Friday, October 12, 2001

Change of pace
Frogs take on prolific Tulane offense
By Brandon Ortiz
Sports Editor

There was a time when TCU played teams who did nothing but run the ball.

Back when TCU was in the Southwest Conference and squared off against teams like Darrell Royal’s Texas Longhorns, the prevailing sentiment was only three things can happen when a team passes the ball, and two of them are bad. The preferred tactic was to run the ball, wear down your opponent, run down the clock and win the game.

Things have changed.

“Having played in the WAC, having been in the Big West (as a coach at Utah State), and now in Conference USA, any of those three conferences, two things you never hear out of people’s mouth: ball control and ground it out,” head coach Gary Patterson said. “It doesn’t happen unless you’re Air Force (which now plays in the Mountain West Conference).”

After facing a team that threw 40 times last week, TCU (3-2, 1-0 Conference USA) will face another wide open offense in Tulane (1-5, 0-2 C-USA) 2:30 p.m. Saturday in New Orleans. The Green Wave is the most prolific offense in C-USA, averaging 460.3 total yards and 29.8 points a game.

Patterson said the Frogs are approaching Tulane carefully.

“In our case, where we are not scoring as many points as some people they have played have scored, you always go into the ball game a little more cautious about somebody like that,” Patterson said. “I don’t think you can take anyone for granted. We’re not a good enough football team right now to do (that). We don’t know which

one will come out of the chute — the one that came out against Houston, or the one that came out against Northwestern (State).”

The one that does come out will face arguably the best running back the Frogs will face this season. Running back Mewelde Moore is second in the nation in rushing, averaging 153.3 yards a game. The multi-talented Moore is Tulane’s No. 2 receiver with 34 receptions for 355 yards, more than Frogs’ two leading receivers combined.

Moore, who wears No. 26, leads the nation in all-purpose yards.

“Our team goal going into this ball game is to be able to take away No. 26,” Patterson said.

In the process, the Frogs will not lose their aggressiveness, Patterson said.

“A lot of people play the bend but don’t break,” Patterson said. “Our philosophy is to try to take some things away and still try not to give up big plays.”

So far this season, Tulane has given up its fair share of big plays. Opponents are scoring 43 points a game against the Green Wave, which has the third worst run defense in the nation. Tulane allows 530.5 yards a game, but sophomore running back Corey Connally said the Frogs offense isn’t licking its chops.

“They can be run on but you can’t take anything for granted,” Connally said. “But they run to the ball well.”

Patterson said the Frogs will have to score touchdowns to keep up with Tulane. The Frogs, averaging 24.4 points a game, aren’t taking Tulane for granted, Patterson said.

“This is what I told the offense, because you can always jinx yourself and it never fails: The bottom line is we have to score points, we have to score points, we have to score points,” Patterson said. “This is a team — no matter how you do it, rushing the ball, throwing the football — we have to score points. You have to outscore Tulane.

That is how everybody beats them.”

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