TCU-Texas Football 'War of Horns' Gameday for Saturday, October 2, 2021

 

Friday, October 1, is Go Purple Friday: Wear purple on Friday, October 1, and receive discounts and offers from Go Purple partners. More information: here

Game 4 of TCU’s 2021 Football Regular Season: TCU Horned Frogs (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) versus University of Texas Longhorns (3-1, 1-0 Big 12), in the "War of Horns," Saturday, October 2, 2021; 11 am (Central); Amon G. Carter Stadium; Fort Worth, Texas; TV: ABC (David Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Lunginbill); Radio -- WBAP 820 AM, Sirius 119, XM 200, the new Varsity Network App, and the Riff Ram app (Radio Talent: Brian Estridge, John Denton, Landry Burdine); Spanish Radio: KFZO 99.1 (Radio Talent: Miguel Cruz, Elvis Gallegos).

Big 12 Conference Expansion Update: Big 12 Conference invitations have been accepted by Brigham Young University, the University of Houston, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Central Florida.  The schools said the moves will come by July 1, 2024, at the latest. All four of the schools currently are members of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Additional information: here  https://midnitemadnessbytcburke.blogspot.com/2021/09/houston-cincinnati-byu-and-central.html

2021 Color Coordination for the TCU-Texas Game: Purple-Out The Carter against Texas! Gates open at 9 am. Free purple T-shirts, while supplies last.  A facial cover (protective mask) also is recommended because of the COVID surge in Tarrant County. TCU requires that facial coverings be worn in all indoor areas on campus, except for private-access areas. 

TCU Uniform Combination for the Game: Against Texas, the Horned Frogs will wear a purple-and-black jersey, black pants and a black helmet with a purple Horned Frog logo. 

TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson Press Conference About Texas: Video not made available by TCU.

Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian Press Conference About TCU: here

TCU-Texas Gameday Central: here  

The Line for the TCU-Texas Game: Texas is a five-point favorite. The over-under for total points of both teams is 65.5 points. 

Midnite's TCU-Texas Prediction: Texas 44, TCU 31

TCU's Texas Game Hype Video: here  

Texas' TCU Game Hype Video: here

TCU-Texas Watch Parties: here

2021 COVID-19 Warning: The COVID-19 pandemic still is with us, with people daily being infected and dying. An inherent risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 exists in any public space where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unvaccinated people and those with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, particularly the delta variant of the virus, although vaccinated people can be infected with the virus, especially the delta variant. Mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing remain highly recommended, and those people who are vaccinated are urged to avoid those people who are not vaccinated.

Out of an abundance of caution, the University of Texas Longhorn Band and Longhorn Pep Band paused their practice sessions this week due to COVID-19 protocols and are not performing at upcoming athletic events. That means no UT band for Texas’ game against TCU this Saturday.

Get the latest COVID-19 guidelines and information from the CDC: here  

TCU Mask Policy: TCU this fall requires face masks to be worn in all indoor campus areas, except when a person is actively eating and/or drinking and except within private-access areas. People who are sick or experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms should stay home and get tested for COVID-19.

2021 Countdown to TCU-Texas Kickoff: Five hours prior to kickoff: donor parking lots open. Three hours prior to kickoff: Frog Alley opens. Two-and-a-half hours prior to kickoff: Frog Walk. Two hours prior to kickoff: gates open. One hour prior to kickoff: TCU Marching Band and Spirit parade. Thirty minutes prior to kickoff: Frog Alley closes and in-stadium pre-game show begins.

2021 Fan Experience for TCU Football at Amon G. Carter Stadium: To provide the safest environment for fans to enjoy TCU football this fall during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Masks are mandated in all indoor facilities on the TCU campus, unless a person is actively eating and/or drinking.
• Tailgating is allowed in all Frog Club parking lots and spaces. Lots open three hours prior to kick off and close following the game.
• Frog Alley has been moved to Stadium Drive. Frog Alley is bigger and better this season, taking up all four lanes on Stadium Drive. It features a Kids’ Zone, a beer garden with TVs, local food trucks and more. Frog Walk also returns this season, as the team will be dropped off at the Frog Alley entrance.
• Amon G. Carter Stadium gates open two hours prior to kick off.
• A refusal to comply with the 2021 TCU Football health and safety guidelines may result in removal from the stadium and/or loss of ticket privileges to future home games.
• Social distancing is recommended at gates, concessions and restrooms. 
• Hand sanitation stations are available in the stadium.
• There are a variety of new concession stands dubbed “The Taste of Funkytown.” These include QUENCH, AGC Pub and a Super Size Stand. 
• On the North Endzone deck, drink rails, picnic tables and lawn games have been installed.
• "WaterMonster" locations are throughout the stadium. A WaterMonster is a 125-gallon tank filled with cold-filtered water, or the equivalent of 1,000 bottles of water. The configuration stands six-feet tall and has six spigots for fans to fill their own water bottles or paper cups.
• Football Pre-Game Happy Hour Specials are available from when gates open, to 30 minutes before kick-off: 
• Beer $4
• 44oz Pepsi: $3
• Large popcorn: $3
• Peanuts: $3
• Nachos: $2.25
• Hot Dog: $2

Concessions Overview: here 

Digital Seat Media in Amon G. Carter Stadium: Within Amon G. Carter Stadium, fans will find a new feature at their seats that gives them access to items to enhance their football gameday experience. Fort Worth-based Digital Seat Media (DSM) installed on stadium seats a QR code. Fans can scan the QR code with a smart phone and access several features, without having to download an app. The platform runs on mobile web and works on all mobile browsers. 

