Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Patterson: East Carolina hasn’t changed much since ‘99 Mobile Bowl
By Kelly Morris
Skiff Staff

When the TCU football team plays against East Carolina today at Amon Carter Stadium, head coach Gary Patterson said the Frogs will be underdogs.

In the last meeting against the Pirates, TCU was in the same circumstance. It faced off against a then No. 20 East Carolina team in the inaugural Mobile Alabama Bowl Dec. 22, 1999.

file photo Sophomore tailback Ricky Madison carries the ball near the end zone against Southern Methodist. Madison is second on the team in rushing with 289 yards on 86 carries, and average of 3.4 yards a carry.

But TCU went on to upset the Pirates 28-14 to capture its second consecutive bowl victory.

Now the two teams will face off again today as members of Conference USA.

“They maybe have a little more base line defense but that’s it,” Patterson said. “They run the ball a little better too.”

Junior quarterback Casey Printers said the familiarity the Frogs have with the Pirates will help them better prepare for today’s game.

“We know exactly what they are trying to do, and we know they are very explosive,” said Printers, who is still hampered by a shoulder injury he suffered Oct. 13 against Tulane and probably will not start. “We know how they’re going to line up, how intense the game is going to be, and what we have to do to win. All those components come together when you talk about East Carolina. We just have to come out with a higher level of intensity because they are going to come out and do the same.”

Of the seven teams TCU has faced this season, it has played five of them at least once in the past. The Frogs played SMU the past three seasons and played against North Texas in 1999.

The Frogs’ games against Northwestern State (La.) Sept. 22 and against Army Oct. 20 were the first ever meetings between TCU and the two schools. Two of the Frogs’ final four regular season games will also be against teams they have never played: UAB Nov. 10 and Louisville Nov. 23.

Patterson said this is a result of just being new members of C-USA.

“Before you really know about the league and know how to do things, you have to play a team twice,” Patterson said. “You have to play them at their house and your house to see how each team holds up. The advantage goes to other teams who have already been in the conference because they have played each other for five years.”

Since today’s game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and it will be the Frogs’ third home game of the season, Printers said the team will have no problem getting up for it.

“It is a Tuesday night game, and the country will be watching.” Printers said. “We’re out in front of our home crowd. What more could you want? Our guys are going to come out very intense and focused.”

And with all of that on the Frogs’ side, Printers said the Horned Frog squad that upset East Carolina in 1999 will take the field tonight.

“We just want to show the country we’re the TCU of old, and we can go out and play with anybody.”

Kelly Morris
k.l.morris@student.tcu.edu