When Texas Christian opened the season by beating Oklahoma, the rest of the Mountain West fawned all over the conference’s newest member. A week later, when the Horned Frogs lost to SMU, no one could figure out TCU.
Now that TCU (4-1, 3-0) is atop the conference and heading into the season’s first big showdown Saturday against Wyoming (4-1, 2-0), the Horned Frogs might be wearing out their welcome.
Utah first-year coach Kyle Whittingham suggested in Tuesday’s weekly coaches teleconference that if the Horned Frogs win in Laramie, “maybe they can run the table.” He’s cheering for the Cowboys so his Utes have a chance to win the league. “Absolutely, we need help with TCU.”
The two-time defending champions have lost once in conference play, in overtime at TCU.
TCU is winning despite more quarterback drama. For the fourth consecutive year, Frogs coach Gary Patterson was forced to replace injury-prone quarterback Tye Gunn in midseason. Understudy Jeff Ballard won the league’s offensive player of the week honor by running for four touchdowns and passing for two against New Mexico last week. The previous TCU player responsible for six scores in one game was running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
“There have been years our quarterback hasn’t run for four touchdowns in a whole season,” Patterson said.
Here’s the biggest difference between the league’s top musicians/coaches in Saturday’s marquee game. According to a TCU press release, Patterson has downloaded more than 9,000 songs on his iPod. Wyoming coach Joe Glenn knows how to play just one song on the piano, “Ragtime Cowboy Joe.”
ACC bashing
While blaming the Utes’ 31-17 loss at North Carolina on Saturday on turnovers and an opening kickoff return for a touchdown, Whittingham was further frustrated by 12 penalties for 101 yards. “I’m quite thankful we don’t have to play with an ACC (officiating) crew,” Whittingham said. “It was miserable.”
MWC commissioner Craig Thompson suggested it’s time for nonconference games to have officiating crews from neutral conferences, as happens in bowl games.
Footnotes
Except for Utah’s megawatt offense of a year ago, the MWC had been considered a defensive-minded league until this year. MWC teams are averaging 31.6 points a game this year, compared with 25.3 in the first six years of the league. … Colorado State wide receiver David Anderson, Air Force wide receiver Greg Kirkwood, Utah linebacker Spencer Toone and BYU defensive back Spencer White are on the National Football Foundation list of semifinalists for the Draddy Trophy, awarded for combined football and academic success. … There were nine instant replay challenges last weekend, but none overturned.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
