Week 1: TCU-Southern GameDay Information

Game 1 of the 2018 TCU Football Season: TCU versus Southern University: Saturday, September 1, 2018, at 11 am (Central), Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas; TV: FSN (TV Talent: Mark Followill, Brian Baldinger, Lesley McCaslin); Radio -- WBAP 820 AM, KTCU 88.7, Sirius 113, XM 200  (Radio Talent: Brian Estridge, John Denton, Landry Burdine); Spanish Radio: KFZO 99.1 (Radio Talent: Miguel Cruz, Elvis Gallegos).

TCU-Southern Hype Video: here

Friday, August 31, is Go Purple Friday: Wear purple on Friday, August 31, and receive discounts and offers from Go Purple partners. More information: here


TCU-Southern Game-Watching Party Locations: here

Color Coordination for the TCU-Southern Game: It's a "Purple Out!" All fans, in all sections, are asked to wear purple.

TCU's Previous Game: This is the first game of the 2018 season for TCU. The Frogs' last game was a 39-37 win over Stanford in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on December 28, 2017. The win gave TCU an 11-3 record for the 2017 season. In the season's final rankings, the Frogs were ranked ninth.

Southern's Previous Game: This is the first game of the 2018 season for South Dakota State. The Tigers' last game was a 30-21 loss to Grambling State in the annual Bayou Classic game in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on November 25.

TCU-Southern Rivalry: This is the first football game between TCU and Southern University.

TCU-Southern Connections: The Horned Frogs are facing an opponent from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) for the third time in their history. TCU defeated Jackson State, 63-0, in the Frogs' season-opener last year, and Grambling State, 56-0, in the 2012 season-opener. The game against Grambling State marked the first game in the rebuilt Amon G. Carter Stadium, and was the110th career win for Gary Patterson, making him TCU’s all-time winningest coach. Jackson State and Grambling State compete against Southern, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Jackson State has nine players from Texas. TCU has 12 players from Louisiana.

2018 TCU Football Video: here

2018 Southern Football Video: here and here 

Frogs Missing in Action: TCU defensive end Ross Blacklock suffered an injury during fall camp. He is out for the season. Highly touted true freshman safety Atanza Vongor suffered an injury during fall camp that apparently will cause him to miss the season.

The Line: There is no line since it is a game between a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team (TCU) and a lower-level Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team (Southern University).

Midnite's TCU-Southern Prediction: TCU 44, Southern 10

TCU Notables:

• Beginning his 18th season as TCU's head football coach, Gary Patterson is the nation’s second- longest tenured head coach. He trails only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (20th year).
• Patterson’s 160 victories at TCU rank second nationally behind Kansas State’s Bill Snyder (210) for most wins by a head coach at his current school.
• The Horned Frogs are ranked in the preseason for the 10th time in the last 13 years.
• The Horned Frogs are 82-19 in 17 seasons under Patterson at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
• The Horned Frogs went 6-0 in Amon G. Carter Stadium last season for their third perfect campaign at home in the last four seasons.
• TCU is 11-1, with an 11-game winning streak, versus FCS opponents under Patterson.
• TCU is opening at home for just the seventh time in Patterson’s 18 seasons as head coach. During that stretch, the Horned Frogs will have had nine road games, seven home dates and two neutral-site contests (Arlington, Texas).
• TCU is 13-4 in season debuts under Patterson and 73-39-9 overall in openers.
• TCU has won its last four season-openers and 13 of the past 15, including victories over No. 5 Oklahoma in 2005 and No. 22 Oregon State in 2010.
• TCU has won its last 16 home-openers, tied for the nation’s ninth-longest active streak.
• TCU’s 16 straight victories in home openers are under Patterson. In 12 of those wins, the Horned Frogs allowed 17 points or less.
• TCU is 16-1 overall in home openers under Patterson.
• TCU is one of just five programs nationally to finish in the top 10 of the final polls at least three times in the last four seasons. The others are Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma.
• Over the last four seasons, the Horned Frogs’ 40-13 overall record and 26-10 conference mark both rank second in the Big 12.
• Patterson’s 17 seasons as TCU’s head coach are more than the combined tenures of the 11 other FBS head coaches in the state of Texas.
• Following a 45-22 win over Baylor in the 2017 regular-season finale, Patterson announced his contract extension through 2024.
• In 17 seasons under Patterson, TCU has posted seven top-10 finishes and 11 in the top 25. The Horned Frogs have won at least 11 games in 10 of the last 15 seasons.
• Since 2005, TCU tops all private schools in victories and winning percentage. The Frogs are 128-40 (.762). USC is 116-42 (.734). BYU is 111-56 (.665). Stanford is 108-60 (.643). Notre Dame is 104-61 (.630).
• TCU’s record since 2005 is No. 6 nationally: 1. Ohio State, 145-26 (.848); 2. Alabama, 148-29 (.836); 3. Boise State, 143-29 (.831); 4. Oklahoma, 135-38 (.780); 5. LSU, 129-40 (.763); 6. TCU, 128-40(.762).
• Since 2001, Gary Patterson’s first season as TCU’s head coach, the Horned Frogs have been the most successful program in the state of Texas: 1. TCU, 160-56 (.741); 2. Texas, 154-64 (.706); 3. Texas Tech, 129-87 (.597); 4. Houston, 125-91 (.579); 5. Texas A&M, 123-90 (.577).
• Since 2005, TCU has the best record in Texas among the 12 FBS programs.
• The Horned Frogs are 82-19 in 17 seasons under Patterson at Amon G. Carter Stadium. TCU has recorded nine shutouts in its past 71 home dates.
• The Horned Frogs went 6-0 in Amon G. Carter Stadium last season for their third perfect campaign at home in the last four seasons .
• The Horned Frogs are 72-20 in day games over the last 13 seasons and 56-20 at night. The NCAA constitutes a night game as starting at 5 p.m. or later.
• TCU is 109-30 in Saturday contests since 2005 and 19-10 on other days of the week (1-0 on Sundays, 0-1 on Mondays, 2-0 on Tuesdays, 2-0 on Wednesdays, 7-7 on Thursdays and 7-2 on Fridays).
• TCU has qualified for a bowl game in 18 of the last 20 seasons. The Horned Frogs have earned a bowl trip in 15 of Patterson’s 17 seasons as head coach.
• TCU is one of just 21 schools to have won multiple national championships (1935, 1938) and produce a Heisman Trophy winner (Davey O’Brien, 1938). The other schools are Alabama, Army, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.
• TCU has won at least 10 games 11 times in Patterson’s 17 seasons as head coach, including three of the last four years and nine times in the past 13 campaigns.
• Prior to Patterson’s arrival in 1998, TCU had just four 10-win seasons in its history.
• TCU has reached the 11-win mark 10 times in the last 15 seasons.
  

