FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -Instead of getting overly defensive, TCU coach Gary Patterson took a significantly different approach.
The 16th-ranked Horned Frogs spent most of the past decade building a well-deserved reputation as one of top teams outside the big six BCS conferences, relying heavily on a dominating defense. Even when record-setting running back LaDainian Tomlinson was at TCU and Patterson was the defensive coordinator the Horned Frogs were first-rate at shutting down opponents.
While scoring a school-record 56 touchdowns last season, TCU again led the nation in total defense.
Yet, one of the things that stood out was the inability to score when the Frogs really needed to in some of their most important games.
“In the Utah game where we had the ball last and couldn’t get it down where we could get a field goal,” Patterson said this week, before the Frogs open their season Saturday at Virginia (0-1).
do it again and TCU had to settle for its fourth 11-win season in six years.
So after the highest-scoring season in school history, TCU revamped how it will call passing formations. The plays really haven’t changed, but the way they are called was simplified to provide flexibility and better utilize potential big-play receivers like Jimmy Young and Jeremy Kerley.
“I don’t know if we’ll throw it better,” Patterson said. “We want to be more efficient, and feel like we can attack people.”
Or, better translated: score when needed, not just score a lot.
“We still feel like the staple of our offense is still run the football and play-action. But I always felt like when we really truly had to throw the football in the dropback game that we were not ready to do that,” Patterson said.
With 220 yards rushing per game last season (12th nationally), the Frogs had their best season on the ground since L.T. was a senior in 2000, the same year Patterson was promoted to head coach before the bowl game.
TCU scored 34 points a game, at least 26 in all but three games. The Frogs scored only 10 points in both of their losses, including 35-10 at No. 2 Oklahoma.
But what really hurt was Utah, which scored the game-winning touchdown with 48 seconds left and TCU couldn’t respond.
fensive coordinator Mike Schultz hadn’t left to take the same job at Illinois.
But the defensive-minded head coach also says the changes are not as drastic as some may perceive because he was so instrumental in making them.
“It was really kind of funny. It actually made it easier,” Patterson said. “But really we’re still doing all the things as far as running the option and running the power and all the things that you’ve got to do I think to win. It’ll be fun to see how it all runs through its course and how we get better at it and how it works.”
What really excites Patterson is having a third-year starter in junior quarterback Andy Dalton.
“That’s a big deal,” Patterson said.
Dalton has already won 19 games and been the MVP of two bowl games, including the Poinsettia Bowl victory over Boise State that helped boost TCU to No. 7 in the AP poll, their highest final ranking since 1959. He threw only five interceptions in 307 attempts last season.
Plus, Dalton is more comfortable taking on a leadership role.
“He’s definitely made an impression on all of us,” said senior Marshall Newhouse, who has started all 26 games at left tackle the past two seasons. “He’s always been a competitor, but you see a difference in the way he approaches everything and making it his own, making sure he controls things.”
replace seven starters from a defensive unit that allowed only 218 yards per game. The Frogs were first nationally for the third time in nine seasons (the only team to accomplish that), and were second another time in that span.
All-America defensive end Jerry Hughes, who led the nation with 15 sacks and 19 1/2 tackles for losses in his first season as a starter, and senior cornerback Rafael Priest are among the returning starters.
Priest, who has started all 39 games of his career, chuckled when asked about the offense suddenly getting so much attention.
“That’s great. The five years I’ve been here, it’s always been talk about the defense,” Priest said. “They’ve broken all types of records, put all types of points up. Maybe this could be both sides of the ball get clicking. Then you never know what might happen.”
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