College Confidential

TCU will be without Winkler this week at MWC tournament

Just when TCU thought its pitching staff was completely healthy for the first time in more than a month, another setback has hindered the Horned Frogs.
TCU's most dominant and reliable pitcher this season, Kyle Winkler, will not pitch this week at the Mountain West Conference tournament to rest his arm due to some tenderness. TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said Winkler is not injured, and would have likely pitched if the NCAA Regional tournament started this week. Winkler (8-2) pitched at New Mexico last Thursday, holding the Lobos to three hits and no runs in 4 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Winkler skipped his previous start to rest his arm. Winkler leads the team with a 1.40 ERA in 90 innings pitched this season.
Top-seeded TCU (40-15) opens the MWC tournament at 9 p.m. Wednesday at Tony Gwynn Stadium against the lowest-seeded team to advance from Tuesday's first round. Matt Purke (5-1) will start for the second time since developing shoulder soreness April 16 at San Diego State. Purke had four strikeouts in three innings last Thursday against New Mexico before Winkler took over on the mound. The 10th-ranked Frogs' usual Game 3 starter Steven Maxwell (5-0) has not pitched since developing biceps soreness April 24. He threw batting practice Monday, but his availability for the MWC tournament is questionable. Andrew Mitchell (4-1) is slated to start Thursday and Erik Miller (6-6) will likely start Friday.
-- Stefan Stevenson 

 

TCU offense explodes for 25 runs at New Mexico

TCU uncorked a scoring barrage Friday to win a slugfest at New Mexico 25-16.
The Horned Frogs (39-15, 19-3 in Mountain West) close out the regular season at 1 p.m. Saturday against the Lobos. The Mountain West Conference tournament begins Tuesday at San Diego State. The top-seeded Frogs play the lowest-seeded team to advance at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Tenth-ranked TCU had a season-high 26 hits, including six from Jantzen Witte, four from Jason Coats, and three from Joe Weik and Taylor Featherston Friday. Only four of the 26 hits went for extra-bases, including home runs off the bench from Aaron Schultz and Zac Jordan. TCU scored 26 runs in a game at New Mexico on May 9, 2010.
TCU scored five in the first, three each in the second and third innings and scored in every inning but the seventh. The Frogs scored four runs in the eighth and finished with a run in the ninth on Schultz's solo shot. It was the first time Schultz has played since injuring a hamstring May 8 at Oklahoma State.
The Lobos (16-38, 10-13) collected 21 hits and scored seven runs off Frogs' starter Andrew Mitchell, who pitched only 3 2/3 innings. Trent Appleby (4-1) allowed three runs in the 4 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win, and Teddy Nowell allowed two runs on three hits in the ninth. Five TCU errors led to four unearned runs for New Mexico.
The two teams combined for 41 runs, 47 hits and eight errors.
-- Stefan Stevenson

TCU 2011 schedule details released

The Mountain West Conference released game times and television broadcast information for the 2011 season Thursday. A start time for TCU's opener at Baylor Sept. 3 is still to be determined, as is which television network will broadcast the game. The start time for the Week 2 showdown at Air Force is still unsettled, but the MWC says it will be at either 2:30 or 6:30 and shown on the Versus Network. The rest of the Horned Frogs' schedule details are known, which include at least four night games. The Frogs will host SMU at 7 p.m. Sept. 30, which is a Friday. The game was originally scheduled for Oct. 1. The Frogs beat SMU in University Park on a Friday in 2010. The following week TCU plays at San Diego State at 9:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The Frogs potentially caught a break with two day games in consecutive weeks at Wyoming and Boise State Nov. 5 and 12. Those games start at 1 and 2:30 p.m., respectively. TCU concludes the season with a 1:30 p.m. meeting with UNLV Dec. 3 at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

2011 TCU football schedule

Date	Opponent	Time (CST)	TV
Sept. 3	at Baylor	TBD	TBD
Sept. 10	at Air Force	2:30 or 6:30	VS.
Sept. 17	Louisiana-Monroe	1 p.m.	The Mtn.
Sept. 24	Portland State	6 p.m.	None
Sept. 30	SMU	7 p.m.	CBS Sports Network
Oct. 8	at San Diego State	9:30 p.m.	CBS Sports Network
Oct. 15	Bye
Oct. 22	New Mexico	1 p.m.	The Mtn.
Oct. 28	BYU (at Cowboys Stadium)	7 p.m.	ESPN
Nov. 5	at Wyoming	1 p.m.	The Mtn.
Nov. 12	at Boise State	2:30 p.m.	VS.
Nov. 19	Colorado State	2:30 p.m.	CBS Sports Network
Nov. 26	Bye
Dec. 3	UNLV	1:30 p.m.	VS.

