TCU Horned Frogs vs Air Force Falcons Football Recap

TCU 38, Air Force 7

The defense that belongs to the Texas Christian University football team is a study in resourcefulness. On a night when a proud group's sense of invincibility was quickly and emphatically shattered, the men who defend the goal line for the Horned Frogs proceeded to put that aura back together. What was taken away from TCU in one drive got reinstalled over the rest of a humid evening in Fort Worth, Texas, affirming the people in purple as one of the best teams in the United States.

There was reason for TCU to worry early on in Saturday night's big Mountain West game at Amon Carter Stadium. TCU scored a quick touchdown to the delight of everyone who braved the windy and rainy conditions in the Lone Star State, but as soon as the Air Force Falcons got their hands on the ball, something happened that hadn't been seen since Friday, Sept. 24 in suburban Dallas: TCU's proud defense gave up a touchdown.

Yes, TCU's defense hadn't allowed a touchdown on Oct. 2 against Colorado State... or on Oct. 9 against Wyoming... or on Oct. 16 against Brigham Young. Frog fans had forgotten what it was like to see their heroes, guided by defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas and shaped by head coach Gary Patterson, allow an opponent to cross their goal line. Therefore, when Air Force used its triple option to motor 89 yards downfield in 10 plays and just over five and a half minutes, the Horned Frogs had to be stunned. Would Air Force's offense - notoriously difficult to prepare for, as is the case with other triple-option outfits found at Navy and Georgia Tech - keep TCU on its heels all game long? The question had to be asked by every man, woman and (reasonably aged) child who came to the ballpark to watch TCU play the third-best team in the Mountain West Conference (with Utah and TCU clearly occupying the top two slots in one order or another). It's not easy to make in-game adjustments against the triple option. Perhaps TCU was ready to contain it, but it was hard to think that after the Falcons' first touchdown drive, the Air Force Academy would get shut out for the rest of the entire evening.

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Yet, that's exactly what happened. The three-and-outs began to flow fast and furious, as TCU didn't allow Air Force to cross the TCU 30-yard line until the final minutes of regulation time, by which point the Frogs had established a 38-7 lead. TCU's defense played at a level that was beyond solid or competent over the final three quarters. The young men in dark home jerseys put the clamps on quarterback Tim Jefferson and the rest of coach Troy Calhoun's AFA attack. The Horned Frogs allowed just 141 yards to the visitors from Colorado Springs after that first drive, with only 103 coming on the ground. By way of comparison, Air Force lit up Oklahoma's rush defense for 351 ground-based yards earlier in the season. TCU's dominance after the Air Force touchdown march underscored the extent to which TCU's defense can hang with anyone in the country.

It's TCU's offense that's still holding this team back. The Frogs were okay on Saturday, but it once again took them a good long while to get going. TCU scored its second touchdown just 16 seconds before halftime, which marked pretty much the same point at which the Frogs tallied their second touchdown the previous week against BYU. Quarterback Andy Dalton hit only 11-of-20 passes for 185 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Those numbers were good enough to beat Air Force on another night when TCU's defense reigned supreme, but against Utah on Nov. 6, such a stat line won't cut it for Patterson and the rest of Team Purple.

However, Dalton's imperfections can fade into the background for one more week. If TCU does keep playing like this on defense, the Horned Frogs will be a tough out for anyone and everyone they play.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer