Wednesday, September 5, 2001

Frogs work on gaining experience
Team struggles with passing in first two games of season
By Brandon Ortiz
Sports Editor

Even though the Frogs are averaging a mere 111 yards a game throwing the ball, the team is not in panic mode about the state of the passing game.

“For what (junior quarterback Casey Printers) has been asked to do, he has done a good job,” quarterbacks coach Dan Lounsbury said. “He is not going to average 200 yards a game on 19 attempts.”

Printers threw for 92 yards Saturday, his lowest total since Nov. 11, 2000 against Fresno State. But he had only 16 attempts, completing 10 of them for a 62 percent completion percentage. For the season Printers has completed 20 of 37 passes for 214 yards and a passing efficiency of 115.1.

Head coach Gary Patterson said inexperience has been a factor. Things may not be going as well Printers would like, but Patterson said it is important for Printers to keep his cool and not get frustrated.

“I told Casey he and I are on the same boat,” Patterson said. “I am a new head coach. He has been asked to be the leader of this offense. We are both doing it with a younger football team. It would be very easy for me as a head coach and him as a quarterback to get very frustrated. We have been used to older players for three years doing certain things for you, and sometimes things aren’t the way you want them to be.”

The Frogs averaged 37.3 points and 145.5 passing yards a game last season, outscoring opponents 410-106 for the season. But starters of that squad have graduated or left for the NFL.

Printers said the younger Frogs are still trying to gel.

“It takes time,” Printers said. “We have a young football team. We have a lot of inexperience at key positions. It’s just a matter of time.”

In addition to gaining experience, the Frogs will also have to figure out ways to get junior receiver LaTarence Dunbar the ball. Dunbar caught one pass for 7 yards Saturday. Expected to be the go-to receiver in a more balanced offense, Dunbar has four catches for 21 yards on the season.

Patterson said the Frogs have tried everything to give one of the most athletic players on the team the ball.

“We’ve tried throwing screen passes, we’ve had him in the backfield,” Patterson said. “The biggest key is to quit pressing. If they just make the plays they are supposed to and start spreading it around, then what I think will happen is you will end up coming back with the big plays to Adrian (Madise) and LaTarence because people don’t think you are throwing the ball to them all the time.”

Injuries have also been a setback.

With redshirt freshman receiver Reggie Harrell sitting out the first two games and senior tight end/fullback Matt Schobel expected to miss Saturday’s game at SMU, injuries have taken a toll.

Harrell’s injury has especially been a big blow, Patterson said.

“You’re talking about a guy who is hard to cover because of his speed and he is physical,” Patterson said. “You’re not going to put just an average safety on him.”

The playaction passing game, a central part of the Frogs offense last season, has been almost nonexistent, Patterson said. Patterson said it will be a matter of getting Dunbar touches, better protection by the offensive line and to get the running game going for the Frogs to have success in the air.

“I think it is a combination of all,” Patterson said. “We need to find out what we are good at. One of the things we have always been able to do well is playaction pass.

When you are not running the ball well it is hard for playaction.”

Patterson said the Frogs may not be happy with the 92 yards passing it posted Saturday, but all is not lost.

“(Printers) has made great (decisions),” Patterson said. “First thing you start with is making the right decisions and not wrong decisions. Even though there was frustration, it wasn’t to the point we weren’t winning. That’s when you have problems.”

Brandon Ortiz
b.p.ortiz@student.tcu.edu