The Matchup -
Set to close out its 1996 season,
the Horned Frogs (4-6, 3-4) travel to the Cotton Bowl
to play SMU (4-6, 3-4)- in a 7:05pm (CST) kickoff. The game will
be televised nationally on ESPN, with Brad Nessler providing the
play-by-play and Gary Danielson doing the color. Dr. Jerry
Punch will be on the sidelines.
Horned Frogs' Last Outing
Finding themselves in a situation where they could neither generate the type of ground attack to which they had grown accustomed the previous three weeks, while at the same time unable to throttle Rice's potent Wishbone, the Horned Frogs fell, 30-17, in the final 1996 home bout.
One of TCU's worst fears heading into that WAC meeting was Rice's ability to control the football for long periods of time. And, such was the case against the Horned Frogs. The Owls, in piling up 453 yards of total offense, owned a 37:26 to 22:44 edge on the time of possession charts.
On the brighter side for TCU was the combined, 21-of-33 passing day by Frog quarterbacks Jeff Dover and Fred Taylor. The pair combined for 239 aerial yards and two touchdown throws.
THE HEAD COACHES
Pat Sullivan is in his fifth campaign as TCU's head coach. Sullivan enters the Rice contest with a career coaching mark of 23-31-1. SMU's Tom Rossley - 14-48-3 - is in his sixth season as the head coach there.
FROGS & PONIES A YEAR AGO -
In Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs prevailed in this exciting matchup,
but not before it got a little dicey in the end. Clinging to a 17-10
lead, the Frogs could not prevent an SMU score as the Ponies marched
81 yards in 16 plays, a drive capped by quarterback Derek
Canine's one-yard plunge at the 2:17. Then, in a position to snare an
18-17 win, SMU elected to go far two points on the conversion. However,
the Canine pass floated into the hands of TCU safety Rick LaFavers at
the Purples' one, and he set sail for 99 yards and a pair of points
for the Horned Frogs to make the final score: TCU 19, SMU 16. The
frosh Canine had passed for 294 yards on the afternoon.
PAT SULLIVAN SAYS -
(About the Rice Game) "It certainly wasn't the way we had hoped to
close our home season, but we didn't erecute very well, and we didn't
tackle very well. Rice rose to the occasion when they had to make
some big plays, and we just didn't respond to those challenges.
That's the bad news. The good news is we have another game; and
another opportunity this week."
(About the SMU Game) "SMU is coming off a big win from two weeks ago,
and they have had the extra week to prepare for this game. I just hope
and pray we will be able to respond by putting forth
everything we have."
EARLY-WEEK LOOK AT TCU INJURIES -
Four weeks running, to injury the Frogs have lost a player for the
balance of the season. Sophomore fullback Lance
Williams (sprained ankle) became the fourth vs. Rice.
A week earlier it had been tight end Mike Brown (right mcl/ac),
joining fullback Chad Renfro, who underwent surgery two weeks ago to
repair his fractured right wrist, and safety Joseph
Phipps, who had surgical repair of his left shoulder. Also,
cornerback Barry Browning (sore lower back) likely will
remain sidelined for the rest of the season.
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