Frogs to take on a ‘physical’ UAB team
By John Ashley Menzies
Staff Reporter

The 13th-ranked Horned Frogs enter Saturday’s Homecoming game against Alabama-Birmingham as the top ranked Division I-A team in Texas. Better than Texas, better than Texas A&M, better than Texas Tech.

“You take it when you can get it,” head football coach Gary Patterson said earlier this week. “It doesn’t happen very often. I’ve got it framed. TCU-13. Texas-20. ‘Cause next week it could be different.”

Patterson said UAB is another physically imposing team that will line up and go at you much like TCU.

“UAB is a team that two years ago physically beat us up, probably more than any club in the last two or three years,” Patterson said. “They have good skill players and are big up front.”

Nose tackle Brandon Johnson said the Frogs are prepared for a physical game against UAB.

“There’s a nastiness,” Johnson said. “There’s a mentality. They’re definitely going to run the ball downfield. They have a big (offensive) line, but from what I’ve seen on film, they’re just as physical as anyone else we’ll play.”

TCU will have to play mistake-free football, and the quarterbacks need to keep doing what they are doing, Patterson said.

“Our tight ends and o-line need to step to the plate,” Patterson said. “It is hard to get a rhythm when you have guys out with injuries.”

Wide out Quentily Harmon is out and neither tailback is at 100 percent, Patterson said. Sophomore quarterback Tye Gunn needs to shake off the rust and continue to not turn the ball over, he said.

Gunn said the offense should have more success because of the Frogs ability to run the football against UAB.

“I think we’ll have a pretty balanced attack this week. We’ve had a pretty balanced attack every week,” Gunn said. “For the most part, we should have good play action just ‘cause I think we’ll be able to run the ball successfully.”

The offense has not been able to get into a rhythm the last two games, and Patterson said the offensive struggles are connected to a lack of passion more so than poor play calling.

“We need to put our good and great players in a position to make good and great plays,” he said.

Through the injuries and through the offensive struggles, TCU remains undefeated. Patterson said the team doesn’t talk about streaks because it tends to just add more stress on the players.

“On any given day, we must be the best team on the field,” Patterson said. “We don’t worry about it. We just worry about winning ball games.”

TCU’s winning streak has helped them move into the top 15 ranked teams for the first time since 2000.

“It’s something to be proud of,” Patterson said. “Fifty percent of the people out there don’t think we should be there. We have to prove we should be there.”

Part of that comes from people in the college football world claiming that TCU doesn’t play strong opponents, Patterson said.

“Arizona was a top five school when we scheduled that game five years ago,” Patterson said. “It’s not our fault that they are having problems now.”

The current stretch of the season has the Frogs traveling to Louisville, Ky., and then to Hattiesburg, Miss., for two big games, Patterson said.

“I’d like to play a home game sometime,” Patterson said jokingly.

For now, Patterson will get his wish Saturday against UAB. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.