Big 12 play is here!
UCF heads to Fort Worth this Saturday for their first-ever matchup with the TCU Horned Frogs, a program that played in the National Championship just two years ago. Both teams are 2-0 overall and looking to make a conference statement in a game that will be nationally televised in prime time by FOX.
To get ready, UCFSports.com connected with Melissa Triebwasser of Frogs Insider to talk about TCU.
After becoming exiled in non-power leagues following the breakup of the Southwest Conference, TCU enjoyed a meteoric rise into national prominence during the 2000s.
Triebwasser was there for it all, beginning as a student in the late 1990s. There were some lean early years. During her freshman year in 1997, TCU finished 1-10 with their sole win being against rival SMU.
Dennis Franchione took over in 1998, guiding TCU to three consecutive bowl games and a pair of WAC Championships.
"Like I always tell people, I was in the stands (in 1998) when LaDainian Tomlinson set the then single game rushing record in college football with 406 yards against UTEP," Triebwasser said. "I was there at that game, probably wasn't paying attention, but I was there. We knew they just kept handing it off to No. 5 and he just kept getting long runs."
Gary Patterson, then TCU's defensive coordinator, took over for Franchione in 2000 after his boss left for Alabama.
Patterson would go on to lead TCU to six conference championships, the pinnacle of his tenure occurring between 2008-11. with a 47-5 overall record. That span included three top-10 finishes and a perfect undefeated season in 2010 which was capped off by a Rose Bowl victory against Wisconsin.
"The Rose Bowl win was one of those moments where I just knew that things were gonna be different for this program," Triebwasser said. "I bawled my eyes out, despite the fact I was there as credentialed media, at the end of the Fiesta Bowl.
In October 2011, TCU was invited to join the Big 12 as a replacement school for Texas A&M, which was departing for the SEC. The Horned Frogs began Big 12 play in 2012.
"That Rose Bowl is one of those just really magical memories for TCU fans, that perfect season with Andy Dalton at the helm," Triebwasser said. "That basically earned them an invite to the Big 12. And I don't think there's a TCU fan, myself included, that didn't tear up when they got that invite. We knew that TCU had a seat at the table for the foreseeable future."
Patterson's tenure ended after the 2021 season. Sonny Dykes, the head coach at crosstown rival SMU, took over in 2022. His first season had perhaps the most improbable run in the College Football Playoff era, leading the Horned Frogs to the National Championship Game where they fell to Georgia.
"I just think it's really special to get to have seen TCU dig itself out of the depths and out of the path to nowhere, much like UCF, and end up somewhere where they do have a national brand and national respect and can expect to be invited to the playoffs if they do what they need to do.. It's pretty cool to have been a part of it and to watch the journey because of how long and treacherous it was."
Triebwasser says the City of Forth Worth has done a tremendous job of embracing TCU, which is one of the smallest Power Four schools by enrollment.
"And because the university is so small, you have classes with the athletes," Triebwasser said. "You get to know those guys. You see them around campus. They become just members of the community. And even though they are treated special like every great college athlete is, they do feel more like it's just a place they get to go to school and be regular people and then hopefully show out on Saturday nights."
Triebwasser says TCU has a tremendous game day atmosphere, which was thanks in large part to former AD Chris Del Conte who is now at Texas.
"They have Frog Alley, which is super family friendly," Triebwasser said. "There's games, there's giveaways, there's activities. There's a lot going on. They often have live music.
"You'll see the Frog Walk, which is where the football players walk. That's a big deal on campus.
"The atmosphere and the food inside the stadium is exceptional. They do a happy hour pregame where they open up at like an hour or two hours early and they do discounted food and drinks.
"The tailgating scene is, I think for a school our size is really, really incredible. And it stretches to the very outskirts of campus. I mean, there are people that are parking a 20 minute walk from the stadium that are tailgating.
"There's great setups. Everybody is very, very friendly. Like that's one thing I've noticed. I've actually seen this throughout the entirety of the Big 12. You go walk around the parking lots, someone's gonna offer you a beer. Somebody's gonna offer you something to eat. They're gonna welcome you and they're gonna give you crap because you're wearing the wrong colors, but they're still gonna want you to join them and be a part of the experience."
As for in-stadium atmosphere, Triebwasser says TCU holds their own.
