FeistyFrog
Sir FeistyFrog
Some snippetts but worth the entire read:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/page/BlueRibbon-TCU/tcu-horned-frogs
ABOUT
For 16 years Texas Christian meandered through the college football wilderness the way Roman general Maximus fought to the Coliseum in the movie Gladiator. TCU competed in the highly regarded Southwest Conference for 73 years but was jettisoned to mid-major status when the league folded in 1996. The school successfully worked its way from league to league with an eye toward reaching a high-level conference once again.
In November 2010, the Horned Frogs announced they would join the Big East, a league with an automatic Bowl Championship Series bid, beginning in 2012. But in October 2011, those plans changed.
The Big 12 Conference, which plucked the cream from the Southwest Conference crop in 1996, needed a member to replace SEC-bound Texas A&M last fall. The league asked TCU to join, and the school happily accepted. College football's wayward sons found their perfect fit in their own backyard.
"Joining the Big 12 brings us back to sharing a rich tradition with a lot of schools we already had natural rivalries with," TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini, Jr. said when the school announced its plans to join the Big 12.
QUARTERBACKS
If there was any fear of a drop-off at quarterback last season, junior Casey Pachall (6-5, 226) quickly erased those doubts. Pachall replaced one of nation's top quarterbacks in Andy Dalton and few thought Pachall could equal Dalton's effectiveness. In some ways, Pachall surpassed Dalton.
RUNNING BACKS
At the end of spring practice, no other school nationally could match TCU's returning talent at running back. The Horned Frogs were the only school to boast three returning running backs with more than 700 rushing yards. But they took a hit after spring practice when they found out Ed Wesley would not return because of academic issues.
RECEIVERS
TCU returns three of its top four receivers from last season, including junior Josh Boyce (6-0, 203), who has All-American potential. In just two seasons at TCU, Boyce has 15 touchdown receptions, just three shy of the school record. Last year Boyce caught 61 passes for 998 yards and nine touchdowns. He saved his career-best for the biggest game.
OFFENSIVE LINE
TCU returns a mix of veteran leadership and inexperience up front. The Horned Frogs bring back one of the nation's best offensive linemen in senior right guard Blaize Foltz (6-4, 310). Foltz was a first-team All-Mountain West Conference lineman last year and he earned a spot on Yahoo! Sports' all-bowl team after the Poinsettia Bowl victory. Foltz is also one of the strongest players in the country, bench pressing 580 pounds and squatting 800 pounds.
Also coming back is senior center James Fry (6-3, 290), who replaced 2010 Rimington Award winner Jake Kirkpatrick.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/page/BlueRibbon-TCU/tcu-horned-frogs
ABOUT
For 16 years Texas Christian meandered through the college football wilderness the way Roman general Maximus fought to the Coliseum in the movie Gladiator. TCU competed in the highly regarded Southwest Conference for 73 years but was jettisoned to mid-major status when the league folded in 1996. The school successfully worked its way from league to league with an eye toward reaching a high-level conference once again.
In November 2010, the Horned Frogs announced they would join the Big East, a league with an automatic Bowl Championship Series bid, beginning in 2012. But in October 2011, those plans changed.
The Big 12 Conference, which plucked the cream from the Southwest Conference crop in 1996, needed a member to replace SEC-bound Texas A&M last fall. The league asked TCU to join, and the school happily accepted. College football's wayward sons found their perfect fit in their own backyard.
"Joining the Big 12 brings us back to sharing a rich tradition with a lot of schools we already had natural rivalries with," TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini, Jr. said when the school announced its plans to join the Big 12.
QUARTERBACKS
If there was any fear of a drop-off at quarterback last season, junior Casey Pachall (6-5, 226) quickly erased those doubts. Pachall replaced one of nation's top quarterbacks in Andy Dalton and few thought Pachall could equal Dalton's effectiveness. In some ways, Pachall surpassed Dalton.
RUNNING BACKS
At the end of spring practice, no other school nationally could match TCU's returning talent at running back. The Horned Frogs were the only school to boast three returning running backs with more than 700 rushing yards. But they took a hit after spring practice when they found out Ed Wesley would not return because of academic issues.
RECEIVERS
TCU returns three of its top four receivers from last season, including junior Josh Boyce (6-0, 203), who has All-American potential. In just two seasons at TCU, Boyce has 15 touchdown receptions, just three shy of the school record. Last year Boyce caught 61 passes for 998 yards and nine touchdowns. He saved his career-best for the biggest game.
OFFENSIVE LINE
TCU returns a mix of veteran leadership and inexperience up front. The Horned Frogs bring back one of the nation's best offensive linemen in senior right guard Blaize Foltz (6-4, 310). Foltz was a first-team All-Mountain West Conference lineman last year and he earned a spot on Yahoo! Sports' all-bowl team after the Poinsettia Bowl victory. Foltz is also one of the strongest players in the country, bench pressing 580 pounds and squatting 800 pounds.
Also coming back is senior center James Fry (6-3, 290), who replaced 2010 Rimington Award winner Jake Kirkpatrick.