Horned Frog Football News

BASIC NUMBERS & FACTS ABOUT TCU FOOTBALL '96

Besides celebrating the program' centennial year of football and its entry into the WAC, other numbers and facts worth noting about Horned Frog Football 1996:

• TCU fashioned a 6-5 mark during its final year of the Southwest Conference in '95, marking the program's first back-to-back winning seasons since 1958-59.
• Pat Sullivan, former Heisman Trophy Winner, is in his fifth campaign as TCU's head coach. Sullivan enters 1996 with a career coaching mark of 19-25-1.
• 44 previous letter winners are featured in this Horned Frog grid edition.
• Not counting special-team standouts Mike Reeder (place kicker) and Ashby Porter (deep snapper) the Frogs return a dozen starters from a year ago six on both defense and offense.

TCU - OU GRID HISTORY -

TCU IN SEASON OPENERS
Horned Frog football teams have fared tolerably well in their season debuts (winning 57, losing 33 and tying nine of those openers), but have not been as decisive among those season lidlifters played on the road - 22-21-2.

TCU INJURY SITUATION
Though forced to conduct much of their pre-season workouts without the services of several frontliners hampered by nagging injuries, prospects are looking up for the Horned Frogs; in that department for their season opener. Six days before kickoff only backup defensive end Akili Johnson (sprained ankle) and reserve safety Lenward Bentley (strained hamstring) are listed as questionable for the OU contest.

DEFENSE, KICKING GAMES DRAW SULLIVAN'S EARLY PRAISE -
The dominant performances of TCU's defense, overall, and that of several individual defenders as well, has not escaped the attention of Horned Frog head coach Pat Sullivan. Neither has the pre-season display of TCU's kicking game.
"Our defense dominated in the spring, and they pretty much have had the upper hand this fall, says Sullivan. "The things there (defensively) I have been most impressed with have been the consistency and level of intensity. Several players are providing solid leadership on defense." Similarly, TCU's kicking game performances, spearheaded by consensus all-American place kicker Michael Reeder, have been impressive.
Conversely, TCU's offense, hindered by injuries at running back and receiver and awaiting the emergence of a quarterback, has been slow to come around.
"That is to be expected given the circumstances," Sullivan adds, "still, their (the offense's) work habits and attitudes have been super throughout our practices."

SOME FIRSTS IN STORE AT QUARTERBACK
TCU's trio of quarterbacking hopefuls - Todd Stanford, Jeff Dover and Fred Taylor - enter the Oklahoma game with identical collegiate passing stats ... none! None of the trio has thrown a pass in a major-college game. Only Stanford has ever recorded a major-college stat - he dropped to a knee after taking a snap for a three-yard loss in helping run out the clock versus Houston two years ago. In fact, the only current member of the Horned Frog team ever to attempt a collegiate pass is defensive end Chance McCarty, a backup quarterback three seasons ago.

DEBUTS FOR SEVERAL FROGS -
While fullback Koi Woods figures to be making his 24th straight starting appearance as a Horned Frog and John Washington is logging his 23rd straight start (Geoff Stephens is scheduled for his 17th), several TCU players will be chalking up starting debuts versus Oklahoma. Such will be the case at quarterback, at tailback (either Basil Mitchell or Andre Bruce), at tight end (probably sophomore Travis Wilson), at strong guard (either J.P. McFarland or Dong Loeser), at strong tackle (either Jon Donahue or Greg Davis, at both defensive ends - Chance McCarty and Matt Harper, at middle linebacker (Scott Taft), at outside linebacker (Jay Davern) and at free safety (Barry Browning). For Loeser, and perhaps Jeff Dover, both redshirts, along with Harper, Browning, and maybe Fred Taylor, a trio of transfers, the Oklahoma game also will represent their first ever collegiate level appearances.

SULLIVAN AND GANG LIKELY WON'T FORGET
The only other time that a Sullivan-coached TCU opened on the road versus an opponent with a first-year, Division I head coach was at New Mexico (under Dennis Franchione) in 1992. New Mexico won, 24-7. It should be noted, however, Sullivan also was a first-year head coach in '92.