 

#TCU women advance to MWC final

LAS VEGAS -- Helena Sverrisdottir scored a game-high 25 points and the TCU defense held New Mexico to 23.7 percent shooting as the Horned Frogs defeated the Lobos in a Mountain West Conference tournament semifinal Friday, 61-40.
It's the first MWC title appearance for the Frogs (22-9). They'll meet fourth-seed Utah, which beat TCU in the semifinals last year when the Frogs were the top seed after winning the regular-season title. The game is at 3 p.m. (CST) at Thomas & Mack Center here in Las Vegas.
Micah Garoutte scored 10 points and Briesha Wynn and Rachel Rentschler each had eight points.
The Frogs were playing without starters Starr Crawford and Antoinette Thompson, who didn't make the trip to Las Vegas due to injuries.

TCU '11 schedule released, meets Boise Nov. 12

TCU’s complete 2011 football schedule was released Thursday by the Mountain West Conference, for what will be the Frogs’ last season in the league.

Contrary to rumors and prevailing thought, TCU will travel for a showdown at Boise State Nov. 12, not the final week of the regular season. Another curve ball thrown by the MWC: TCU’s request for an open date Sept. 10 was denied. Instead, the Frogs will travel to Air Force for their conference opener. TCU edged the Falcons 20-17 in Colorado in 2009.

TCU will have two bye weeks – Oct. 15 before hosting New Mexico and Nov. 26 before hosting UNLV in the regular-season finale. Every Frogs’ game falls on a Saturday, except their Friday, Oct. 28 game against BYU at Cowboys Stadium.

One of TCU's toughest games is Oct. 8 at San Diego State. The Aztecs (9-4, 5-3 in MWC in 2010) have a bye the week before. TCU will be coming off three home games. Boise State was given a Week 2 bye after it opens against Georgia at the Georgia Dome Sept. 3. It will be the Broncos first season in the MWC after playing for years in the Western Athletic Conference. Boise State plays at UNLV the week before hosting TCU. TCU and Boise State last met in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2009 season. The Broncos won 17-10. Air Force is the lone MWC team with a bye in the final week. Boise finishes at home against New Mexico, San Diego State hosts Fresno State (which joins the MWC in 2012 along with Nevada from the WAC) in a nonconference season finale and TCU hosts UNLV.

-- Stefan Stevenson

 TCU 2011 Schedule

Date	Opponent
Sept. 3	at Baylor
Sept. 10	at Air Force
Sept. 17	Louisiana-Monroe
Sept. 24	Portland State
Oct. 1	SMU
Oct. 8	at San Diego State
Oct. 15	Bye
Oct. 22	New Mexico
Oct. 28	BYU* (at Cowboys Stad.), 7 p.m.
Nov. 5	at Wyoming
Nov. 12	at Boise State
Nov. 19	Colorado State
Nov. 26	Bye
Dec. 3	UNLV

 * -- On ESPN2; Other game times and television coverage will be released at a later date.

Would TCU Or Boise State Go Undefeated in the SEC?

Stuff You Can't Live Without In Preparation to Sit And Watch Texas Colleges this Weekend

10. TCU Needs To Start Rolling People Right Now
I can't help it - coach Gary Patterson may revile the idea of style points, but these things are a necessity if you don't play in an AQ league. The TCU-schedule bashing is just beginning, regardless of outcome until the Frogs play Air Force and Utah. The Frogs really need Oregon State to start winning, the same as SMU and Baylor.
Even if that happens, TCU's detractors will start drinking herbal tea to take care of their vocal chords as they dispel the idea that Boise State and TCU would go undefeated in the SEC.
10.45 Would TCU or Boise State Go Undefeated in the SEC?
The question is valid. The answer is probably no. How do we know that? Because few teams, if ever, do in that semi-pro conference. But ...
10.34 I'm Tired of This Argument
In some leagues the conference schedule is weaker than other years. Take, for instance, the Big 12. The conference appears slightly down this season, so would TCU or Boise State go undefeated against the Big 12 this season? Given how UT, TT, A&M look, I wouldn't say no. Or what about The Big East or ACC? No one can convince me that this Boise State team or that TCU team could not run the table in those pretender leagues this season. You can throw Utah in the conversation, too, when it comes to winning the Big East or ACC.
10.01 Calm Down - This Isn't a Rip Job on TCU or Boise
Only a very few teams can go undefeated in a football season, in any conference, in any league. This is strictly a percentages argument.