TCU's Previous Game to the Texas Game: On Saturday, September 25, in Amon G. Carter Stadium, in Fort Worth, Texas, SMU demoralized TCU, 42-34.

TCU's Next Game after the Texas Game: After four consecutive home games to open the 2021 season, TCU will play its first away game of the season, in Lubbock, against Big 12 foe Texas Tech, on Saturday, October 9, at 6 pm (Central). The game will be broadcast by ESPN.

Texas’ Previous Game to the TCU Game: On September 25, in Austin, Texas blasted Texas Tech, 70-35. It was the Longhorns’ Big 12 opener and their fourth game of the season. Texas opened the season at home on September 4 with a 38-18 victory over 23rd-ranked Louisiana. On September 11, in Fayetteville, the ‘Horns lost to Arkansas, 40-21. On September 18, in Austin, Texas walloped Rice, 58-0.

Texas’ Next Game After the TCU Game: Texas will meet Oklahoma, during the Texas State Fair, at the Cotton Bowl, in Dallas, at 11 am, on Saturday, October 9. ABC will televise the game.

Previous TCU-Texas Game: The Frogs defeated the Longhorns, 33-31, in Austin, on October 3, 2020. It was the sixth time in seven seasons that TCU had beaten Texas. The loss sent the Longhorns spinning. Texas was ranked ninth in the country heading into the game, but dropped to No. 22 the following week. Texas running back Keaontay Ingram fumbled the football at TCU's goal line with 2:32 remaining in the game, essentially sealing Texas' fate. Ingram eventually lost his starting job and he transferred to USC. Texas followed the heartbreak loss to TCU with an even bigger heartbreak the following week, an overtime loss to Oklahoma.

TCU-Texas Rivalry:

• TCU and Texas used to be rivals in the Southwest Conference (SWC), which existed from 1914 to 1996.
• The two teams again became conference rivals when TCU joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012.
• This will be the 92nd meeting between TCU and Texas.
• UT leads the series, 63-27-1.
• The series began with an 18-10 Texas win in 1897.
• The Frogs are 7-2 against the Longhorns since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2012, including 4-1 in Fort Worth and 3-1 in Austin.
• In 2020, TCU beat Texas for the sixth time in seven seasons.
• Gary Patterson is 7-3 against Texas as the Horned Frogs’ head coach. Since 1996, he ranks No. 1 in the nation among all head coaches past and present (minimum 5 games) in career winning percentage against Texas.
• Texas won 24 straight over TCU from 1968-1991.
• In 2012, TCU upset Mack Brown and No. 18 Texas, 20-13, in the first Thanksgiving night game in Austin following the demise of the Lone Star showdown with the Texas A&M Aggies, who bolted for the Southeastern Conference. 
• Texas is TCU's fourth-most played series, trailing only series with Baylor (116), SMU (100) and Texas A&M (92). 
• Texas hasn’t beaten TCU in Fort Worth since 2013, which was Texas head coach Mack Browns final season. Since then, Texas is 1-6 versus TCU, including three straight losses in Fort Worth. 
• One of the more memorable wins in TCU football history was a 6-0 victory at No. 1 Texas on November 18, 1961. The TCU victory potentially cost the Longhorns their first national championship. TCU straggled into the game with a 2-4-1 record. Undefeated Texas was ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time since early 1946, and only TCU and Texas A&M stood between the Longhorns and the school's first national championship. TCU scored in the second quarter by reaching into a bag of tricks. At midfeld, TCU quarterback Sonny Gibbs pitched the ball back to his tailback on a fake sweep, got it back, and then heaved a pass to end Buddy Iles, who was hit at the two-yard line and bounced into the end zone.  On its final two drives of the game, Texas began deep in its own territory and never threatened. TCU had a 6-0 upset win. It was the last win of the season for the up-and-down Horned Frogs, who lost to Rice and tied SMU. Texas bounced back to beat A&M, and then Mississippi in the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns finished third in the country, behind Ohio State, which had lost to TCU early in the season. Alabama won the national title. 
• In 1962, UT coach Darrell K. Royal compared the TCU situation to a cockroach: “It’s not so much what he gets into and carries away but what he falls into and messes up.”

