TCU coach Gary Patterson wants to see more from his defense
Dec 28, 2012 (Menafn - Fort Worth Star-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- TCU coach Gary Patterson seemed pleased with his defense as it prepared for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl back in Fort Worth.
But since the Horned Frogs (7-5) arrived in Arizona for their 9:15 p.m. Saturday showdown against Michigan State (6-6) at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, something hasn't been right with the defense, according to Patterson.
"The defense has not been very good since we got here," he said. "Not very good at all. I don't know [why]. If I knew that I'd write a book."
He dismissed that youth was the reason, despite the defense playing with just one senior.
"We're not young anymore," he said. "I don't have a specific answer for you."
Patterson countered that the offense is filled with freshman starters, but the bowl festivities didn't seem to affect their practices.
"They've practiced well," he said.
Leading receiver Josh Boyce missed practice Thursday with a bad cold, but Patterson said he'll be ready Saturday.
"We've had about 15 guys sick," he said. "They'll be ready Saturday night. No big deal."
Spartans wing it
TCU and Michigan State combined to eat 7,330 wings at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Tempe on Wednesday night. The Spartans won the inaugural Bowl Wing Eating Competition by averaging 33 wings per player, while TCU averaged 20. Injured TCU offensive lineman Michael Thompson claimed the individual title for TCU with 50 wings eaten.
Where's the Pepto? Probably in the hands of MSU's Shawn Kamm, who apparently came close to eating 65 wings, according to MSU quarterback Andrew Maxwell.
"That's crazy, that's insane," TCU receiver Skye Dawson said.
There was some controversy surrounding the results, though. Apparently TCU, which filled the restaurant first, may have not been given the time to engulf as many wings as they could have. They were cut off after about an hour and a half to allow MSU to take over the wing eatery.
TCU's Devonte Fields ate 25 wings. "I was kind of full, but they were good wings so I couldn't stop," he said.
Tausch's torment
Two weeks ago TCU offensive lineman Eric Tausch was leaning over to pull on a pair of shorts when suddenly his back locked up on him.
"I hadn't had any problems before," he said. "That was the scary thing. I called our trainer and told him I need to see someone."
Tausch was suffering from a bulging disk and missed four practices. He's better now after a steroid shot and will start Saturday.
"I'm all better now, I've been practicing since Saturday," said Tausch, who has started all 12 games. "I'm good to go."
Tickets sold
A source at TCU said the school has sold close to 6,000 of its 11,000 allotted tickets for Saturday's game. Many fans have bought tickets from other outlets, where they can often find better seats for less money.
'Sadly happy'
Senior Skye Dawson summed up his emotions three days before the final game of his career at TCU.
"I'd say sad because I've had so many memories with this team, and especially with the coaches," Dawson said. "I had a really good time. I enjoyed myself. It is my fourth year, I wish I had a fifth, which I do academically, but not out on the field. I'm sadly happy."
Quotable
"We've gone all the way back and watched a little bit of Wisconsin from [TCU's] Rose Bowl experience. Maybe their players are a little bit different, but somewhat of who they are defensively and who we are offensively sort of merits that. From a defensive standpoint, you look at them as a little bit of Nebraska, as a little bit of Boise State. Boise State is a game we watched a lot. Oklahoma State we watched a lot. Baylor. We've watched them all really." -- Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio on what TCU game film the Spartans have studied the most.
Stefan Stevenson
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Twitter: @FollowtheFrogs
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