard net punt. With the offense struggling, the special teams unit cannot make any errors because those errors could cost TCU victories.

Overall: C
The defense is carrying the team while the offense struggles. After holding the USF offense to 126 total yards, there is no doubt the Frogs can handle any opponent left on the schedule. A win is a win but concerns that the offense will be able to carry the team should the defense ever falter are growing. TCU just hasn’t found a way to put it all together. The penalties are a disturbing trend that must be kept to a minimum, although breaking the nation’s second longest home winning streak is something to celebrate.