By Todd J. Shriber staff reporter HOUSTON - Rice didn't surprise TCU with what they threw at the Horned Frogs' defense last Saturday. They just played their normal game in a 42-21 thumping of TCU. TCU took a commanding 14-0 lead into the second quarter, but the offense sputtered, and the defense couldn't contain Rice's option attack. At the end of the first quarter Rice had gained only 43 yards of total offense. By the end of the fourth quarter the total had risen to 424 yards. Rice quarterback Chad Richardson said the experience of his team helped when looking at a 14-0 deficit.
After a slow start, the Owls got their running game into a rhythm, and the TCU defense began to show tiredness from being on the field too long. Rice finished the game with almost 35 minutes of possession. Richardson, Rice's leading rusher, finished the game with 163 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries. He completed three of six passes, but two of them went for touchdowns. TCU head coach Dennis Franchione said part of the problem of defending the option is the secondary's over-commitment to the run. "They're going to get some people open. It comes down to whether you get some pressure on the quarterback and whether they miss it," Franchione said. "You over-commit to the run and the play-action, and as well as they run the football, that's going to happen. When they get into a rhythm, it's more likely to happen, and they had a pretty rhythm today." Rice's points came down on TCU like an avalanche as the Owls scored 35 unanswered points between the second and third quarters. Rice fullback Jamie Tyler, a Horned Frog killer in last year's game, was again a nemesis for TCU. Tyler racked up 85 yards on 14 carries and added two touchdowns. Franchione said TCU tried to limit the effectiveness of Tyler. "You always try to take the fullback out of the game, and you hopefully try to take the quarterback out of the game, but they have enough other plays that aren't option plays," Franchione said. "You cannot take him (Tyler) out of the game completely. You just try to defend all the things they do." TCU struggled to defend Rice's triple-option after the first quarter, but TCU junior defensive end Aaron Schobel said the Owls didn't do anything surprising. "Their schemes weren't surprising, but the way they ran on us was," Schobel said. "Once they got the momentum they went with it. Everything happened so fast." The loss puts TCU two games behind Rice in the race for the Western Athletic Conference championship with just three conference games left for both teams. Franchione said the hype surrounding the game as the deciding game in the WAC race could have affected the players. "It may have been in the back of their minds," he said. "They're not naïve. They know what these games mean, but there are certainly a lot of goals that we can certainly still achieve."
Todd J. Shriber
By Todd J. Shriber staff reporter HOUSTON - It was the type of game that leaves coaches and players shaking their heads in dismay and wondering what went wrong after everything appeared to be going so good. The Rice Owls beat TCU last Saturday at Rice Stadium 42-21 and solidified their position as the Western Athletic Conference's leading team in the process by moving their conference record to 4-0. The 21-point margin of victory makes it seem like Rice dominated the entire game. That was not the case as TCU scored on first two possessions to take a 14-0 into the second quarter. TCU freshman quarterback Casey Printers capped an 80-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run to give the Horned Frogs an early 7-0 lead. Printers would hook up with senior receiver Mike Scarborough for a five-yard touchdown pass on TCU's second drive to give the Horned Frogs early control. TCU junior running back LaDainian Tomlinson said he thought TCU would be able to maintain the momentum from its first two drives. "After the first couple of drives, I thought we'd rack up a lot of points and a lot of yards," Tomlinson said. "I've got to give credit to the Rice defense. We made them bend, but they didn't break." Rice coach Ken Hatfield said his team has faced 14-0 deficit before and didn't panic as a result. "I can't say enough about our defense," Hatfield said. "We started the game off the same way we did against Navy, down 14-0. After the first two drives they didn't score a point on the defense. The defense just hung in there and adjusted." TCU's Bird Jones had 19-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the TCU offense struggled in the second half. The game was tied 14-14 going into half-time, but the tie was quickly broken on Rice's first drive of the third half. Rice fullback Jamie Tyler broke the tie and sent TCU into a tailspin with his one-yard touchdown that completed 65-yard drive that lasted almost eight minutes. TCU coach Dennis Franchione said the Horned Frogs' inability to respond to Rice's tie-breaking score was costly. "That was a big possession (TCU's first of the third quarter)," Franchione said. "They scored to start the third, and we went three and out. We just didn't generate enough offense in the second half." TCU would finish the game with just 286 yards of total offense, a far cry from the numbers put up against San Jose State and Tulsa. Rice's defense would prove to be the difference in the game. On five consecutive possessions between the second and third quarters, TCU could muster barely 30 yards of offense and no first downs. Printers would throw an interception in the third quarter with TCU down 28-14 that Rice linebacker Dan Dawson returned for a touchdown and a 35-14 Rice lead. The interception would prove to be the final nail in the TCU coffin. Franchione said the third quarter hurt TCU. "Really, until the interception we weren't in bad shape, within touchdowns, which I don't ever think is too bad. We had a bad third, and you don't want to get yourself into a position of playing from that far behind against these guys."
Todd J. Shriber
By Steven Baker staff reporter The Robert and Maria Lowdon Track and Field Complex officially opened Monday giving the track and field team its first permanent venue. Head track and field coach Monte Stratton said a great facility like this helps track coaches be great recruiters and even better coaches. "It is completely satisfying and awe-inspiring to see TCU with a world-class track," he said. "The addition of a facility like this not only immediately gives creditability and enhances the recruiting for the track team, but it gives creditability to the total university. The track and field complex will have a flat surface and nine wide lanes for sprinters.
"Sprinters don't want a surface that is too soft, because firmer surfaces are faster," he said. "Distance people would prefer a softer surface. This is kind of a middle of the road." Robert and Maria Lowdon donated $1 million toward the building of the $2 million facility. Robert Lowdon said he and his wife are very impressed with the way the track looks. "One thing about TCU - it is a great asset to Fort Worth," he said. "So when we do something for TCU, we feel like we are doing something for all of Fort Worth." Sarah Kemble, a freshman elementary education major, said one of the main reasons she came to TCU was because of Robert Lowdon, who used to take her to TCU football games when she was a child. "He is such a kind-hearted man," she said. "He truly has a heart for other people in making them happy. The city of Fort Worth, family and friends are all very important to him." At the ceremony, track and field team members senior Johnny Collins II and junior Heather Hanchak presented Robert and Maria Lowdon with their own track jersey encased in glass with the signatures of the team and coaches. Collins said many people don't realize that the quality of the team can only be enhanced by the opening of the new track and field facility. In the last 15 years, the TCU track and field teams have developed 74 NCAA All-Americans, placed five men in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships and have won 41 major relay crowns, including the all-time collegiate record in the men's 4 x 100 relays (38.04). "Considering the talent that has already passed through TCU, this complex is really overdue," Collins said. "But at the same time it is also right on time because of Athletics Director Eric Hyman who compliments TCU track and the students. This facility is not only an upgrade, but it is well beyond that. There are not too many tracks like this in the state of Texas." High school championships, Special Olympic meets and even practices for the 2012 Olympics - if the Dallas/Fort Worth area wins the bid - could be hosted at the new complex.
Steven Baker
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"I didn't know what was going on," Richardson
said. "We were not panicking yet, but close to it. We have a lot of
seniors on this team, and we've been there. We've played in a lot of big
games. We've been down before and have come back before, so I think that
plays a big role - experience."
Ross Bailey, TCU head trainer, said in an earlier interview
that the Rekortan rubber track of the facility offers runners a hard surface,
that is fast, but is still soft enough to give to prevent injuries.
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