TCU-Texas Connections:

• Texas has 90 players from Texas on its roster; two from Fort Worth, junior defensive back Turner Symonds (#39) (Country Day); redshirt freshman defensive back Tannahil Love (#44) (All Saints Espiscopal); junior linebacker Luke Brockermeyer (#47) (All Saints Episcopal); freshman tight end Juan Davis (#81) (Everman)
• TCU has 75 players from Texas on its roster, including two from Austin: freshman offensive lineman Jack Gullett (#65) of Vandegrift High School and freshman kicker Nathan Ellisor (#96) of Lake Travis High School.
• Former Texas head coach Tom Herman is an offensive analyst and special projects coach for the Chicago Bears. Former TCU quarterback Andy Dalton, who led the Horned Frogs to their 2011 Rose Bowl victory, is the starting quarterback for the Bears.
• TCU offensive lineman Coy McMillon’s brother, Jake, was a three-year letterman (2015-17) at Texas.
• Former Texas wide receiver Jerrod Heard's younger sister, Lauren, is a senior guard and two-time First-Team All-Big 12 selection for the TCU women's basketball team.
• Texas' Athletic Director is former TCU Athletic Director Chris Del Conte.
  

TCU Missing in Action News: TCU could have several players return from injuries this game, including defensive end Khari Coleman, defensive tackle Terrell Cooper, cornerback Noah Daniels and defensive tackle George Ellis III. Defensive tackle Corey Bethley missed the SMU game and is not expected to play against Texas. Safeties Bud Clark and Deshawn McCuin left the SMU game because of injuries. Their status for the Texas game was not revealed. Because of a leg injury, junior wide receiver Mikel Barkley has not played this season and is expected to miss significant playing time the remainder of the season. 

TCU Notables: 

