2007 TCU Horned Frogs football team

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Ranking
Coaches	No. 22
AP	No. 22

The 2007 TCU Horned Frog football team will represent Texas Christian University in the 2007 college football season. The team is coached by Gary Patterson, who took over the program in December 2000. The Frogs play their home games in Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth.

The Horned Frogs return nine starters from their 2006 defense, which ended the season ranked 2nd nationally. Headlining the defense is All-America candidate defensive end Tommy Blake. On offense, the Frogs return six starters and will be led by redshirt freshman quarterback Andy Dalton [1].

On July 23rd, the Mountain West held their annual Media Blitz in Las Vegas, where members of the media picked the Frogs as the favorite to win the conference, as well as selected Aaron Brown as Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Tommy Blake as Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

2007 Schedule

09/01/20075:00 pmBaylor*No. 22

CSTVW 27-0 35,606 09/08/20076:00 pmat No. 7 Texas*No. 19

FSN 09/13/20077:00 pmat Air Force

CSTV 09/22/20077:30 pmSMU*

Amon Carter Stadium
Fort Worth, TX (Iron Skillet Game)

CSTV 09/29/20076:00 pmColorado State

The MTN 10/06/20071:00 pmat Wyoming

the MTN 10/13/20074:00 pmat Stanford*

TBA 10/18/20077:00 pmUtah

Versus 11/03/20074:30 pmNew Mexico

the MTN 11/08/20078:00 pmat BYU

Versus 11/17/20076:30 pmUNLV

TBA 11/24/2007TBAat San Diego State

TBA

Template:CFB Schedule End

Statistical Leaders

Passing:
Fr. Andy Dalton: 18-30, 205 yds, 1 TD- 0 INT

Rushing:
Soph. Joseph Turner: 9 attempts, 56 yards
Soph. Ryan Christian: 9 attempts, 40 yards, 1 TD
Jr. Aaron Brown: 5 attempts, 27 yards

Receiving:
Sr. Marcus Brock: 5 catches, 47 yards
4 others: 2 catches

Tackles:
Sr. David Hawthorne: 11 total; 7 solo, 4 assisted
3 others: 6 total

Sacks:
Soph. Daryl Washington: 0.5
Soph. Nick Sanders: 0.5

Interceptions:
Jr. Jason Phillips, Jr. Robert Henson, Jr. Steven Coleman and Soph. Nick Sanders: 1

Returning Honorees

Tommy Blake, Sr. Defensive End: First Team All-MWC 2005 & 2006
Chase Ortiz, Sr. Defensive End: First Team All-MWC 2005 & 2006
Jason Phillips, Jr. Linebacker: First Team All-MWC 2006, Second Team All-MWC 2005
Brian Bonner, Sr. Safety/Punt Returner: First Team All-MWC PR, Second Team All-MWC Safety, 2006
Aaron Brown, Jr. Running Back: Second Team All-MWC 2006, MWC Freshman of the Year 2005
Matty Lindner, Sr. Guard: Second Team All-MWC 2006

Game notes

Baylor

	1	2	3	4	Total
Baylor	0	0	0	0	0
TCU	0	14	0	13	27

With the 27-0 win, the Horned Frogs evened the all-time series with the Bears at 49-49-7. Star defensive end Tommy Blake did not dress for the game, and running back Aaron Brown left in the first half with a knee injury. Redshirt freshman quarterback Andy Dalton, making his first career start, threw for 205 yards and a touchdown. Two missed field goals by Baylor and 4 interceptions by the TCU defense helped preserved the shutout. It was TCU's 5th consecutive victory over a Big 12 team.

Texas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texas					0
TCU					0

This is the second of three contests TCU will have in 2007 against former SWC rivals, and this is the first time these two schools have faced eachother since the conference disbanded following the 1995 season. Texas leads the all-time series, 60-20-1. Their last meeting was a 27-19 Longhorn victory in Austin in 1995. Since the SWC disbanded, Texas has won two Big 12 championships, in 1996 and 2005. They won the national championship after the 2005 season.

In their annual season preview magazine, CBS Sportsline.com selected this game as one of their 17 “must see” games for 2007. In selecting this game, the writers observed, “TCU’s biggest game of the [2007] season. Remember what they did to Oklahoma a few years ago?” ^[1] They also selected TCU as one of the potential “BCS Busters” for 2007, saying, “The Horned Frogs will have one of the best defenses in the nation with nine starters back on a squad that allowed only 12.3 points per game last year, including a 12-3 victory over Texas Tech. Garry Patterson has made the Horned Frogs one of the best non-BCS schools in the nation, but unlike Utah and Boise State, they haven’t had the opportunity to play in a Bowl Championship Series bowl. If TCU can get past the 2007 Longhorns on Sept. 8, it might finally be time for the Horned Frogs to invade the BCS party.” ^[2]

Texas' narrow win versus Arkansas State in week one, together with TCU's victory over Big12 Baylor, fueled even more speculation that TCU might have a chance at an upset victory over the Longhorns.^[3]^[4] Texas dropped three places to number seven in the AP Poll, while TCU moved up three places to number nineteen.^[5]

Air Force

	1	2	3	4	Total
TCU					0
Air Force					0

This will be the seventh meeting between the Frogs and the Falcons, with TCU leading the all-time series 4-1-1. The first meeting between these two schools was a scoreless tie in the 1959 Cotton Bowl. Now conference foes in the Mountain West Conference, the Frogs have defeated the Falcons the last two years by a combined score of 86-24.