Have Fun Tailgating Before and After the Football Games: Donor parking lots open five hours prior to kickoff. For games that start before 2:30 pm, lots must be cleared by three hours after the games end. For games that start at 2:30 pm or later, Lots must be cleared 90 minutes after games end, or by 11 pm (whichever comes first, due to city ordinance).

Countdown to Kickoff: Three hours prior to kickoff: Frog Alley opens. Two-and-a-half hours prior to kickoff: Frog Walk begins. Two hours prior to kickoff: autographs by members of other TCU athletic teams. One hour prior to kickoff: TCU Marching Band and Spirit. Thirty minutes prior to kickoff: Frog Alley closes and pre-game show begins.

TCU Gameday Parking and Traffic Information: here

Amon G. Carter Stadium: Construction is underway, with completion in time for the 2019 season, on the $100 million Amon G. Carter Stadium premium seating expansion. The project calls for two new levels of luxury seating above the current upper deck on the east side of the stadium. The new Legends Club and Suites will include 48 loge boxes with two private clubs, over 1,000 club seats and 22 luxury suites. Additional information about The Carter: here

Information about stadium rules and regulations: here

Important! Security measures at TCU Athletic Events: Only the following items are permitted into TCU athletic facilities:

• Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and not exceeding 14 inches by 14 inches
• One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar)
• One unopened bottle of water
• Small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand, with or without a handle or strap can be taken into the stadium with one of the clear plastic bags
  

Exceptions are made for medically necessary items after proper inspection at the stadium gates. Backpacks, diaper bags and other similar bags are not be allowed.

2018 TCU Home Game Color Coordination: Saturday, September 1: Purple Out -- all fans wear purple; Saturday, September 29: White Out -- all fans wear white; Thursday, October 11: Black Out -- all fans wear black; Saturday, October 20: Fan Vote! -- on May 15, fans can vote for the color scheme of this game; Saturday, November 3: Purple and White -- west side of stadium and western parts of the end zones, wear purple, and east side of stadium and eastern parts of the end zones, wear white; Saturday, November 24: Purple Out -- all fans wear purple.

2018 Game 2 for TCU: TCU will clash with SMU at 7 pm, on Friday, September 7, in Gerald J. Ford Stadium, in Dallas. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

ESPN College GameDay Built by The Home Depot: ESPN's College GameDay went on the road for the first time in 1993. The show was in South Bend, Indiana, for a Notre Dame-Florida State game. To celebrate 25 years on the road, ESPN is kicking off the 2018 college football season on Saturday, September 1, with College GameDay in South Bend. The Fighting Irish will be playing Michigan (kickoff at 6:30 pm CT, on NBC). Michigan and Notre Dame haven’t faced each other since 2014. Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, David Pollack and Maria Taylor will be featured on GameDay this season.