TCU-Southern Game Photos

Photos by Tom C "Midnite" Burke

Ready for the TCU-Southern kickoff in Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday, September 1! 

(photo above) TCU alum Jim Marston (second from right) and his wife Annette, with TCU alums Barry Johnson (left) and Eddie Coble.

Knuckles up! (photo below) Greg Loving (left), Gary Levengood (center) and Tim Laska proudly display their purple.

It was "Davey Day" on September 1 at Amon G. Carter Stadium, in honor of the 80th anniversary of TCU quarterback Davey O'Brien winning the Heisman Trophy and the Horned Frogs capturing the 1938 national championship.

David O'Brien, Jr. (center, tan hat), the son of Davey O'Brien, was an honored guest at the TCU-Southern game. He participated in the coin toss and he was the featured celebrity in the new Riff Ram video. 

TCU's official captains for the game were Cordel Iwuagwu (#70), Kellton Hollins (#55), Niko Small (#2) and Ty Summers (#42). All were captains for the first time.

Watch the Riff Ram video: here

The TCU band formed the numeral 8 during its pre-game performance, in honor of Davey O'Brien, Jr.

Patriotism and Texas pride was displayed during pregame ceremonies, which featured members of the TCU Army ROTC.

A flyover has become a traditional pregame highlight of TCU football home openers.

TCU cheerleaders were in mid-season form!

The TCU Showgirls sparkled, as usual!

Here come the Frogs! TCU players wore a Nike frog skin jersey with white pants and a purple chrome helmet.

Here come the Southern University Jaguars!

TCU Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach Curtis Luper (center) readies the Horned Frogs' offensive unit for its first drive of the game. Starting at quarterback was sophomore Shawn Robinson (#3).

TCU starting quarterback Shawn Robinson (#3) played only the first half of the Frogs' 55-7 win over Southern. But, it was an impressive half!

Robinson accounted for five touchdowns: three through the air and two on the ground. Robinson completed 17 of 24 passes for 182 yards. His passing touchdowns were to three different receivers. True freshman Derius Davis caught a 12-yard TD from Robinson, who threw a six-yard TD pass to true freshman Taye Barber and a 12-yard scoring pass to sophomore Jalen Reagor. Overall, the Frogs had 264 yards passing against Southern.

TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson (#3) takes off on a 36-yard touchdown run. His second and last rushing play was a nine-yard touchdown. Both runs were the first rushing scores of his TCU career.

TCU junior running back Darius Anderson (#6) returned to action after missing much of last season due to an injury he suffered in the game against Oklahoma in Norman. Anderson carried the ball eight times for 36 yards. Overall, the Frogs had 235 yards rushing against Southern.

TCU junior running back Sewo Olonilua (#33) carried the ball five times for 43 yards against Southern.

TCU kicker Cole Bunce (#37) was two-of-two on field goals (26 yards and 30 yards) and five-of-five on extra-point kicks.

TCU junior kicker Jonathan Song (#46) returned from a season-ending injury last season to covert two-of-two extra point kicks late in the game.

TCU true freshman receiver Derius Davis (#12) receives congratulations from teammates after he returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter against Southern. He also caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Robinson. The punt return for a touchdown was the first by a TCU true freshman in his collegiate debut since Deante Gray in the 2012 season-opener versus Grambling State. The last true freshman with a punt return for a touchdown was KaVontae Turpin against Kansas in 2015. Davis' performance in the win over Southern earned him Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week honors.

Second-string quarterback Michael Collins (#10), a sophomore, started at quarterback for the Horned Frogs in the second half. He threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to TreVontae Hights. Collins completed three-of-five passes for 71 yards.

Senior third-string quarterback Grayson Muehlstein (#17) played and had his fist three career passing attempts and first career completion, 11 yards to John Stephens, Jr.

Fourth-string quarterback Karson Ringdahl (#15 in your program), handing off to senior Jacques Guillot (#39), made his first career appearance late in the fourth quarter. He didn't attempt a pass, but ran once for two yards, so he would get his uniform dirty.

Using four quarterbacks in a game is a rarity for the Frogs. Only three quarterbacks saw action for TCU the entire 2017 season.

The fact that TCU used 80 players during Saturday's blowout win, including many true and redshirt freshmen, had many fans scratching their heads and scanning the TCU roster. 

TCU defensive end Ben Bangu (#15), linebacker/defensive end Ty Summers (#42) and defensive tackle Terrell Cooper (#95) pressured Southern quarterbacks, including John Lampley (#11), throughout the game. Southern completed only five of 18 passes for 101 yards. The Frogs had two interceptions.

TCU's swarming defense, which included redshirt freshman La'Kendrick Van Zandt (#20) and senior linebacker Alec Dunham(#23), held Southern to 84 yards rushing and nine first downs.

Even though it was an easy win for TCU over Southern, TCU head coach Gary Patterson continually paced the sideline (photo above) on the hot afternoon, when he wasn't instructing the defense (photo below).

The heat and the physicality of the game took its toll on Southern players (photo above) and TCU players. In fact, TCU redshirt freshman cornerback Michael Onyemaobi (#22, photo below) unfortunately suffered what apparently is a season-ending injury.

Southern's "Human Jukebox" band (photos above and below) was as good as advertised. In fact, if the Southern band would not have been headlining the halftime show, fans would have been exiting the stadium and heading for cooler temperatures in the second quarter, instead of waiting until the beginning of the third quarter.

Watch the band: here and here

During Saturday's game against Southern, fans (photos above and below) resorted to various ways to try to shield themselves from a blazing, relentless Texas sun that drove temperatures in the stands into the upper 90s, and to a heat index of between 130 and 140 degrees on the field.

 

By the time the third quarter rolled around, because of the intense heat, there weren't many fans left in the stands.

Another TCU victory is celebrated with the playing and singing of the Alma Mater. The Frogs won their home-opener for the 17th consecutive season under head coach Gary Patterson, who started his 18th full season. The winning streak is tied for the eighth-longest active streak in the nation.