The Edge

TCU PASSING GAME After a shaky start against Vanderbilt, Brandon Hassell showcased his ability to be an accurate passer. Finishing with over 200 yards in the air in your first college start is no small feat. The receivers continue to improve, and with almost no depth at running back, the Frogs may need to continue to frequently put the ball in the air. Hassell should be more comfortable in his second start, and that should make the passing game even stronger.

ARIZONA PASS DEFENSE It could be a rough day for the Arizona secondary. Although they are not facing as strong a quarterback as they have the last three weeks, Hassell is capable of piling up the yards against them. The Cats pass defense is ranked 97th in the country in yardage allowed, and opponents are averaging 13.3 yards per catch. The secondary has also given up 10 touchdown passes. It may only be Hassell’s second game, but the Cats secondary still should not have a chance.

TCU RUNNING GAME Robert Merrill proved he has the talent, but the loss of Lonta Hobbs and Corey Connally put a serious dent in the Frogs depth at running back. Both players are questionable for the game, but Merrill showed he is capable of taking on the full load at running back. Helping the Frogs running game is the fact that the Cats run defense is almost as bad as their pass defense. It doesn’t really matter who is running the ball for the Frogs behind their skilled offensive line. They should have a big game.

ARIZONA RUN DEFENSE The good news for the Cats is that their run defense is better than their pass defense. The bad news is that it’s still not very good, ranking 94th in the country in total rushing defense, and does not seem to be improving. In the first game of the year, the Cats held UTEP to 71 yards rushing, but have allowed increasingly more yards in each game, including allowing 292 yards on the ground against Purdue last weekend. The Frogs may not match that total, but the Cats will not be able to stop Merrill the whole game.

TCU PASS DEFENSE The Frogs pass defense will always be under attack because teams have such a hard time running the ball against TCU. Marvin Godbolt and company have done a great job of creating turnovers, and that trend should continue against Arizona. Godbolt leads the team in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (6), and Jeremy Modkins leads the team in tackles (29). The Arizona passing game will not be able to exploit the Frogs secondary, and the Frogs could come away with several interceptions; if they don’t drop them.

ARIZONA PASSING GAME For the Arizona passing game to have any chance of success, head coach John Mackovic must decide on a quarterback. The Cats currently have three quarterbacks competing for the starting spot. The quarterback by committee, however, is not due to a battle between three talented throwers, as none of the signal callers have a completion percentage over 50 percent. Only one of three, Nic Costa, has thrown for more touchdowns than interceptions. Their top two receivers are both averaging at least 12 yards a catch, but thanks to the Frogs pass rush, none of the quarterbacks should have the time to get them the ball.

TCU RUN DEFENSE The Frogs run defense is once again outstanding. Opponents are averaging 96 yards a game, and 2.6 yards a carry against the Frogs. With tackles Brandon Johnson and Chad Pugh plugging up the middle, the linebackers are free to roam and make plays. The size of the defense takes away the middle, and the speed of the defense prevents a running back from turning the corner on the outside. The Cats do not have a good running game, and it will look even worse against tough Frogs’ defense.

ARIZONA RUNNING GAME With the Cats top running back Michael Bell averaging only 41.8 yards a game, this is probably Arizona’s biggest weakness, especially against a stout TCU running defense. In addition to not being able to control the clock with its ground game, the Cats rushing attack also lacks a scoring threat. Lonta Hobbs has scored as many touchdowns on the ground (5) as the entire Arizona team. If the Cats get anywhere near 100 yards rushing as a team in this game, it will be a surprise.

SPECIAL TEAMS The Frogs special teams units are proving to be almost as dominant as their defense. The punt return team ranks 13th in the country, and Cory Rodgers ranks 11th in the country in yards per return. The Cats rank 90th in punt return, and 83rd in kick return. Nick Browne is still perfect on the year (5-5), including a 50-yard field goal against Vanderbilt. Punting is still not the strongest aspect of the special teams, but against a team like Arizona, it should not matter, as punts should be very limited.

OVERALL With backup quarterback Brandon Hassell making his first college start last weekend, the Frogs still managed to put up 30 points against a physical SEC team. There's no reason why the Frogs can't surpass that point total against Arizona. The Cats looked good in their season opening win against UTEP, but have been routed in their last three games. The reality is that they are just not a very good team, and should not be in the game long against the talented Frogs, no matter who is playing for the many injured Frogs.

PREDICTIONS: Braden Howell - Frogs 38-7 Brent Yarina - Frogs 41-13