• Dating back to last season, the Horned Frogs have won seven of their past nine contests. 
• Texas is TCU’s fourth consecutive home game of the 2021 season. TCU is opening a season with four straight home games for just the second time (1979) in its history. 
• The Horned Frogs are 94-28 under Patterson at Amon G. Carter Stadium. 
• Against SMU, TCU scored for the 358th consecutive game. It is the nation’s second-longest current streak and fourth all-time in NCAA history. The Frogs haven’t been blanked since November 16, 1991, at Texas (32-0). 
• With the 42-34 loss to SMU on September 25, TCU's five-game winning streak, stretching back to last season, was snapped. It had been tied for the seventh-longest active streak in the nation.
• TCU football now has lost two consecutive games to SMU, for the first time since 1992-93.
• In 2019, Patterson lost for the first time to SMU head coach Sonny Dykes. Now, for the first time, Patterson has lost two consecutive games to Dykes. 
• With the loss to the Mustangs, Patterson dropped to 15-4 against SMU. The Horned Frogs lead the series with SMU, 51-42-7.
• TCU missed 20 tackles against SMU.
• The Frogs did not record a sack against the Ponies.
• The TCU secondary failed to record a pass breakup in the SMU game.
• Against the Mustangs, TCU linebacker Dee Winters, linebacker Wyatt Harris and free safety Deshawn McCuin, who made his first career start, intercepted passes.
• For Winters, it was his first career interception.
• For Harris, it was his first interception of the season and second of his career. 
• For McCuin, it was his first career interception. 
• The Horned Frogs had three interceptions in a game for the first time since the 2019 season finale against West Virginia. 
• The Frogs came into the game against SMU off a bye week. TCU now is 15-7 in their last 22 regular-season games after an open date.
• The TCU defense gave up 350 rushing yards, and 595 total yards, to SMU (Texas Tech, in 2015, was the last team to gain 600 yards of total offense against TCU).
• TCU quarterback Max Duggan threw three touchdown passes in the SMU game, a 21-yarder to receiver Taye Barber, a 46-yarder to running back Zach Evans, and a 13-yarder to receiver Derius Davis.
• With the three touchdown passes, Duggan tied a career high for the second straight game. He has thrown three touchdown passes in a game four times in his career.
• Barber’s touchdown catch was the fifth touchdown reception of his career, the most among current Horned Frogs.
• Evans’ touchdown catch was the first receiving score of his short career.
• Davis’ touchdown catch was his first of the season and fourth of his career.
• In addition to his receiving touchdown, against SMU Evans rushed for 113 yards on 15 carries, averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
• Evans topped 100 yards rushing for the fourth time in the last five games.
• Evans added another 70 yards on three catches. His 46-yard touchdown catch was made possible by about 40 yards of artistic running.
• Evans’ 7.8 career yards per-carry average ranks No. 1 nationally among active players (minimum 95 attempts). He has topped 100 yards rushing in four of the last five games.
• In addition to his touchdown reception, against SMU Barber caught four other passes. All of his catches went for first downs. Barber now has 99 career catches.
• Barber posted his second career 100-yard receiving game with a team-high 114 yards on five catches. Included in his total was a career long 60-yard reception. 
• Receiver/returner J.D. Spielman had three receptions for 54 yards to extend his streak with a catch to 39 consecutive games, second-longest in the nation. It also represents every game in his collegiate career.
• Running back Kendre Miller had a 20-yard touchdown run on TCU's opening possession against the Mustangs. It was his second rushing score of the season and fourth of his career.
• TCU has opened with a record of 2-1 or better for the 18th time in Patterson's 21 seasons. 
• In 2020, TCU opened its season with a loss to Iowa State, then defeated Texas, 33-31, in Austin.
• In that victory over Texas in 2020, Duggan was 20 of 30 passing for 231 yards. He rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. 
• Duggan is 2-0 against the Longhorns, combining for more than 650 yards of total offense with two passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns.
• In 2019, TCU had a two-game losing streak going into the Texas game.
• The 2019 game against Texas served as Duggan’s breakout game. As a true freshman, he threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for another 72 yards and scored one rushing touchdown. The Frogs defeated the Longhorns in Fort Worth, 37-27.
• Since 1996, Patterson ranks No. 1 nationally among all head coaches past and present in winning percentage (.700, 7-3) against Texas with a minimum of six games played.
• Patterson's seven wins over Texas are tied for second among all head coaches since 1996, trailing only Bob Stoops (11).
• Since beginning Big 12 play in 2012, TCU is 7-2 against Texas with wins in the last two meetings and six of the past seven.
• TCU is 46-19 in regular-season games following a loss under Patterson.
•  TCU 2-8 in games the week before the Texas game since joining the Big 12. 
• TCU is 0-6 the week before the Texas game the last six seasons.
• TCU is 4-1 against Texas the last five meetings.
• In six of the last nine odd-numbered years (2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017), TCU has won at least 11 games. 
• Over the last seven seasons, TCU has the Big 12's third-best conference record (38-25) and has the third-best overall mark (60-31).
• TCU is one of just seven programs nationally to finish with an Associated Press Top-10 final ranking in at least three of the last seven seasons (2014, 2015, 2017). The others are Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Penn State. 
• TCU has three 2021 Preseason All-Americans in punt returner Derius Davis, cornerback Tre’Verius Hodges-Tomlinson and defensive end Ochuan Mathis.  
• TCU this season is scheduled to host seven games at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.  
• TCU this season has nonconference home matchups against Duquesne (September 4; 45-3 victory), Cal (September 11; 34-32) and SMU (September 25, 34-42).  
• TCU this season will host four Big 12 home games, against Texas (October 2), West Virginia (October 23), Baylor (November 6) and Kansas (November 20).  
• The Frogs this season will play five Big 12 away games, at Texas Tech (October 9), Oklahoma (October 16), Kansas State (October 30), Oklahoma State (November 13) and Iowa State (November 26).  
• TCU ranks as the fourth-best private college football school of all time, behind Notre Dame, USC, and Miami (Florida). 
• The Horned Frogs are one of only four FBS teams to have played in all six College Football Playoff Bowls, winning all but the Fiesta and Orange.  
• Gary Patterson is the dean of Big 12 coaches. This is Patterson’s 24th season at TCU. It is his 21st season as head coach of the Frogs.   
• sEcSPN ranks Patterson as the 28th best collegiate football coach of the last 50 years.   
• TCU has held its own as a football program in the Big 12, winning a conference championship in 2014, when the Horned Frogs also should have earned a berth in the College Football Playoff. During that season, TCU finished 11-1 and in the top 5 of polls, with notable wins over No. 4 Oklahoma, Minnesota and No. 7 Kansas State, and scoring 82 points against Texas Tech. 
