The Edge
Compiled by Braden Howell

TCU PASSING GAME
Tye Gunn will make his return from a separated shoulder, but will share time with Brandon Hassell, who has played the last two games. Hassell has done an effective job of leading the Frogs offense in Gunn’s absence, but having Gunn back on the field should help the Frogs produce more points. Reggie Harrell is averaging 81 yards a game and is on pace to break the single season record for receiving yards. The Frogs should surpass their season average of 222.3 passing yards a game.

ARMY PASS DEFENSE
The Army pass defense is one of the worst the Frogs will face all season. They are ranked 106th in the country in pass defense and give up an average of 285.5 yards a game. The defensive backs are physical but don’t match up to the talent of the Frogs receivers. Against this pass defense, the Frogs could use more of the deep ball than they have in the first four games.

TCU RUNNING GAME
Robert Merrill is the real deal. The TCU running game has not missed a beat since Lonta Hobbs went down with an injury and is ranked 22nd in the country. Although, if Hobbs makes his return against Army, it will be a welcome sight. Merrill has shown he can run, but he has also taken a beating, carrying the ball 60 times in the past two games. Either way, the Frogs should be able to continue their running dominance against the Black Knights.

ARMY RUN DEFENSE
Army’s run defense is better than its pass defense. It is also undersized. It is very athletic, but it will be at a distinct disadvantage against the large offensive line of the Frogs. Members of the offensive line have said they want to start dominating, and this could be the game the start with.

TCU PASS DEFENSE
The Frogs secondary has done a great job since the season-opening meltdown against Tulane. However, if Marvin Godbolt does not play, Chris Peoples will have a huge space to fill. Godbolt is the leader of the secondary, and it will need to pick it up a notch in his absence. Army has some receivers that will tower over the Frogs defensive backs, but the secondary has the skill to keep the Black Knights passing game under control.

ARMY PASSING GAME
Make no mistake, Army likes to throw the ball. Sophomore quarterback Zac Dahman will be the starter again, and he is a proven passer. The Knights have a pair of 6-foot-6-inch receivers in Aaron Alexander and Clint Woody who could cause problems for the smaller TCU defenders.

TCU RUN DEFENSE
The Frogs run defense is ranked 12th in country, allowing 80.3 yards a game. It will be a miracle if Army gets anywhere near that total. In addition to having one of the best defensive line’s in the country, linebacker Martin Patterson is causing headaches for opposing offensive coordinators. If a running back does manage to get through the line, chances are slim he gets by Patterson.

ARMY RUNNING GAME
Saying Army’s running game is one of the worst in the country would be an understatement. In fact, the Black Knights are dead last out of 117 Division IA teams in rushing offense, averaging a meager 64.50 yards a game. Only once this season has an Army player run for more than 100 yards. The Frogs could make a return to the days when they held teams to negative rushing yards.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Despite missing two field goals last week, Nick Browne is still a sure footed kicker. John Braziel is still not the kind of punter the coaches are hoping he would be, but he has shown his potential. Cory Rodgers will be looking to atone for a dreadful performance returning punts against Arizona. They didn’t play great last week, but the Frogs special teams units are loaded with talent. Army has a solid kicker in Anthony Zurisko, but this game should not come down to a battle of field goals; but then again, neither should have the Arizona game.

OVERALL
The Frogs have all the talent and have played well individually but have not been able to put it together as a team. They have barely escaped teams they should have dominated. The Frogs should win again, but we’re not going to say it’s going to be easy. We should use reverse psychology and predict that the Frogs will squeak by a weaker opponent yet again; then the game wouldn’t even be close.

PREDICTION:
Braden Howell - Frogs 24-7
Brent Yarina - Frogs 27-13