TCU Horned Frogs vs Colorado State Rams Football Preview

Just when you thought this TCU football season wasn’t going to reach the lofty heights attained in recent years, coach Gary Patterson’s Purple People came up with the kind of clutch performance that has defined this immensely successful program.

Only two teams have beaten the Boise State Broncos over the past four seasons. One of them is TCU, and the Horned Frogs actually managed to beat the Broncos twice, first in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl and then this past weekend on the smurf turf of Idaho’s capital city. Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore is 46-3 in his illustrious career, and two of those setbacks have occurred against none other than Patterson’s pupils. The TCU program reached the mountaintop last season when it ran the table and claimed a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin; this year, early-season losses to Baylor and SMU seemed to consign the Horned Frogs to a second-rate bowl, but after last weekend’s stunning 36-35 triumph in Boise, TCU has put itself in position to clinch the Mountain West Conference title for the third straight year. If the Frogs can win out and go 10-2, they will not only defend their conference crown but also give themselves a chance to finish in the top 16 of the final BCS standings. If TCU does hit the top 16, the Frogs will be BCS eligible as long as the Houston Cougars lose one of their remaining games and Southern Mississippi does not pass TCU in the BCS standings. The notion of making a BCS bowl seemed laughable (at best) after the SMU loss, but now that the Frogs are on the verge of winning a third straight Mountain West title, they have thrust themselves back into the BCS bowl conversation.

> Find a great selection of TCU Horned Frogs apparel & merchandise online as well as the MWC Football Scoreboard!

When the Colorado State Rams visit Fort Worth to take on TCU, it will be a game of two streaking teams. At 8-2, TCU is ranked 19th in the country after winning five games in a row. Colorado State, on the other hand, hopes to end that streak by ending its own, a five-game losing streak that has the Rams at 3-6 on the season.

The Horned Frogs return home to finish out the season after their upset win over 5th-ranked Boise State on the road last week. TCU has made opponents pick their poison, as its trio of Waymon James, Matthew Tucker, and Ed Wesley combine to average over 200 rushing yards per game, good for 23rd in the country. But make no mistake, the Frogs can pass too. Casey Pachall is completing 68 percent of his passes, and he connected on three touchdown passes of 69 yards or longer to beat Boise State. Josh Boyce has separated himself as Pachall’s go-to target, leading the team in receptions (51) and averaging 17 yards per catch.

Colorado State’s five-game losing streak has them on the brink of bowl ineligibility, and the effort to keep postseason hopes alive took a hit last week when quarterback Pete Thomas left with a knee injury. His replacement, Garrett Grayson, struggled to a 6-of-15 passing effort for 26 yards and an interception as the Rams fell to San Diego State, 18-15. The Rams do have hope for their struggling offense, however, as Chris Nwoke has helped the running game break through. Nwoke ran for 156 yards two games ago, and posted 232 in last week’s loss. If Nwoke and the offensive line can keep the run game trending upward, the Rams simply need the passing game to step up and they can pick up a few wins.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer