TopFrog
Lifelong Frog
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/10/21...tcu-doesnt.html
[SIZE=14pt]With large crowd on hand, TCU doesn't show too much of its playbook[/SIZE]
By STEFAN STEVENSON
sstevenson@star-telegram.com
About 7,500 people watched TCU scrimmage at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and if you sampled the crowd, you'd probably get about 7,500 different evaluations on how the Horned Frogs look as spring practice winds down.
Coach Gary Patterson, although much happier than he was after the spring game a year ago when the Frogs' offense seemed to score at will against the defense, was more or less fine with his team's effort.
Patterson's mood was likely tempered by the fact that linebackers Tank Carder and Kris Gardner were both on the sidelines with their left arms in slings due to undisclosed shoulder injuries. Carder, the team's top returning tackler, and Gardner, battling for a starting spot as spring began, are expected back by August. Carder had arthroscopic surgery Friday morning and, doctors determined no other surgeries are necessary.
Patterson was pleased with the rest of the linebacker crew Saturday.
"I was pretty proud of Kenny Cain, Tanner Brock and also Greg Burks," Patterson said. "We have to keep working at it. We lost a very good linebacker, but we feel like those guys are very capable of playing at a high level. We'll see how it goes."
The Frogs' nearly 140-play scrimmage was highlighted by a couple of long pass plays by Andy Dalton, including one to Antoine Hicks on a busted play for 30 yards.
"I feel like I played OK," said Dalton, who was picked off by safety Jurell Thompson early in the scrimmage. "I could have thrown that ball a little better. But I think we did alright. We competed hard."
Casey Pachall connected with Josh Boyce for a 79-yard touchdown. Boyce, Curtis Clay and Bart Johnson have all had very good springs, Dalton said.
"Our receivers have been playing well this whole spring," Dalton said. "Curtis has been making plays. Bart has been solid. Jimmy [Young] moving from outside into the slot has been good, and he made a big catch on a corner route today."
Patterson wanted to watch film of the scrimmage before making any definitive evaluation, especially since Saturday was the 12th of 15 practices, meaning each side knows the other pretty well.
"When you play against each other for 12 practices, pretty soon you're just looking to see if a guy can make a play or not," Patterson said. "I don't know if [the defense is] any good this year, or if our offense is just not as good" as it was last spring.
Plus, Patterson said, having 7,500 people in the stands makes him a little more guarded about showing too much, at least offensively.
"We held back a lot of things we'd normally do offensively, so people don't know any of our new ideas," he said. "I was talking to people in the stands, there's recruits here... you want to get serious, but it's also about recruiting and enjoying it. Tomorrow, I'll grade it and I'll have the real story."
A few defensive highlights:
DEs Clarence Leatch, Braylon Broughton and Stansly Maponga each had sacks.
DE Ross Forrest (still with the first team) had several big hits and deflected a pass.
DLs Wayne Daniels and Cory Grant had quarterback pressures.
CB Malcolm Williams showed some great coverage on a deep pass to Boyce.
S Chris Kim and LB David Stoltzman both made some big hits late in the scrimmage with the third-string squads.
Newhouse fit and ready
Former left offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse has lost 10 pounds since January, a byproduct of training he did this spring in preparation of the NFL Draft. Newhouse, predicted by many draft experts to go in the fourth or fifth round, visited the New York Jets last week. He has another scheduled team workout this week.
"I don't care [where I go]," Newhouse said. "I just want to get in a camp and show what I can do."
Newhouse, who watched the spring game from the sidelines, along with Daryl Washington, Jerry Hughes and Rafael Priest, said it was strange to see some of his former teammates playing without him, especially those he entered the program with such as Jake Kirkpatrick and Andy Dalton.
"It feels a little weird to have some of them still out here," he said.