SMU

	1	2	3	4	Total
SMU					0
TCU					0

The Frogs and the Mustangs are old rivals, having played 86 times dating back to 1915. Their games are known as "The Battle for the Iron Skillet" with the winner receiving an iron skillet trophy. The Frogs currently hold a 40-39-7 advantage in the all-time series, having won six of the last seven dating back to 1999. However, the last contest between the schools was a 21-10 SMU victory in 2005, which was TCU's only defeat of the season.

Colorado State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colorado State					0
TCU					0

Colorado State joins Air Force as the other member of the MWC that TCU has previously played in a bowl game. The Frogs defeated the Rams, 17-3, in the 2002 Liberty Bowl while still members of Conference USA. TCU leads the all-time series 3-1 and won the last meeting, 45-14, in Fort Collins in 2006.

Wyoming

	1	2	3	4	Total
TCU					0
Wyoming					0

This will be the fourth meeting between the Frogs and the Cowboys. This will also mark the Frogs' second-ever trip to War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, which at 7,220 feet above sea level is the highest football stadium in Division I-A. TCU leads the series 2-1, and won the most recent meeting, 26-3, in Fort Worth last fall.

Stanford

	1	2	3	4	Total
TCU					0
Stanford					0

This will be the first-ever meeting between the Frogs and the Cardinal, who are coached by Jim Harbaugh, and marks the Frogs' first game against a Pac 10 opponent since defeating Arizona in 2003. The game will be played at Stanford Stadium, which was host to Super Bowl XIX and is located on campus in Palo Alto.

Utah

	1	2	3	4	Total
Utah					0
TCU					0

This will be the fifth meeting between the Frogs and the Utes, a series which Utah leads 3-1. Two years ago, the Frogs snapped Utah's 18-game win streak with a 23-20 overtime win in Fort Worth. Last year, Utah defeated TCU 20-7 in Salt Lake City, which was one of only two defeats the Frogs suffered in 2006.

New Mexico

	1	2	3	4	Total
New Mexico					0
TCU					0

This will be the ninth meeting between the Frogs and the Lobos, a series that dates back to 1991 and that TCU leads, 5-3. The Frogs have won both contests between the schools since joining the MWC, including a 27-21 win last year in New Mexico.

BYU

	1	2	3	4	Total
TCU					0
BYU					0

This will be the seventh meeting between the Frogs and the Cougars, who are the two most recent MWC Champions. On their way to the 2005 league title, the Frogs pulled out a thrilling 51-50 win in triple overtime at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo. Last year, BYU defeated TCU 31-17 in Fort Worth on their way to the 2006 title.

UNLV

	1	2	3	4	Total
UNLV					0
TCU					0

This will be the sixth meeting between the Frogs and the Rebels, with TCU leading the series 4-1. The Frogs have won the last two meetings between the schools by a combined score of 76-13.

San Diego State

	1	2	3	4	Total
TCU					0
San Diego State					0

TCU and San Diego State had never played before TCU joined the MWC in 2005, and the Frogs have been victorious in both meetings between the schools, including a 52-0 win in Fort Worth last year.

References

^ College Football – 2007 Season Preview. CBS Sportsline.com. 2007. p. 176.
^ College Football – 2007 Season Preview. CBS Sportsline.com. 2007. p. 21.
^ Bohls, Kirk (September 2 2007). "Horns put forth lackluster effort - If this becomes a pattern, look for a 7-5 season". Austin American-Statesman. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved 2007-09-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ Trubow, Alan (September 3 2007). "Breakthrough for Jones, setback for Horns - Nate Jones' play excepted, rest of Longhorns have some questions to answer". Austin American-Statesman. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved 2007-09-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "AP Top 25". ESPN.com. The Walt Disney Company. September 4 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[1] College Football – 2007 Season Preview. CBS Sportsline.com. 2007. p. 176.

[2] College Football – 2007 Season Preview. CBS Sportsline.com. 2007. p. 21.

[Horns_lackluster-3] Bohls, Kirk (September 2 2007). "Horns put forth lackluster effort - If this becomes a pattern, look for a 7-5 season". Austin American-Statesman. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved 2007-09-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[Breakthrough_setback-4] Trubow, Alan (September 3 2007). "Breakthrough for Jones, setback for Horns - Nate Jones' play excepted, rest of Longhorns have some questions to answer". Austin American-Statesman. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved 2007-09-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[AP_week_2-5] "AP Top 25". ESPN.com. The Walt Disney Company. September 4 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

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