Hobbs’ legs lead way to conference title, bowl
By Danny Gillham
Sports Editor

With his numbers getting progressively better and the passing game struggling, head coach Gary Patterson hinted that true freshman Lonta Hobbs would carry the load for the Frogs against Memphis.

Hobbs took the role with ease, and turned in the Frogs’ most impressive rushing performance since the days of LaDainian Tomlinson.

Hobbs had 287 yards on 33 carries and three touchdowns as the Frogs (9-2, 6-2 Conference USA) beat Memphis 27-20 and clinched a share of the C-USA crown.

If East Carolina beats Cincinnati Saturday, the Frogs will have their first outright title since 1958.

The Frogs also accepted a bid to play in the AXA Liberty Bowl on the field after the game from bowl director Steve Erhart. The game will be played at 2 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, and TCU will face Colorado State, the champions of the Mountain West Conference.

Hobbs, who didn’t play until the fourth game of the season, said the 33 rushing attempts was a career-high, and that he was not anticipating the workload in Saturday’s game.

“I wasn’t expected it, but you shouldn’t expect anything,” he said. “I didn’t expect to play this year.”

Going into halftime, Hobbs’ numbers were quality: He had 63 yards on 13 carries. However, the true fireworks began in the third quarter.

In the Frogs’ second possession, Hobbs took a pitch to the left and cut back up for a 65-yard touchdown to the right side. After a TCU interception, it took just four plays for Hobbs to break another long run. This time he took an option pitch and raced down the left sideline for 52 yards, before being tracked down at the Memphis 4-yard line. By the quarter’s end, Hobbs amassed 238 yards rushing.

The team also turned to Hobbs to win the game.

Hobbs handled the ball 11 times for 44 yards in the Frogs’ 18-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by his 1-yard touchdown that gave the team the lead with just 40 seconds left.

In eight games played, Hobbs has 952 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns, both conference records for a freshman. With new rules allowing bowl games to count towards season statistics, Hobbs has the opportunity to be the first TCU freshman to rush for 1,000 yards.

Patterson said the key to Hobbs’ success has been his health.

“Thirty-three is a lot of snaps,” Patterson said. “I would rather him be in the twenties. I think you got to have him for four years.”

Senior quarterback Sean Stilley said it should be entertaining to see him progress.

“You guys are going to have fun with him for the next (three) years,” Stilley said. “That guy is amazing. He’s always put us in a situation to win as a freshman. I have never seen a guy like him, and TCU is going to definitely benefit from having him around three more years.”

For now, the team will just look forward to his performance on New Year’s Eve.

Danny Gillham