TCU Horned Frogs

Head Coach

Gary Patterson	10th year
07-08	8-5
Mt West	4-4
FCR	37

Previous Season Wins

Head Coach - Gary Patterson will be entering his 8th year at the helm and under his guidance the Horned Frogs have been a perennial bowl team. TCU has been bowl bound nine of the last ten seasons and you expect to see them contend for the Mt West crown and possibly an upper tier bowl invite.

Quarterback - Last season sophomore Andy Dalton took the reins and threw for 2,459 with 10 TD’s and 11 interceptions. Dalton’s arm strength is good and he’s and accurate passer who’s mobile, the coaching staff expects to the normal maturation in his development now that he has a year under his belt. In junior Marcus Jackson the Horned Frogs have a solid backup who can easily step in if needed.

Running Backs - At tailback senior Aaron Brown returns, he rushed for 490 yards and caught 24 passes despite missing substantial time due to injury. Junior Joseph Turner stepped in often last season and rushed for 597 yards and six scores, Turner suffered a torn ACL late last season so he might not be 100% entering the season. Look for junior Chris Smith to start at fullback when they go to the two-back offense.

Receivers - This is a young unit with the only senior expected to contribute being Walter Bryant at the Z slot, he had 27 receptions for 364 yards last year. Look fro sophomore Jimmy Young at the outside X position, he has great speed and will stretch the field. At the H position will be sophomore Bart Johnson and sophomore Jeremy Kerley will man the Y spot. Senior Shae Reagan returns at tight end, he has outstanding size and skills but was a disappointment in 07’.

Offensive Line - Four starters return upfront with senior Blake Schueter at center the anchor of the unit. On the outside will be juniors Marshall Newhouse at left tackle and Nic Richmond on the right, Newhouse was honorable mention ALL-Mt West and Richmond uses his size best in pass protection. At guard senior Giles Montgomery returns and the unit newcomer will be senior Preston Phillips. Potential contributors include JUCO Zach Roth and sophomore Marcus Cannon.

Defensive Line - In the middle the Frogs are set with seniors Cody Moore and James Vess, who returns after missing last season due grades. On the outside junior Jerry Hughes and senior Matt Panfil will get the call, Panfil saw significant time last year and finished 37 tackles and 2 ½ sacks. Waiting in the wings on the outside are junior Allen Christopher and true freshman Jeremy Coleman.

Linebackers - In the two-backer set that TCU employs resides senior Jason Phillips who has 231 tackles in his career and sets the tone for the entire defense. Senior Robert Henson will man the strong side, he finished with 66 tackles and two interceptions despite not technically being a starter last yer.

Defensive Backs - TCU’s five-man unit is led by their two returning corners, juniors Nick Sanders and Rafael Priest. Both are career starters, Priest best asset is his speed and Sanders is a solid all-around player. Senior. Returning at strong safety is senior Stephen Hodge who excels against the run, he had 16 ½ tackles for losses last year. At free safety will be senior Steven Coleman and at the weak safety is junior Corderra Hunter.

Special Teams - Battling for the placekicking job will be freshman Ross Evans and junior Drew Combs, redshirt freshman Anson Kelton will handle the punting duties. Sophomore Jeremy Kerley will be given the chance to showcase his speed returning punts and senior Aaron Brown and sophomore Jimmy Young will share the kick returns.

Schedule - Should get to Norman undefeated but the Sooners will prevail. They get two more wins before facing BYU at home; winning the conference will get a big boost if they can prevail here. They must travel to Utah late in the year but all in all the entire schedule is quite manageable. Look for 9+ wins and another post-season bid this year.