• With the win over Duquesne to open the 2021 season, TCU now is 48-8 in home night games under Patterson.  
• Over the last three seasons, TCU has not had a double-digit-win season. It is the first time during Patterson's tenure that the Frogs have gone three consecutive seasons without a double-digit-win season. 
• Of the 12 teams that have changed or moved into power leagues in the past decade, only Texas A&M in the SEC and Pittsburgh in the ACC have better conference records since switching. In the Big 12, only second-ranked Oklahoma has more league wins than TCU since 2014, the season the Frogs shared the conference title with Baylor before the Sooners won the last six.  
• TCU played in the Big 12 championship game in 2017, losing to Oklahoma, 38-20, in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  
• Under head coach Gary Patterson, TCU, which is located in the country’s 12th largest city of Fort Worth, has produced seven top-10 teams.  
• Over the last 13 years, the Frogs own six AP top-10 finishes, twice as many as Texas and two more than USC and Washington combined.  
• During Patterson’s tenure, TCU has earned 20 bowl trips. TCU is 13-6 in bowl games played (the 2020 Texas Bowl was canceled).  
• After the 2010 regular season, the Horned Frogs received the first Rose Bowl invitation offered to a team from a non-automatic-qualifying conference during the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era. The Horned Frogs won the 2011 Rose Bowl, 21–19, over Wisconsin. The win climaxed an undefeated and untied season that earned TCU a No. 2 national ranking.   
• TCU Athletics, as a whole, is coming off an historic year in 2020-21. TCU won three Big 12 championships last year, in baseball, women’s soccer and men’s tennis. Ten of TCU’s 21 sports appeared in the national top 25. And rifle won another national title. 
• Over the past 10 years, TCU has invested more than $400 million in athletics facilities through donor funding. 
• Nearly 100 percent of TCU's more than 500 student-athletes are vaccinated against COVID-19. 
• TCU senior guard Wes Harris (6-4, 321 pounds), is the strongest Frog. Harris bench presses 530 pounds, squats 705 pounds and cleans 470 pounds.  
• TCU quarterback Max Duggan missed the majority of the 2020 preseason camp due to surgery to correct Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, a heart condition he was born with.
• TCU’s 2020 6-4 regular-season earned the Frogs a trip to the Texas Bowl. The Frogs were scheduled to face former Southwest Conference foe Arkansas on New Year’s Eve. However, the Frogs had to cancel their appearance due "to an increased number of positive COVID-19 tests and other circumstances within the TCU football program."  
• Doug Meacham is TCU’s new offensive coordinator. He replaced Sonny Cumbie, who in 2020 was TCU’s co-offensive coordinator (with Meacham) and quarterbacks coach. Cumbie left TCU to rejoin Texas Tech, his Alma mater, as offensive coordinator.  
• Meacham rejoined the TCU program in 2020 as inside receivers/tight ends. 
• Prior to returning to the Horned Frogs, Meacham was offensive coordinator of the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks. After leaving TCU following the 2016 season, he served as offensive coordinator at Kansas.  In each of his first two seasons at TCU (2014-15), serving as offensive coordinator, the Horned Frogs’ attack ranked among the nation’s best.
• Former TCU quarterback Kenny Hill is the Frogs’ new quarterbacks coach. 
• After concluding his 2017 senior season as TCU's starting quarterback, in which he led the Horned Frogs to an 11-3 record, Big 12 Championship Game appearance and No. 9 final ranking, Hill remained with the Horned Frogs. He served as a student assistant and then graduate assistant, before becoming an offensive analyst in 2020. 
• In his final game at TCU, Hill earned Offensive Most Valuable Player honors in the Horned Frogs' 39-37 Alamo Bowl victory over Stanford. Hill had a rushing, passing and receiving touchdown in the game. Hill set a TCU bowl record with 401 yards of total offense (314 passing, 60 rushing and 27 receiving), while his 314 passing yards and 27 completions were the second-most in a bowl game by a Horned Frog. 
• Hill holds the TCU season (67.3) and career (64.0) completion percentage records. His 269 completions in both 2016 and 2017 tie for second all-time in a season at TCU. He also has the third- and fourth-best single season passing yard totals by a Horned Frog with 3,208 and 3,152 in 2016 and 2017, respectively.  
• As a senior, Hill led the nation with a 67.3 completion percentage on third-down passing. He topped all Big 12 quarterbacks in rushing with 325 yards. He was a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist and Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist.   
• Tim Beck, who was a volunteer assistant for TCU in 2020, is a new offensive analyst for the Frogs. Beck is an experienced offensive coach who before he joined TCU last season spent his entire coaching career (1987-2019) at Pittsburg State (Pittsburgh, Kansas). He was head coach of the Gorillas from 2010-2019 (Patterson coached linebackers at Pittsburgh State in 1988). Duggan in 2020 became the first TCU quarterback with multiple 100-yard rushing games in a season in the Patterson head-coaching era. He rushed for a career-high and team-best 154 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-18 win over Texas Tech, including an 81-yard scoring run that was the longest by a quarterback in TCU history and tied for 10th-best overall.  
• Duggan has been named to this season's watch list for the Maxwell Award, presented annually to the outstanding player in college football, to the watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award, which is presented to the nation's top quarterback, to the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is presented to the nation's top upperclassman quarterback in college football, and to the watch list for the Manning Award, which is presented to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States (including postseason performance). 
• TCU led the Big 12 in rushing offense in 2020.  
• Evans has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie squad. 
• Evans has been named to this season's watch list of the Doak Walker Award. The Doak Walker Award is presented to the nation’s top collegiate running back. TCU Board of Trustees member and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson won the Doak Walker Award in 2000 as a Horned Frog. 
• Evans, a former five-star signee, had a team-best 7.7 yards per carry average in 2020, his true freshman season. It ranked third for a season in TCU history and was second-best in the Big 12 for a true freshman dating back to 2008. The 7.7 average was also fourth nationally by a true freshman in a Power Five Conference over the last six seasons. 
• Evans placed third on the Horned Frogs with 415 yards rushing, while tying for second with four rushing touchdowns in 2020. He topped 100 yards in two of the final three games. He ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries in a 52-10 win over Louisiana Tech in the regular-season finale. His first career 100-yard game was in a 59-23 victory at Kansas. He had 100 yards on 12 attempts.  
