Tulsa stands in way of Frogs’ 11th win
TCU can match school’s 1938 start, going 6-0

By Chad Carey
staff reporter

Coming off a bye week, during which they actually rose from No. 11 in The Associated Press poll to No. 10, the Horned Frog football team will try to tie the second-longest winning streak in school history against Tulsa Saturday.

TCU (5-0, 2-0 Western Athletic Conference) has won 10 consecutive games and needs only three more victories to tie the 1937-38 teams for the longest overall winning streak in school history (14 games).

The Frogs possess the nation’s second-longest winning streak, trailing only Nebraska (12). A win by the Frogs Saturday would not only extend the streak, but send them to 6-0 for the first time since 1938.

Head coach Dennis Franchione said TCU must be prepared to play an all-around game despite the fact that Tulsa comes into the game at 3-4, having lost two in a row.

“Tulsa has a new coach this year,” Franchione said. “They’re solid and consistent on offense, and defensively, they play hard and with intensity.”

Senior tailback LaDainian Tomlinson is coming off his best statistical performance of the season Oct. 7 against Hawaii. He rushed for 294 yards and four touchdowns.
Overall, Tomlinson has run for 974 yards and 12 touchdowns and leads the nation in rushing with 194.8 yards a game.
Defensively, the Frogs come into Saturday’s game with the No. 1-ranked overall defense in the country. TCU is tied for first in scoring defense, allowing only 9.6 points a contest.

In its last two games against Texas El-Paso and New Mexico State, Tulsa has allowed 82 points. Tulsa’s defense ranks 111th nationally against the run, allowing more than 242 yards a game.

TCU defensive coordinator Gary Patterson said the Horned Frog defense must keep its eyes on three Tulsa players in particular.

“Their quarterback (sophomore Josh Blankenship), for a young guy, is very good,” Patterson said.

(Junior running back Ken Bohanon) rushed for 100 yards last week, and (junior wide receiver Donald Shoals) has caught a lot of passes this season.”

Shoals is coming off a career-best game in which he caught 11 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. He ranks first in the WAC and fourth in the nation with 106.3 receiving yards a game.

The Horned Frog defense lost sophomore cornerback Jason Goss to a season-ending knee injury last week. Patterson said Goss injured his knee in practice, and he will be replaced in the starting lineup by sophomore Kenneth Hilliard.

Patterson said despite that injury, the Frogs are in relatively good health for the game.

“Although we’re a little banged up, there are no other serious (health) problems,” Patterson said. “It was good for us to get that bye week when we did.”

Chad Carey
chadcarey@mindspring.com

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