Quotable
"A lot of people came out and that's good to see. It's nice to see all of the excitement around the program and around the game. To have people in the stands is always a lot of fun." Quarterback Andy Dalton on the 7,500 in attendance at Amon G. Carter Stadium Saturday
Stefan Stevenson, 817-390-7760
[SIZE=14pt]With large crowd on hand, TCU doesn't show too much of its playbook[/SIZE]
By STEFAN STEVENSON
sstevenson@star-telegram.com
About 7,500 people watched TCU scrimmage at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and if you sampled the crowd, you'd probably get about 7,500 different evaluations on how the Horned Frogs look as spring practice winds down.
Coach Gary Patterson, although much happier than he was after the spring game a year ago when the Frogs' offense seemed to score at will against the defense, was more or less fine with his team's effort.
Patterson's mood was likely tempered by the fact that linebackers Tank Carder and Kris Gardner were both on the sidelines with their left arms in slings due to undisclosed shoulder injuries. Carder, the team's top returning tackler, and Gardner, battling for a starting spot as spring began, are expected back by August. Carder had arthroscopic surgery Friday morning and, doctors determined no other surgeries are necessary.
Patterson was pleased with the rest of the linebacker crew Saturday.
"I was pretty proud of Kenny Cain, Tanner Brock and also Greg Burks," Patterson said. "We have to keep working at it. We lost a very good linebacker, but we feel like those guys are very capable of playing at a high level. We'll see how it goes."
The Frogs' nearly 140-play scrimmage was highlighted by a couple of long pass plays by Andy Dalton, including one to Antoine Hicks on a busted play for 30 yards.
"I feel like I played OK," said Dalton, who was picked off by safety Jurell Thompson early in the scrimmage. "I could have thrown that ball a little better. But I think we did alright. We competed hard."
Casey Pachall connected with Josh Boyce for a 79-yard touchdown. Boyce, Curtis Clay and Bart Johnson have all had very good springs, Dalton said.
"Our receivers have been playing well this whole spring," Dalton said. "Curtis has been making plays. Bart has been solid. Jimmy [Young] moving from outside into the slot has been good, and he made a big catch on a corner route today."
Patterson wanted to watch film of the scrimmage before making any definitive evaluation, especially since Saturday was the 12th of 15 practices, meaning each side knows the other pretty well.
"When you play against each other for 12 practices, pretty soon you're just looking to see if a guy can make a play or not," Patterson said. "I don't know if [the defense is] any good this year, or if our offense is just not as good" as it was last spring.
Plus, Patterson said, having 7,500 people in the stands makes him a little more guarded about showing too much, at least offensively.
"We held back a lot of things we'd normally do offensively, so people don't know any of our new ideas," he said. "I was talking to people in the stands, there's recruits here... you want to get serious, but it's also about recruiting and enjoying it. Tomorrow, I'll grade it and I'll have the real story."
A few defensive highlights:
DEs Clarence Leatch, Braylon Broughton and Stansly Maponga each had sacks.
DE Ross Forrest (still with the first team) had several big hits and deflected a pass.
DLs Wayne Daniels and Cory Grant had quarterback pressures.
CB Malcolm Williams showed some great coverage on a deep pass to Boyce.
S Chris Kim and LB David Stoltzman both made some big hits late in the scrimmage with the third-string squads.
Newhouse fit and ready
Former left offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse has lost 10 pounds since January, a byproduct of training he did this spring in preparation of the NFL Draft. Newhouse, predicted by many draft experts to go in the fourth or fifth round, visited the New York Jets last week. He has another scheduled team workout this week.
"I don't care [where I go]," Newhouse said. "I just want to get in a camp and show what I can do."
Newhouse, who watched the spring game from the sidelines, along with Daryl Washington, Jerry Hughes and Rafael Priest, said it was strange to see some of his former teammates playing without him, especially those he entered the program with such as Jake Kirkpatrick and Andy Dalton.
"It feels a little weird to have some of them still out here," he said.
Quotable
"A lot of people came out and that's good to see. It's nice to see all of the excitement around the program and around the game. To have people in the stands is always a lot of fun." Quarterback Andy Dalton on the 7,500 in attendance at Amon G. Carter Stadium Saturday
Stefan Stevenson, 817-390-7760