• Johnson, a 6-4 wide receiver for the Frogs, was one of the best freshmen receivers in college football last season, averaging 22 yards per catch and finishing with back-to-back 100-yard games against Oklahoma State and Louisiana Tech. He had 487 receiving yards and caught four touchdown passes during the season.  
• Johnston’s 22.1 yards-per-reception average last season was the highest for a freshman in Big 12 Conference history and the second-highest for any Power 5 freshman receiver since 2008.  
• Avila, a redshirt junior center and a 2020 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honoree, is on the watch list for the 2021 Rimington Trophy, which is given to the nation's top center.  
• A big (literally) addition to the offensive line is left tackle Obinna Eze, a junior transfer from Memphis. Eze, 6-foot-8, 315 pounds, started 25 games over his last two seasons at Memphis, including the 2019 team that won the American Athletic Conference Championship and earned a Cotton Bowl berth.  
• Eze is on the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, presented annually to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field. 
• Hodges-Tomlinson was 2020 First-Team All-Big 12 and received All-America honors last season from the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus (PFF). 
• PFF rated Hodges-Tomlinson as the nation's highest-graded cornerback in coverage at 89.1, allowing 12 catches on 45 targets over the final nine games of the season. His 13 pass breakups led the Big 12 and were second nationally. The junior had 26 stops on the season.  
• Hodges-Tomlinson has been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 defensive team, as chosen by media representatives who cover the league, has been named a second-team preseason All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, and has been named a Preseason All-American by Pro Football Focus.  
• Hodges-Tomlinson has been named to the watch list for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation's top defensive back.  
• Hodges-Tomlinson has been named to the watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Named after Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, the Lott IMPACT Trophy recognizes the nation's top defensive player in terms of his impact on and off the field.  
• Last season, Mathis, at defensive end, led the Big 12 and ranked 12th nationally in sacks per game at 0.9.  
• A second-team all-conference selection last season, Mathis recorded a team-best nine sacks for the most by a Horned Frog since Mat Boesen had 11.5 in 2017.  
• Mathis in 2020 placed second on TCU with 14 tackles for loss (TFL), which ranked third in the Big 12 and tied for 12th in the FBS. The junior had at least one TFL in nine of 10 games and placed fourth on TCU with 46 tackles. Mathis started all 10 games, marking his second straight season of starting every contest.  
• Mathis has been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 defensive team and was named second-team edge rusher, Pro Football Focus Preseason All-Big 12 team. Hodges-Tomlinson and Mathis have been named to the watch list for the 2021 Chuck Bednarik Award, presented to the nation's top defensive player.
• The duo also has been named to the watch list for the 2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, recognizing college football's defensive player of the year. 
• Mathis and TCU defensive end Khari Coleman have been named to the watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, presented to the nation's top defensive end. TCU is one of four schools nationally to have more than one player on the list. 
• Sandy has been named to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, honoring the nation's top collegiate punter. 
• Sandy, from Traralgon, Australia, was Second-Team All-Big 12 last season. His 41.0 punting average, which placed second in the Big 12, was the highest by a Horned Frog since Ethan Perry's 44.5 mark in 2012. He had eight punts of at least 50 yards. 
• The Frogs’ Derius Davis, an electrifying kick returner and receiver, has been named a Preseason All-American by Pro Football Focus, and a Preseason All-American punt returner by Phil Steele's College Football Preview. 
• Davis has been named to the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award, recognizing the nation's most versatile player. 
• Davis led the Big 12 and ranked fifth nationally last season in punt return average at 14.5 yards. He was one of only three players in the FBS with two punt returns for touchdowns, reaching the end zone from 67 and 37 yards against Baylor and Kansas, respectively. He is tied for second in TCU history with three career punt return touchdowns on 17 attempts. 
• Evans, Duggan and Johnston have been named to the watch list for the Ninth Annual Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.  
• The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define 1977 Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity — specifically tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas high school and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four-year Division I college in Texas. 
• TCU players on this season's Reese’s Senior bowl watch list are: Eze, Davis, Van Zandt, Noah Daniels and Spielman.
• TCU has had at least one player selected to play in the Senior Bowl every year since 2015.   
• It has been four years since TCU finished a season ranked in the Top 25. It’s the longest rankings drought of any point in Patterson’s 21 years as the Horned Frogs head coach. 
• Patterson is TCU's overall winningest head football coach. Patterson's TCU head coaching record is 170-75. 
• Patterson’s 170 victories are the most by an active head coach nationally at his current school. His winning percentage ranks fourth among active FBS coaches (minimum 10 years).  
• Patterson is tied for second nationally among active FBS head coaches in most AP Top-10 finishes with six (2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017). He's also second among active head coaches in most top-25 finishes with 11. 
• Under Patterson, TCU has won six conference championships, in three different leagues -- Conference USA (2002), the Mountain West (2005, 2009, 2010, 2011) and the Big 12 Conference (2014). Patterson also has been named Coach of the Year in each of those conferences. 
• The Horned Frogs have won at least 10 games in 11 seasons under Patterson. Prior to his arrival on campus in 1998, TCU had four 10-win seasons in its history. 
• During his TCU tenure, including three seasons as defensive coordinator (1998-00), Patterson has seen TCU earn 20 bowl trips. TCU is 13-6 in bowl games with Patterson on its coaching staff and 11-6 with him as head coach. Before the Patterson era, the Horned Frogs had only four bowl wins in their history. 
• TCU’s biggest bowl win, and perhaps its biggest win overall, during Patterson’s tenure was the 20-19 victory over Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose Bowl. 
• TCU has 32 active NFL players, with 21 teams having at least one Horned Frog. The Green Bay Packers (Innis Gaines, Vernon Scott, Ty Summers), Houston Texans (Ross Blacklock, Marcus Cannon, Garret Wallow) and Indianapolis Colts (Darius Anderson, Ben Banogu, Joey Hunt) are tied for the most Horned Frogs on the roster with three.