9. The Save Todd Dodge's Job March Must Include a Win Saturday
The Mean Green are coming off a big win last week against Florida Atlantic on the road; they are home this week against 1-2 Louisiana-Lafayette. UNT is a 4.5 favorite this week. UNT is 4-3 against La-Laf. but lost the last two at Fouts Field.
9.433 QB Riley Dodge Really Needs to Run Out of Bounds More, or Just Be Willing to Eat Sacks.
The Mean Green are down to its third QB - Dodge. If he goes down, it will be up to SO Chase Baine.

8. SMU Can Begin To Make a Push To Win C-USA.
The Ponies are better than I thought. That doesn't mean they're great, but they have a decent core that should only improve. Expect them to handle Rice easily this Saturday. SMU's "big" game will be on Oct. 23 against a Houston team that has plenty of reasons to quit, but hasn't.
8.01 It's Been A Long Time Since SMU Opened a Conference Season 3-0.
If the Ponies win this game, they will, and their next game against Tulsa, they will be 3-0 in a conference season for the first time since 1986. This 3-0 is a lot cheaper than that 3-0, too.

7. UTEP Is Going to Save Mike Price
The head coach of the Miners was thought to be pretty much fired before the season started. But the Miners are going to be 4-1 after they beat a winless New Mexico team on Saturday on the road. Now, if the Miners lose, fire up the "Fire Mike" talk.
7.45 Expect the Miners' O to be Better
SR QB Trevor Vittatoe has been decent, but the return of RB Donald Buckram from a preseason bruised knee injury could make the Miners a threat to the top spot of the conference. He played last week for the first time this season and rushed 13 times for 59 yards.

6. TT Needs to Open a Venti Sized Container Of Whoop A#@ in Ames
The Red Raiders are at a season-defining juncture over these next two weeks - at Iowa State and against Baylor in Dallas. TT is 5-1 against ISU in Ames since the two teams joined the Big 12.
Tech needs to win these next two games to dispel the notion, which I firmly believe, that the Red Raiders are down and headed for a major transition period.
A loss in either two games and the good people in Lubbock and across Red Raider Land may quickly tire of TubberBall.

- Mac Engel

Follow me on Twitter

@MacEngelProf

Second-half shutout over for Aggies

The Aggies scored a second-half touchdown for the first time this season when Jerrod Johnson threw a 9-yard strike to tight end Jamie McCoy, making it 28-10 with 13:20 left. Texas A&M was shut out in the second half against Arkansas State and did not score in the third quarter against New Mexico. The TD was set up by Michael Bennett's fumble recovery and 37-yard return to the Lobos 22. Johnson is 9-for-17 for 120 yards and three touchdowns, and he has rushed six times for 21 yards.
-- Lori Dann

No doubts ... Goodson returns

So much for the halftime injury report. With the Aggies leading 21-10 and facing a third-and-3 at the A&M 22, Mike Goodson returned to the field. Jerrod Johnson's pass was incomplete, forcing a punt.
-- Lori Dann

Goodson doubtful to return

The halftime report on Aggies tailback Mike Goodson isn't good. Goodson suffered a right knee sprain and is doubtful to return. It looks like A&M's fortunes will rest in the hands of their youngsters, which might not be such a bad thing considering the results so far.
-- Lori Dann

Aggies find new scoring combo

Jerrod Johnson threw his second TD pass of day to freshman Jeff Fuller, who made a phenomenal catch over New Mexico cornerback DeAndre Wright. Wright seemed to have an interception, but Fuller reached over Wright's left shoulder and wrestled the ball away to give A&M a 21-7 halftime lead. The Aggies were aided by a questionable roughing the passer call six plays earlier on a third-down incompletion that would have forced them to punt.
-- Lori Dann