A good, long look at … TCU

By Ryan Greene

Friday, Oct. 31, 2008 | 2:15 a.m.

Each Friday during the 2008 season, the Sun will take an in-depth look at the Rebels' upcoming weekend foe, giving you a crash course on what you need to know, plus what you might not have known already.

A good, long look at TCU (Saturday, 5 p.m., PST, CBS College Sports)

The rep ... At this point in the season, it's a two-horse race in the Mountain West Conference in terms of an at-large BCS berth. When the Horned Frogs sliced and diced BYU two weeks ago down in Fort Worth, that not only bumped the Cougars from the picture, but gave TCU the biggest boost it could have possibly received.

That night, TCU constantly put BYU quarterback Max Hall on his backside and forced the Cougar offense into mistake after mistake. And really, that's what they've been doing all season. The Horned Frogs boast an 8-1 record, with the only loss coming at Oklahoma on Sept. 27, and rank second in the nation in total defense.

They rank first in the Mountain West in points allowed per game at 10.4, but are second in the league in points scored, averaging 35.8 per tilt.

Speed and big plays are what have gotten TCU to this point in the 2008 season. For those unfamiliar with the program, it's pretty much more of the same under Gary Patterson. Now in his ninth season at the helm, he's taken TCU to a bowl game every year except for 2004.

The key pieces of this speedy defense are at the end spots, where junior Jerry Hughes and senior Matt Panfil hold things down. The two are responsible for 16.5 of TCU's NCAA-best 35 quarterback sacks.

Last week ... The Horned Frogs' 54-7 thrashing of Wyoming was more or less a tune-up for the final quarter of TCU's 2008 schedule. It was truly a tail of two programs headed in opposite directions.

Cowboys running back Devin Moore became the first Horned Frogs opponent this season to top 100 rushing yards, but 42 of his 114 came on Wyoming's lone scoring play of the game. Take away his 114 yards on the ground, and Wyoming gained just 107 yards of total offense.

The big story of the night for TCU came on the offensive side of the ball, as the Horned Frogs brandished their big play ability better in this game than any other contest so far this season. Andy Dalton threw for 334 yards on just 16 completions. A school-record 226 of those went to speedy sophomore Jimmy Young, who caught a trio of TD passes.

Oddly, all six of Dalton's touchdown throws this season have come in the last two games. It's obviously an ever-evolving offense.

Why TCU can beat UNLV ... The Horned Frogs can do one thing on offense which UNLV's defense has yet to prove it can stop consistently - produce big plays. TCU likes to run deep switch routes with its bevy of receivers, and the Rebels have been spotty in terms of covering the deep ball.

But with TCU's strength being its defense, Gary Patterson's club certainly has the potential to be able to use that to control the game. UNLV's offense is putting up just under 28 points per game, and that unit has been the most consistent piece for the Rebels all year. Though TCU's pass rush is unlike anything the UNLV line has seen so far this season. One of the reason's Omar Clayton has only thrown three interceptions this season is that he's been able to get comfortable in the pocket and also has found space when rolling out. TCU has the potential to stem both of those options.

Also, the Horned Frogs have a full head of steam right now. They're only three wins away from a BCS berth and are peaking at just the right time. A perfect storm, so to speak.

Why UNLV can beat TCU ... With the fact that TCU is just three wins from a BCS berth comes one major potential pitfall - the 'lookahead' theory. UNLV's already benefited from it once this season. The Rebels went south and knocked off then-No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 13, 23-20 in overtime, when the Sun Devils were obviously looking past UNLV towards their date with Georgia a week later.

But as far as what the Rebels can control, they've done a good job in recent weeks of using a consistent offense to hang around with opponents until the closing moments. That all depends on how much time the UNLV offensive line can give Omar Clayton to operate in the pocket. If they become just another victim of TCU's relentless pass rush, winning this game could be darn near impossible.

Also, UNLV needs to run the ball. Not a ton, but some. TCU gives up an average of just 31.2 rushing yards per game. Frank Summers and C.J. Cox need to make just a small dent on first and second down, because if UNLV runs into an endless stream of third-and-long situations, moving the sticks won't come easy.

The infirmary report ... Offensive lineman Marcus Cannon is recovering from an ankle injury and is questionable, but will make the trip out to Las Vegas. Not making the trip, though, is receiver Jeremy Kerley. The sophomore will miss the game due to injury, and it takes a potent weapon out of the Horned Frogs' plans. He only has 11 catches this season for 95 yards, but he's rushed the ball 21 times for 133 yards and a trio of scores. Patterson has shown a penchant for using him in direct snap situations as a 'quarterback.' Taking his place off the scout team is sophomore Clint Renfro, who is expected to be the holder for field goals and PATs - a role typically held by Kerley. That could be of note should TCU face crucial kicking situations late in the game.

A name that could creep up for the Horned Frogs ... Andy Dalton has come back from injury to put up huge numbers while running the TCU offense in the past two games, but don't be surprised if Patterson decides to put Marcus Jackson behind center for a few snaps. With the way UNLV has struggled against the option this season, Jackson could become a big factor in this game if Patterson and his staff decide to try an exploit that. In seven games, Jackson's thrown the ball just 62 times, but is second on the team in rushing attempts with 63. He's totaled 356 yards and four TDs on the ground.

Be sure to log onto www.lasvegassun.com both leading up to, during and after Saturday's game at Sam Boyd Stadium. You'll find ongoing numbers and analysis in our game day blog, plus postgame analysis, reactions from the Rebels, photos, video highlights and much more.