Texas Notables:   

• The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university and the flagship institution of The University of Texas System.
• Founded in 1883 as "The University of Texas," its campus is located in Austin, approximately one mile from the Texas State Capitol.
• The institution has over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 24,000 faculty and staff.
• The university houses seven museums and 17 libraries, including the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, and the Blanton Museum of Art, which is the largest university art museum in the United States and hosts approximately 17,000 works from Europe, the United States, and Latin America. 
• The Texas Longhorns football program began in 1893.
• From 1937 to 1946 the Texas football team was led by Hall of Fame coach Dana X. Bible, then from 1957 to 1976 the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Darrell K. Royal, who won three national championships.
• With its 37-14 win over USC in Austin on September 15, 2018, Texas became, at the time, the third FBS program to reach 900 victories, joining Michigan and Ohio State. The 900th win came in Texas' 1,300th all-time varsity contest.
• The athletic colors of Texas are burnt-orange and white.
• The athletic mascot of Texas is Bevo, a live Texas Longhorn steer with burnt-orange coloring.
• Hook 'em Horns is the slogan and hand signal of UT. It was introduced at a pep rally in 1955 and has been irritating non-Whorns ever since. 
• Steve Sarkisian is in his first year as head coach of Texas. He replaced Tom Herman after the 2020 season.
• The 2020 season was Herman’s fourth season as head coach of the Longhorns.
• Texas was 7-3 (5-3 Big 12) in 2020.
• The ‘Horns defeated Colorado, 55-23, in the 2020 Alamo Bowl.
• Texas finished the 2020 season as the country’s 19th-ranked team.
• Herman compiled a 32-18 record as head coach of the University of Texas. He took UT to a bowl game all four of his seasons. The ‘Horns won all of the bowl games.
• As UT’s head coach, Herman was 1-3 against TCU and Patterson.
• Herman now is an offensive analyst and special projects coach for the Chicago Bears.
• Prior to becoming head coach at UT, Herman was the head coach at the University of Houston, in 2015 and 2016.
• Sarkisian was named the 31st head football coach at the University of Texas on January 2, 2021. He was given a six-year contract.
• In 2020 and 2019, Sarkisian was the University of Alabama’s offensive coordinator. It was his second stint with the Crimson Tide.
• Sarkisian was first with Alabama for the 2016 season. He began as an analyst for the Crimson Tide. He was promoted to offensive coordinator prior to the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. 
• In 2017 and 2018, Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator for the the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
• Sarkisian was head coach at USC from 2014-15. Under his leadership, the Trojans went 12-6, 7-5 in the pac-12.
• Sarkisian was head coach at Washington from 2009-13. Under his leadership, the Huskies went 34-29, 24-21 Pac-12.
• In late July, the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma announced that they would be leaving the Big 12 Conference and joining the Southeastern Conference (SEC) after the 2024 season.
• The Big 12 Conference was founded in February 1994. The eight members of the former Big Eight Conference joined with the Southwest Conference universities of the University of Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech, to form the conference, with play beginning in 1996.
• The University of Texas was a charter member of the Southwest Conference, which was formed in 1914.
• No. 21 Texas opened the 2021 season at home on September 4 with a 38-18 win over the No. 23 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.
• On September 11, in Fayetteville, No. 15 Texas was routed, 40-21, by Arkansas.
• On September 18, in Austin, Texas blasted former Southwest Conference foe Rice, 58-0.
• On September 25, in Austin, Texas manhandled Texas Tech, 70-35.
• The 70 points are the most Texas has scored since the Longhorns beat Colorado, 70-3, in the 2005 Big 12 Championship game.
• With the victory over the Red Raiders, Sarkisian became the first Texas football head coach since 1977 to win three of this first four games.
• In the game against Texas Tech, the Texas offense could not be stopped, especially in the first half, when all five Longhorn drives resulted in touchdowns. Four of the five drives were 75 yards or longer, and Texas averaged 7.7 yards a play.
• The Longhorns’ offense put up 63 points and 639 yards in their win over Texas Tech.
• The Texas defense contributed to the point total with a first-half pick-six.
• Against Tech, Texas running back Bijan Robinson, a sophomore, ran the football 18 times for 137 yards. It was the sixth time in the past eight games that Robinson has rushed for more than 100 yards.
• Robinson’s performance against Tech earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.
• Texas quarterback Casey Thompson, a redshirt sophomore, made his first career start in the Longhorns’58-0 rout of Rice. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 303 yards and five touchdowns.
• Since entering at the quarterback position at the beginning of the second half of the 2020 Valero Alamo Bowl, Thompson has guided Texas to a score on 23 of his last 26 drives, including seven-of-eight against Texas Tech. In those drives, Texas has scored 21 touchdowns (11 passing, 10 rushing) and two field goals. 
• Through four games, Thompson has completed almost 78 percent of his passes for 565 yards and eight touchdowns.
• Sophomore receiver Jordan Whittington leads UT with 18 receptions for 245 yards.
• Freshman receiver Xavier Worthy has caught four touchdown passes.
• Worthy caught three touchdown passes, including a 62-yarder, against Texas Tech. His performance earned him Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors.
• The Longhorns average over 260 rushing yards per game and over seven yards per play.
• The Texas offensive line has allowed nine sacks.
• The Texas defense is allowing 24 points per game, nearly 175 rushing yards per game, and more than 400 total yards per game.
• Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown leads the Texas defense with 34 tackles. He also has two tackles for loss and half a sack.
• Fort Worth native Luke Brockermeyer, brother of Alabama freshmen offensive linemen Tommy and James Brockermeyer, has 24 tackles, three tackles for loss and half a sack. The linebacker from All Saints Episcopal High School also has one of Texas’ three interceptions on the season.
• Texas hasn’t beaten TCU in Fort Worth since 2013, which was Texas head coach Mack Browns final season. Since then, Texas is 1-6 versus TCU, including three straight losses in Fort Worth. 
• Texas’ game against TCU in Fort Worth will be the Longhorns’ first Big 12 game on the road since making the announcement they’d be leaving the conference and joining the Southeastern Conference (SEC) by the summer of 2025, at the latest.
• The Texas football team will not be accompanied in Fort Worth by the Longhorn band.In a statement released Tuesday, the university said, in part: “Out of an abundance of caution, the Longhorn Band and Longhorn Pep Band are pausing their practice sessions this week due to COVID-19 protocols and will not be able to perform at Texas Athletics events.”

