Yardbarker: TCU Horned Frogs

TCU's Jeremy Kerley Had the Sickest Play of the Day

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:55:39 -0500

ESPN had it as its top play on Saturday for a good reason — what Jeremy Kerley did for TCU on a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown against Colorado State was simply ridiculous. He ran through the Rams special teams unit like they were high schoolers. Check out this absurd return: By my [...]

College Football Pick'em The Poinsettia Bowl

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:42:07 -0500

As we enter the holiday season, the college bowl season is rolling right along. It was kicked off this past weekend with a few good games. However, business is about to pick up on Tuesday night when one of the great matches of the entire 2008/09 bowl season takes center stage.

Boise State takes on TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl on December 23rd, and anyone who tunes in should be in for a special treat. These programs represent two of the top programs in college football, that are flying just under the mainstream radar due to their lack of national exposure since they do not play in a BCS conference. But on Tuesday night, America will get an up close look at what have become two powerhouse programs.

The Texas Christian Horned Frogs may be the best team in the country that pretty much no one has seen play all season. TCU went 10-2 on the regular season; their only two losses came at the hands of a pair of teams playing in BCS games. Outside of Texas, TCU played Oklahoma tighter than anyone else all season. The Horned Frogs have the distinction of being only one of two teams to hold the Sooners to 35 points or less during a game.

TCU suffered their other lost at the hands of undefeated Utah who knocked off the Horned Frogs 13-10. Ultimately this was a game the Horned Frogs should have won. Penalties and mistakes on offense spelled the demise for TCU. They played Utah on the road in a hostile environment, and as any football coach will tell you, you cannot play in those hostile environments and make mistakes and then expect to recover.

In boxing the old adage goes, "Styles make fights." If that translates to football, then the Poinsettia Bowl should be a great game. TCU enters Tuesday's game with the second ranked defense in the country. They dominated the competition within their conference playing a suffocating and aggressive scheme. What makes their defense so special is the actual formation the Horned Frogs line up in. Boise State is known for their screwy offensive plays and formations and they will meet their match when they line up across the ball against TCU's 4-2-5 defensive scheme.

TCU's defensive formation posses a unique problem for opponents because it is a scheme that many of the players have never seen in their life and they are not properly prepared for it. The 4-2-5 becomes a hybrid of a typical 4-3 and a Nickel package. This gives the Horned Frogs plenty of options out of their base set. The key to their defense comes from the strength of their defensive line. DE Jerry Hughes has become the focus of many teams because of his ability to cause havoc in the back field. In addition to that, the TCU D-Line does a great job of freeing up space for their two linebackers Robert Henson and Jason Phillips to roam and make plays moving sideline to sideline. TCU is also not afraid to bring the heat with one of the five backs who are roaming in the secondary. The unique looks the Horned Frogs sit in allow them to bring heat from different directions and often times they are able to confuse opposing linemen who cannot tell where the pressure is coming from during their pre-snap reads.

Boise State is coming off their second undefeated season in three years. That's right, Boise State is legit, and you can believe they are pissed off about going 12-0 and being shut out of the BCS discussion. They all know they were the darlings of the BCS just a few years ago when they knocked off the Oklahoma Sooners, but they are ready prove to everyone that the Boise State Broncos are no one trick pony.

While the 2007 Fiesta Bowl was not long ago, the faces leading Boise State this season are new, and for them the 2007 game may as well have been a lifetime ago. Boise State is led by their freshmen quarterback Kellin Moore who has become a one man wrecking crew at the position. While nervous when Moore first took over the program at the beginning of the season, becoming the first freshmen to start a game at quarterback, Moore has grown to become the leader of the Bronco's high powered offense. His maturation has taken place so quickly that the Boise coaching staff is considering allowing the youngster to call his own plays in no huddle situations.

There is no doubt that Moore and his young offensive line will face their toughest test of the season on Tuesday night. It will be crucial for the freshmen quarterback to keep his composure even when the TCU defense is flying around the field and seemingly in every place at once. Boise State has had trouble establishing their run game this season. Despite having a slew of talented running backs, the young offensive line has struggled to open up holes on a regular basis. This could become an issue for the Bronco's. While Kellin Moore is a very talented quarterback who has an amazing future ahead of him. Boise State does not want to drop him back 30-40 times against TCU's defense and run the risk of him taking those shots, and exposing his arm to that secondary.

