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TCU-Clemson Preview

Sep 22, 2009 - 8:24 PM By PAUL DIGIACOMO STATS Senior Editor

No. 11 TCU (2-0) at Clemson (2-1), 3:30 p.m. EDT

TCU already has a road win over an ACC opponent and is coming off a blowout victory against a Football Championship Subdivision team. Coach Gary Patterson, though, is concerned with his squad's play heading into Saturday's matchup with Clemson in Death Valley.

The 15th-ranked Horned Frogs (2-0) were one of two teams in the nation to have an open date the first week of the season, and that extra time may have given them an advantage when they played at Virginia on Sept. 12.

TCU picked up where it left off in 2008 when it went 11-2, shutting down the Cavaliers with stifling defense and looking mostly good on offense in a 30-14 victory - one that was more one-sided than the final score indicated.

The Horned Frogs hosted Texas State last Saturday, and although they won 56-21, they were up by 14 after three quarters. The Bobcats managed 249 yards of offense after Virginia put up 177 in the opener.

"We didn't play the way we needed to, we didn't have the emotion we needed to," Patterson said.

TCU put away the game with TD runs in the fourth quarter from Joseph Turner, Matthew Tucker and Jercell Fort.

Patterson wasn't pleased his team let the FCS Bobcats stay in the game, one week after being upset about giving up two late touchdowns at Virginia.

"We've got to be smarter about things," he said. "The key is to learn when you win. Offensively, we did what we needed to do."

The Horned Frogs have been dominant running the ball, amassing more than 200 rushing yards in each game. They had 286 last week, when Turner ran 13 times for 129 yards and three TDs.

"You have to improve each week and even though we won, there were times in the game where we could have played a lot better," quarterback Andy Dalton said. "In college football, anything can happen. You see that every week. You have to get up and prepare each week to win the game."

TCU will likely rely on its rushing attack against Clemson (2-1), which allowed 301 yards on the ground in a 30-27 loss at then-No. 15 Georgia Tech on Sept. 10.

The Tigers, however, rebounded to allow 29 rushing yards in last week's 25-7 home win over Boston College.

"We got Clemson next week, and we have to get ready to play," Patterson said. "We won't be able to push around Clemson."

The Tigers struggled offensively last week but held Boston College to 55 total yards - the second-fewest in school history against an ACC opponent - and got a school record-tying six field goals from Richard Jackson in a game that had two second-half rain delays.

"I am definitely proud of the defensive coaches for preparing these men for today," coach Dabo Swinney said. "We've played three different styles of defense this season, and it has proven to be a great combination. Again, the defense played excellent the entire game."

Swinney also got excellent play from his special teams. Besides Jackson's six field goals, C.J. Spiller had a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown as part of his 219 all-purpose yards.

A foot injury kept Spiller out after the second rain delay that stretched the game to nearly five hours.

"He will be ready on Saturday," Swinney said of Spiller, who has 459 all-purpose yards over the last two games.

Clemson, though, is dealing with the flu bug. Starting defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins was home in bed Monday recovering, and five other players - all offensive linemen - watched workouts from the bleachers at the indoor practice facility and wore masks to stop the spread of the virus.

These teams haven't met since Clemson won 3-0 in Death Valley in 1965, the Tigers' second victory in three all-time matchups.

Swinney has lost to the three ranked opponents he's faced in his 10-game coaching career.

"If you want to have a special year, these are the games you've got to do well in," Swinney said.