2021 TCU Football Fan Guide: here

2021 Gary Patterson Luncheon Series: Remaining Gary Patterson/Frog Club luncheons, sponsored by Origin Bank: October 21, November 4 and November 18. The luncheons are at noon in the new Legends Club & Suites, located on the east side of Amon G. Carter Stadium.  TCU Frog Club members receive discounts on luncheon tickets. Additional information and tickets: here  

2021 Gary Patterson Radio Show: The 2021 Gary Patterson Radio Show presented by PNC Bank takes place every Thursday of the TCU football season. The show is held in the Railhead Smokehouse on Montgomery Street in Fort Worth. The show is hosted by Brian Estridge. The show airs live from 6 pm to 7 pm CT on 92.1 FM KTFW and 88.7 FM KTCU. TCU fans are welcomed to attend the show.

2021 TCU Football Fact Book: here

2021 TCU Football Roster: here

2021 TCU Football Schedule: here

2021 TCU Fall Sports Guide: here

2021 TCU Store: Gear up for TCU sports: here

2021 TCU Spirit: here  

2021 TCU Athletics Ticket Information: here   

2021 TCU Athletics Staff Directory: here 

2021 TCU Athletics Compliance: TCU is committed and obligated to the principle of institutional control in operating its Athletics department in a manner that is consistent with the letter and the spirit of the NCAA, Big 12 and University rules and regulations. Additional information: here

2021 Texas Football Guide: here

2021 Texas Football Roster: here  

2021 Texas Football Schedule: here  

Texas Alma Mater: here  

Texas Traditions: here

TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium: 2020 marked the introduction of the $100-million Amon G. Carter Stadium premium seating expansion. The project added two new levels of luxury seating above the existing upper deck on the east side of the stadium. The new Legends Club and Suites include 48 loge boxes with two private clubs, over 1,000 club seats and 22 luxury suites.

The 2012 season marked the opening of TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium after a $164 million renovation, which was completely funded through donor support. Six Founders Club suites, located at midfield on the concourse level, were sold at $15 million each to provide lead gifts totaling $90 million. On the west side of the stadium, there are 25 suites, all of which are sold. 

Additional information about TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium: here

Amon G. Carter Stadium Map: here

Amon G. Carter Stadium Rules and Regulations: here

Items Permitted in TCU Athletic Events: Clear Bag Policy: here

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 permitted.  
• Outside food and drinks ARE NOT permitted.
• Outside seat cushions ARE NOT permitted. 
•  Umbrellas, selfie sticks, artificial noisemakers, strollers, bicycles, fireworks and weapons (including those allowed by permit) ARE NOT permitted.

Additional information: here

2021 TCU Gameday Parking and Traffic Information: here

sEcSPN College GameDay for October 2, 2021: sEcSPN GameDay will be in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, October 2, for the Arkansas-Georgia game. The eight-ranked Razorbacks will take on the second-ranked Bulldogs at 11 am CT, on ESPN. During the college football season, GameDay airs live on sEcSPN on Saturdays, from 8 to 11 am (Central). GameDay features Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and David Pollack.