Currently the spread stands with TCU as a three point favorite. This is a very tough game to call as both teams will be playing into the others strength. However, I am a big believer that defense wins championships. I am also a big fan of experience and that is something the TCU Horned Frogs have a lot of. This is not the Boise State team from 2007. That was a team made up of upperclassmen who had been building toward that moment in the Fiesta Bowl for their entire colligate careers. This Boise State team is very talented and once again they dominated the WAC, but they have never faced anything like TCU. Boise State played and defeated a solid Oregon team; outside of that they have not played a team ranked in the top 60 in the nation. Every coach who has played against TCU to this point called them the fastest team on defense they have ever seen. The speed and the pressure from the TCU defense will be too much for Boise State to handle, especially since they will not be able to establish their rushing attack. Expect TCU to cover the three point spread and win the game.

Poinsettia Spotlight

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:03:31 -0500

The Boise State Broncos were one of two undefeated teams this season but they were left out of the BCS in favor of fellow mid major Utah. While this isn't a BCS bowl, The Poinsettia Bowl, is one of the premier match ups of this bowl season as #9 Boise takes on #11 TCU.

San Diego CCU Poinsettia Bowl : Boise State vs. TCU

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:53:00 -0500

Blog Bowl : San Diego CCU Poinsettia Bowl : Boise State vs. TCU

Metroplex Monday: UNT Gets First Win

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:36:44 -0500

And thus, I will start with UNT. It has been a tough year for the Mean Green, and one win over a team stuck between Division I and I AA will not erase all of the damage. However, it gives a much need jolt of confidence and momentum into a program that has face all kinds of adversity this year.

Metroplex Monday: 10/20/2008

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:15:46 -0500

Latest edition of Metroplex Monday at Collegefootballtopten.com. Once again, TCU won and UNT and SMU did not. You can read my write ups at Pegasus News here and here.

TCU 32, BYU 7: Another BCS Buster Falls

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:48:31 -0500

This is an unfair world. For example, Mannys can't be Mannys in Boston but they can do whatever they want once they get to Los Angeles. PacMan Jones can't get his act together even though he is getting paid millions of dollars. The Rays (yes the Rays) are going to the World Series. And BCS busters just keep falling one by one, knowing that one loss will push them completely out of the BCS picture.

Metroplex Monday: 10/06/2008

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:41:34 -0500

This week's addition of Metroplex Monday at Collegefootballtopten.com

What You Need to Know about TCU

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:45:01 -0500

With TCU's game against Oklahoma this week being a showdown of ranked teams, some may wonder about TCU. I provide the football fan from other parts of the country with a little info about the TCU Horned Frogs.

Metroplex Monday: 9/22/2008

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:39:31 -0500

The latest edition of Metroplex Monday at Collegefootballtopten.com

Metroplex Monday

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:04:42 -0500

Collegefootballtopten.com's Metroplex Monday is a wrap up of the three DFW college football teams.

GAME - TCU Horned Frogs @ SMU Mustangs 09-20-2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:48:00 -0500

GAME - Stanford Cardinal @ TCU Horned Frogs 09-13-2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:47:49 -0500

As if the Texas Bowl Needed LESS Exposure

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:39:08 -0500

I know, I know. The whole bashing-of-the-bowls thing is getting a little old, but we couldn't resist. Tomorrow the mighty Horned Frogs of TCU battle the Houston Cougars in a time-honored college football tradition - the Texas Bowl. Alive and well since all the way back in 2006, the Texas Bowl should be of genuine interest to about 12 people in the United States (and that figure includes David Klingler and Andre Ware). Unfortunately, for any of those twelve living outside the Houston area, the game may be difficult to find. Yes, in a marketing move sure to drum up even excitement and future viewers to an already highly-anticipated television event, the organizers of the Texas Bowl went with the NFL Network as their broadcast partner...

Five Good Questions with . . . Wendell Barnhouse about the TCU Horned Frogs

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 10:51:38 -0500

Stiles Points is previewing various "small schools" who can possibly make some loud noise come bowl season ala Boise State last season....Wendell Barnhouse of The Fort Worth Star-Ledger responded to my five questions about the TCU Horned Frogs.... http://stilespoints.blogspot.com/

College Football Conference Outlook: Mountain West Conference

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:25:41 -0500

FIO staff writer Dan Mesday writes up an outlook of the Mountain West Conference. If your college fantasy football league covers the MWC player pool, you'll want to read this article... includes: key returnees, key losses, must-see games, and 2007 outlook.

Sportable's First Game!

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:03:21 -0500

The folks at the Poinsettia Bowl were kind enough to give us press passes for tonight's game. It's the first time we've attended a game while representing Sportable so we're a bit unsure how to go about it. But we'll be giving you guys a couple of updates from Qualcomm Stadium, assuming the press box has internet connections that aren't as outdated as the stadium. If the camera comes on us, we'll be the guys drawing dirty looks from established local journalists.