By Joel Anderson staff reporter Pardon TCU football coach Dennis Franchione if he's not yet focused on the Horned Frogs' itinerary for the week of Dec. 22, which happens to be when TCU arrives in Mobile, Ala., for a bowl game. Franchione has many other things to consume his thoughts after the Frogs clinched a three-way tie for the Western Athletic Conference title, consecutive postseason appearances for the first time at TCU since 1959 and watching junior tailback LaDainian Tomlinson secure his spot atop the national rushing standings. "It's hard to (focus)," Franchione said in the aftermath of TCU's 21-0 victory over Southern Methodist University. "When we came here two years ago, and we inherited a 1-10 team, and to be conference co-champions and to be going to our second consecutive bowl game, you take a little time to let it soak in. You get so focused on trying to prepare your team to play a single game. It's pretty sweet." Officials with the Mobile Alabama Bowl said they couldn't be more pleased with TCU's recent good fortune, considering it will give the inaugural bowl a match-up between 7-4 TCU and the No. 20-ranked East Carolina Pirates, 9-2. "You know, lower-tier bowls usually get two 6-5 teams," said John Gottfried, director of sales for the Mobile Alabama Bowl. "We couldn't have asked for a better match-up. It's a dream for a first-time bowl."
"It's going to be great to have one of the outstanding runners in college football history and the nation's 17th-ranked defense," Gottfried said. "TCU was our No. 1 choice. We're very impressed with the TCU program." The game will be televised at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 22 on ESPN2 and will be the only bowl game played that day. Gottfried said he expects the 40,646-seat Ladd-Peebles Stadium to be sold out. Most of the post-game chatter in the TCU locker room centered on the conference championship, not on upcoming bowl opponent East Carolina. Tomlinson, who set TCU single-season records with 1,850 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, was too busy celebrating the close of a successful regular season to fathom the implications of his record-setting season and a bowl game. "I'm happy with the win, and I'm most proud of the fact that we're WAC champions," Tomlinson said. "It's great, but then again I'm not realizing what I've accomplished."
Joel Anderson
By Matt Welnack staff reporter The Horned Frog defense saved its best for last as it held Southern Methodist University to 81 total yards en route to a 21-0 victory Friday to secure a share for the Western Athletic Conference title. Junior tailback LaDainian Tomlinson gained 125 yards on 32 carries to edge out Wisconsin's Ron Dayne to win the national rushing title with 1,850 yards. Tomlinson also scored two touchdowns to tie the TCU single-season record for touchdowns with 18. The defense, however, won the game for TCU. Led by WAC defensive player of the week, junior strong safety Russell Gary, the Frogs forced five fumbles and one interception. Gary recovered two fumbles and forced another to help TCU shut down the Mustangs. "Our defense today was pretty phenomenal," head coach Dennis Franchione said. "When you can't score, you can't win. Our defense made our offensive game plan much easier."
"To really appreciate what we have done, you had to be here in January two years ago," Franchione said. "We had a lot of work to do with the self-esteem of our players. I am really excited and proud for our kids. It will take a little time for it to soak in." In the first half, the TCU defense held SMU to 12 yards. Three SMU fumbles led to two field goals by junior kicker Chris Kaylakie. But the Frogs did not fare much better either. Tomlinson was held to only 37 yards on 14 carries. "Our defensive line just wore them out," sophomore linebacker Chad Bayer said. "It's hard to run the ball when our defensive line is knocking their offensive line back, and it is also hard to pass the ball when the quarterback is getting hit nearly every time." SMU quarterback Josh McCown spent most of the game eluding the TCU defensive front. He was sacked four times for a loss of 31 yards, and he completed 12 of 26 pass attempts for 50 yards. The shutout was the second for the Frogs this season, and the third time SMU has been shut out. The loss drops the Mustangs to 4-6, while TCU improves to 7-4. "The shutout was great," Bayer said. "But we were going for the win." The Frogs started the second half strong, behind a 13-play 80-yard scoring drive, capped off by Tomlinson's 16-yard run. Freshman receiver LaTarence Dunbar converted the two-point conversion on a reverse hand-off to make the score 14-0. Senior quarterback Patrick Batteaux, playing in his last game, played most of the second half and gained 24 yards rushing. Batteaux needed 17 receiving yards to become the first TCU player ever to gain 500 yards passing, rushing and receiving. "I wouldn't trade this win for 17 yards," Batteaux said. "We are conference champions, and that is all that matters." The Frogs are two years removed from a 1-10 season and are now going to a second consecutive bowl game Dec. 22 in the Mobile Alabama Bowl against No. 20 East Carolina. Had the Mustangs won Friday's contest, they would have made up their game against San Jose State and had a chance to share the WAC title. Senior defensive lineman J.W. Wilson said a victory over SMU is an ideal way to end his career. "We practiced all year long for something like this," he said. "As a senior, I could not have asked for anything more than this. Playing SMU at home and for the WAC championship, you can't ask for anything more than that."