"It's a great atmosphere, a great experience," she said. "I think the in stadium entertainment is really, really exceptional. I think they do a great job of keeping people active and engaged.
"And because it's a night game, because it's a blackout game, I have a feeling that you're gonna get, like, as long as it stays close early on, the very best of TCU fans. I think that people are gonna be super hyped up for this. And we're small, but the stadium should be loud. It should be electric, that you'll see a lot of the pyro and the different things that make the stadium atmosphere cool."
Parking can be a bit tricky. There are multiple churches around campus that sell parking spots. One spot to check out is the University Christian Church on the corner of University and Cantey, which offers $40 cash parking.
As for the local delicacy, Triebwasser declares Texas BBQ reigns supreme. She recommends Goldee's BBQ, which is a bit on the outskirts, as well as Woodshed Smokehouse. Hurtado Barbecue Restaurant in Arlington is also a great option.
Top eateries within walking distance of TCU include Dutch's Legendary Hamburgers, Fuzzy's Tacos and Poop Deck Bar and Grill.
As for bars, Triebwasser likes The Usual and Thompson's.
Shifting talk back to football, Treibwasser characterized the 2023 TCU season as a "disaster" as the Horned Frogs failed to reach a bowl game, finishing 5-7. Another playoff run was not expected, though most felt TCU should have been more competitive.
"Everybody thought there might be a fall off," she said. "You don't lose, I think, eight guys to the NFL. You don't lose Max Duggan, who was the heart and soul of this team, and just pick up right where you left off... I think TCU fans saw a world where they could get to 10 wins and make it back to the Big 12 championship game, but probably were more expecting to be in that seven or eight (win) range. To go 5-7 was unacceptable."
Chandler Morris began 2023 as the starting quarterback. Due to injury, Morris was eventually replaced by Josh Hoover who has carried that starting role into this year.
"It's often said the locker room picks a quarterback and the guys got behind Josh Hoover when Chandler Morris went down in a way that you just hadn't seen when Morris was the starting quarterback," Triebwasser said. "And I think that their trust and faith and belief in Josh was at a higher level than it was in Chandler for whatever those reasons were.
"You can tell that these guys truly love him, truly love playing for him. The dial gets turned up a little bit in intensity when he's the guy that's taking snaps."
Through two games, Hoover is 48 of 67 for 620 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
"He's really accurate in the short to middle game," Triebwasser said. "He mostly takes care of the football. He's got a little bit of gunslinger to him, but they haven't asked him to take a ton of chances downfield.
"He's super accurate for the most part, but he's not one of those guys that you're going to see go on one of those unbelievable heaters and just start ripping it all over the field. But I also don't know that he'll be asked to do that.
"He's going to be as good as this offensive line is because if he's given the time, he's a very intellectual quarterback. He's a better athlete than he gets credit for. He can make all the throws... But he's not a Max Duggan. He's not the kind of guy that's going to put up video game numbers, but he can be really efficient, really good."
"And when he needs to throw it down the field, like we saw him hit a beautiful seam pass against LIU. He certainly can make those big explosive plays when called upon, but that's not what Kendal Briles is asking him to do so far this season. "
TCU's top receiver is Savion Williams, who has 16 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown through the first two games.
"You are going to hear the name Savion Williams so many times Saturday night," Treibwasser said. "He's probably the best receiver on paper for TCU. He's got all of the measurables. He's huge. He's fast. He threw a ball against LIU. He was a high school quarterback. He's recorded one of the fastest times that TCU metrics have ever recorded. He he's been clocked over 22 miles an hour. And the dude's like 6-4. He's massive."
Cam Cook is TCU's top running back with 139 yards and four touchdowns in the first two games.
"He's a grinder," Treibwasser said. "He's not going to break off a 40-yard run in the first half, but he will wear you down consistently. And in the second half of both of those two games, he's been really, really exceptional."
Defensively, linebacker Cooper McDonald, a transfer from San Diego State, has really stood out.
"He is big, he is fast, he is athletic," Triebwasser said. "He always manages to be somewhere where the ball is. He's had a couple of tipped passes, a couple of sacks."
As for the outcome, Triebwasser is expected a close game. Given the strength of UCF's ground game, it could spell bad news for TCU if UCF is able to get out to a lead. If it's a one-score game in the fourth quarter, she definitely likes TCU's chances.
