Last Updated on November 10, 2009 8:23 pm by drew
Utah-TCU
Fort Worth,
But, the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs’ toughest remaining hurdle is a team that followed an identical path last year.
Utah would love to prevent its Mountain West rival from equaling its own feat, and the 16th-ranked Utes could also gain the inside track for a second straight conference title if they win Saturday’s showdown in
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL have made TCU -17 point spread favorites (View College Football odds) for Saturday’s game (Game Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 54% of bets for this game have been placed on
After finishing the 2008 regular season unscathed,
But an early loss to
The Horned Frogs have looked impressive in climbing the BCS standings to No. 4 – highest ever for a team from a non-BCS conference. They’ve won seven games by at least 16 points, including the last four by an average of 38.3.
If TCU gets by
"Our ultimate goal is to end the season undefeated," quarterback Andy
It would be hard for the team to play much better than it did in last Saturday’s 55-12 win at San Diego State, as Dalton was 14 of 20 for 239 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for two more scores.
"Right now, we are a confident team," said Joseph Turner, who ran for his team-high ninth touchdown last Saturday. "We feel that no matter what play the coaches call, we are going to be successful."
Coach Gary Patterson’s team has been arguably even better on defense, allowing a total of 25 points in the last four games. TCU’s defense ranks third nationally, allowing 240.6 yards per game, while the offense ranks eighth (458.6 ypg).
"If you look at the stats, they are at or are near the top in all three phases of the game,"
TCU went 11-2 and nearly derailed
With the tables turned, the Utes (8-1, 5-0) look well equipped to challenge TCU. They’ve won six straight, holding each opponent under 20 points since the 31-24 defeat at
The freshman had stepped in for struggling starter Terrance Cain to finish a 22-10 victory over
"He knows the offense well. He knows defenses pretty well, too, and knows when to check in and out of things," wide receiver Jereme Brooks said of Wynn. "Him back there being so smart just makes us a better offense as a whole. He can put any pass where he wants to put it."
Wynn is in a much tougher situation against TCU and will likely need continued help from the running game. Both Eddie Wide and Sausan Shakerin had 100-yard games against the Lobos, with Wide reaching that mark for a school-record sixth consecutive game.
With first place in the Mountain West on the line,
Despite their success, the Horned Frogs have struggled with fan support, but Saturday’s high-stakes meeting has been confirmed as the school’s first sellout since Sept. 16, 2006, against Texas Tech.
"It’s going to be exciting and there is a lot of fanfare attached to the game," Whittingham said, "but once the ball is in the air, from a player’s perspective, that stuff no longer becomes a factor."
Posted: 11/10/09 8:23PM ET