SWC Game of the Week: TCU @ Texas

Welcome back to SWC Game of the Week. This week’s game features TCU, a team desperate for the bright lights. I think this is the last time they don’t play on Thursday this year. This scribe likes the spunky TCU squad and their coach, Garry Patterson, but has to wonder where the fans are? Come on Fort Worth, stop hating on Dallas (jealous) and start going to see your college football team. Maybe the fans are just confused what conference TCU plays in these days. This week however, they get their shot on the big stage, before lots of folks wearing orange shirts and some cheerleaders with chaps on.

THIS WEEK’S GAME:

This week’s game is TCU at Texas. TCU is chomping at the bit to have a shot at the big school in the state and prove themselves worthy of hangin’ with the big boys of college football. Texas, coming off a somewhat lackluster showing against Arkansas State and better be ready for the Frogs. This is the only planned meeting of the two, so there will be no return trip to Fort Worth, nor a chance for revenge, for either squad. Texas holds an overall 60-20-1 advantage in the series including the first game of the series in 1897, an 18-10 win in Austin. Texas has also won the last 3 games and 26 of the last 27 matchups. This is only the fourth meeting between the two when both teams were ranked with Texas holding a 2-1 advantage in the previous three games. Texas is 36-4 against teams in the state of Texas since Mack Brown took over the coaching duties. They haven’t played Southlake Carroll though, so don’t go calling them State Champs or nothing. TCU however is on a 9 game win streak that has them averaging 34.2 points per game. TCU’s defense is tough, shutting down the Baylor attack in week 1. The defense is lead by defensive end Tommy Blake and linebacker Jason Phillips. Since 2002 TCU is 9-1 vs. teams from the BCS conferences, including a 17-10 win over OU in 2005. Texas is back in the top ten this year, lead by their now sophomore quarterback Colt McCoy. The Longhorn signal caller threw for 29 touchdowns last year, setting the UT single season mark and tying the national freshman mark. McCoy is not the only weapon the ‘Horns have on offense, they also return running back Jamal Charles, and receiver Linus Sweed. The Longhorn defense last year shut down the run (setting a school record for rush yards allowed) but struggled against the pass (allowing a record high in pass yards). The defense did not exactly shut down Arkansas State last week either, with the Indians racking up more yards gained than UT. Perhaps the Frogs will have this UT team a bit more focused. UT better be ready, because the Frogs are for sure.

Significant players out with injury this week are TCU starting tailback Aaron Brown and Texas starting defensive end Brian Orakpo.

COTTON BOWL MEMORIES:

This week’s Cotton Bowl Memory will take us all the way back to the first Cotton Bowl Game, the 1937 matchup between TCU and Marquette. TCU came into the game with Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, an All American who could run, punt and play defense when he wasn’t slingin’ it. The Horned Frogs were 8-2-2 that year and dominated an over matched Marquette squad, winning 16-6. Marquette’s only score came on a punt return. In the second half TCU emptied its bench, playing super subs such as the 1938 Heisman Trophy winner Davey O’Brien. The TCU star that day was L.D. Meyer. “Little Dutch” caught two touchdown passes, kicked a field goal and an extra point, accounting for all of TCU’s scoring. TCU stuffed Marquette QB Ray (Buzz) Buivid, forcing him into 3 interceptions and minus total rushing yards. The TCU coach gave into the crowd late in the game and sent Baugh back into the game, one of the true greats in the SWC.

Side note, “dude, TCU played in a lot of Cotton Bowls early on, look it up.”

OTHER GAMES THIS WEEK:

Rice at Baylor (Someone has to win, right?)

North Texas at SMU (Ponies try to rebound with a team more their speed)

Fresno State at Texas A&M (I didn’t know Fresno was a State, is it near Appalachian?)

UTEP at Texas Tech (Battle of West Texas)

RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK:

SWC Game of the Week, Week 1:

TCU 27 Baylor 0 (TCU holds up its end of the bargin)

Other Games:

Arkansas 46 Troy 26

Oregon 48 Houston 27

Nicholls State 16 Rice 14 (I thought Rice was good now?)

Texas Tech 49 SMU 9

Texas 21 Arkansas State 13

Texas A&M 38 Montana State 7

STANDINGS:

	Conference:		Overall:
	W	L	W	L
Texas Tech	1	0	1	0
TCU	1	0	1	0
Arkansas:	0	0	1	0
Texas	0	0	1	0
Texas A&M	0	0	1	0
Houston	0	0	0	1
Rice	0	0	0	1
Baylor	0	1	0	1
SMU	0	1	0	1

FINAL WORD:

That’s a wrap for this week. Please feel free to forward to your friends, send me emails of those that should be included that aren’t, and submit your additions to the weekly newsletters (favorite SWC memories, player bio’s, funny old SWC stories, mascot hijinks, etc.) If you are receiving this note and you don’t want to, shame on you, but let me know, I’ll take you off the list.

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