TAFT, REEDER AND OLDHAM AMONG FROGS TO GO THROUGH FALL WORKOUTS IMPRESSIVELY -
While much of the attention was being directed to TCUs quarterbacking and running back situations several other Horned Frogs posted impressive pre-season practice performances. Among the Frog returnees showcasing their grid skills early on were Taft, senior nose tackle Bernard Oldham, McCarty, junior wide receiver Jason Tucker, senior cornerback Cedric Allen and junior place kicker Michael Reeder.

... Plus Some First-Rate Starts By Newer Frogs
Joining the above TCU vets with some eye-catching practice efforts were a handful of newer players to Horned Frog scene: Browning, Harper, juco transfer tight end Mike Brown, Taylor, Dover, redshirt fresh running back John Williams, sophomore wide receiver Torrie Simmons, sophomore linebacker Jason Illian, along with first-year freshmen - wide receiver Patrick Batteau, offensive guard Shane Ladewig, linebacker Terrance Maiden and safety Reggie Hunt.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT FOR MICHAEL REEDER
In a quick rehash: TCU's Michael Reeder was a consensus allAmerican kicker (and the Lou Groza Award recipient) en route to leading the NCAA in field goals in 1995. Reeder missed only two field goals all season in recording a 23-of-25 campaign. However, one of those misses was his next to last try (versus Texas A&M). So, the Frog junior will enter the Oklahoma game with two kicking streaks - one successful field goal in a row and 52 PATs without a miss. Either Reeder or redshirt fresh Royce Huffman will be called upon to handle TCU's punting chores in '96. In either's case it will be a first-time collegiate experience.

HORNED FROG TRAVEL PLANS -
TCU's team is scheduled to leave Fort Worth at 1:00 p.m. on Friday via charter bus lines, arriving at OU's Memorial Stadium for a light workout at 4:45 p.m. The team and official party will headquarter at the Ramada Inn of Norman.

Next UP -
The Horned Frogs' competition will remain within the Big 12 conference next week (September 14) when they entertain nationally-ranked Kansas in Fort Worth. Kickoff for the contest, an ESPN2 production, will be 8:05 p.m. CDT Oklahoma will enjoy an open date on the 14th before resuming play against another WAC school at San Diego State - on September 21.

WAC LIVING UP TO OFFENSE REPUTATION -
TCU is only one of three conference teams which have yet to open their 1996 seasons. However, compared to some of the offensive explosions by WAC brethren in uncorking their respective '96 campaigns, the Frogs probably will be hard pressed to follow suit in Norman on Saturday. Barely a week into the season WAC ballclubs have rolled up offensive games of 548 yards or more of total offense five times, and have scored 40 or more points on five occasions.

WEEKLY TELEVISION FOOTBALL SHOW FOR TCU -
The 1996 TCU Football Television Show, featuring Horned Frog head coach Pat Sullivan, will debut Wednesday, September 11. The program, available throughout the Southwest on the Prime Sports Productions (locally channel 1), airs on Wednesday afternoons at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.

THIRTEEN STATIONS TO JOIN FLAGSHIP KCLE ON THE HORNED FROG NETWORK
Thirteen stations will join flagship station KCLE (1120 am) of Cleburne on the Horned Frog Football Network this fall:
KVLF (1240 am) of Alpine
KPUR (1440 am) of Amarillo
KFON (1490 am) of Austin
KCLE ( 92.1 fm) of Cleburne
KDFX (1190 am) of Dallas
KAHZ (1360 am) of Fort Worth
KTCU (88.7 fm) of Fort Worth
KTXQ (950 am) of Lubbock
KRIL (1410 am) of Odessa
KBOP (103.7 fm) of Pleasonton/San Antonio
KBOP (1380 am) of Pleasonton/San Antonio
KTBB (600 am) of Tyler
KBBW (1010 am) of Waco