Matt Welnack
By Tealy Dippel staff reporter The House of Student Representatives will vote on a bill to change the House bylaws and standing rules in order to reflect the new constitution passed during a referendum held in October. The bill, which was submitted by the Elections and Regulations Committee, asks House to approve the changes made in the referendum in an effort ensure the accuracy and timeliness of all House documents. The new constitution calls for the vice president for House to chair meetings, allowing the president to oversee the entire Student Government Association. "Because of the constitutional changes, (documents) didn't match up," SGA President Bill Alexander said. "We want the constitution and the bylaws to agree and to have the same meaning." Brian Becker, Elections and Regulations Committee subchairman, said all the House documents correlate with one another, and he can't see any reason why the bill would not pass. The House bylaws include: the agenda for House meetings and plenary sessions, meeting times, objectives of committee chairmen and chairwomen and the president's power to veto legislation. House members will also vote on a resolution to encourage the university to reduce the minimum amount of money on the meal plan requirement for students living in the Tom Brown/Pete Wright Residential Community. The resolution encourages the university to reduce the minimum amount to $100 on the meal plan for students living in the complex. Marcus Kain, Student Concerns Committee chairman, said he was given the idea to write the resolution in Spring 1999 by a student living in the complex. "When you have the facilities to cook, this plan is a lot better because it makes more sense," Kain said. Students living in the complex should not be forced to spend money on campus food, Kain said. The House meeting will be at 5 p.m. today in Student Center, Room 222.
Tealy Dippel
By Carey Hix staff reporter Monday is a day to look forward to for Pam Hulsey's second grade class at Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center. For the last three years, Peggy Bennett, chairwoman of music education, has been taking her music education class to the school to gain hands-on experience teaching the children music. "It's important because of the budget cuts across the district, the children don't often get music," Hulsey said. "To have a professional bring over her students and work with them, that's wonderful." The lessons help the children with rhythms and patterns. Some lessons also help them with other subjects, such as math, Hulsey said. One second grade student, Colton Erhart, said he enjoys the class because of the attention.
Bennett's four students teach interactive music, which allows the children to use their bodies to communicate as well as their voices. They sing "Hello Everybody" while they make eye contact with each other and wave to their neighbors. Some of the songs, including "Johnny Get Your Hair Cut," encourage creative interaction. The children make different kinds of "scissors" with their hands and arms while they sing. But other songs, including "America the Beautiful" delve into the history of the music, including composers and dates of composition. The experience is beneficial, not just for the second graders, but also for the college students, said Laine Hodges, a sophomore music education major. "It's been a really good experience, because as many classes as you have about education and what to do and what to say, it really doesn't prepare you for when you're in there with the kids trying to think of a question to ask them," she said. "So it's just a really good experience to have the hands-on with the children." It is also a personal educational experience, Hodges said. "We get to see more about ourselves and what we need to work on," she said. The lessons help to prepare the college students for a career after they graduate, said Christy Hough, a junior elementary education major. "It's a very good experience for us as teachers to have a hands-on experience before we get out into the real world," she said. "(The students) are so excited. They get smiles on their faces when they're able to have music class." The children are like little adults, said Jenny Vanderholm, a junior music education major. "There's not much of a difference between us," she said. "So many of the things that they do in there are things that I do when I'm in a college classroom." The lessons are like a trip back in time, said Kara Kasper, a sophomore music education major. "You get to kind of play around and get to be a kid again," she said. Watching the kids having fun while they learn is the most rewarding aspect of the class, Bennett said. "It's one thing to talk about music education for children in a college classroom, but it's quite another to see children react; it's a huge other step to be the teacher of those children," she said. The process is gradual, Bennett said. At the beginning of the semester, each person taught a small portion of the lesson. Now, they teach most of the entire lesson. "What I've seen is a huge leap in their confidence level, and in themselves as teachers," she said. "They are much more assertive with the children when they need to be, when their focus needs to be gained. They also realize how some things that they see other teachers do that look so simple can be really quite challenging."
Carey Hix |
Mobile Alabama Bowl officials extended the bowl invitation
to TCU Wednesday, two days before the game against SMU. Officials with
the bowl were excited about the presence of Tomlinson, one of three finalists
for this year's Doak Walker National Running Back Award, and a TCU defense
that statistically ranks among the nation's top 20 units.
The Frogs share the WAC title with Fresno State and Hawaii.
The title is TCU's first while in the WAC and the first since 1994 when
the Frogs were in the Southwestern Conference.
"I like the class because I like to be embarrassed,
and it embarrassed me a lot," said Erhart, one of the students who
got to sing a solo for the class.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |