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Wyoming-TCU Preview

Oct 5, 2010 - 7:28 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Editor

Wyoming (2-3) at No. 4 TCU (5-0), 3:30 p.m. EDT

TCU's dominating defense made sure the Horned Frogs opened their Mountain West schedule with a 10th consecutive conference victory.

Coach Gary Patterson's team should have little problem extending its regular-season winning streak to 19 as Wyoming visits Fort Worth on Saturday.

The fifth-ranked Frogs (5-0, 1-0) beat Colorado State 27-0 last Saturday, limiting the Rams to 161 yards while forcing a pair of turnovers.

"Every game we go in trying to pitch a shutout so that it's easier for the offense to win," sophomore linebacker Tanner Brock said.

TCU led the nation in total defense last year and ranks third in the FBS in 2010, allowing 238.0 yards per game. Opponents are averaging 12.4 points, the nation's fifth-lowest total.

"I told (Patterson) after the game that we could have played until midnight and we wouldn't have scored," Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild said. "All the credit in the world goes to TCU."

TCU has earned plenty of recognition during its recent rise, which included a 12-0 start and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl last season.

The reigning Mountain West champion, winner of 16 consecutive home games and 18 of 19 overall in conference play, likely needs another unbeaten season to get back to a BCS bowl.

"As close as it is in college football, you need to make sure that you go win, because that's the only thing we have control over," Patterson said. "We don't have control over the audience, the media or anybody else that decides all of that other stuff."

An efficient offense has also powered TCU, which got 346 rushing yards last weekend. Sophomore Ed Wesley ran for two touchdowns.

Senior Andy Dalton was 11 for 24 for 109 yards and a TD, notching his lowest yardage total since his freshman season.

Dalton set a school record for touchdown passes with his scoring strike to Jimmy Young, however, giving him 50. He improved to 34-7 as TCU's starter and has the most wins among active college QBs.

"That's the main one I'm focused on," Dalton said. "I'm not worried about all the records, just trying to win as many ballgames as I can."

Dalton threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns the last time Wyoming visited Fort Worth, leading the Frogs to a 54-7 victory Oct. 25, 2008.

TCU cruised to another easy win over the Cowboys on Nov. 21, overcoming four turnovers and holding Wyoming without an offensive touchdown in a 45-10 win in Laramie. The Frogs have taken four of five meetings since joining the Mountain West in 2005.

Wyoming (2-3, 0-1) doesn't appear likely to pull off the upset this year.

While the Cowboys are coming off a 20-15 win at Toledo that featured a touchdown pass by wide receiver David Leonard, they've been blown out by a pair of top 5 opponents this season.

They lost 34-7 at then-No. 5 Texas on Sept. 11, then allowed 648 yards in a 51-6 home defeat to then-No. 3 Boise State a week later, their 12th consecutive loss to a Top 25 opponent.

The Cowboys rank 119th out of 120 FBS teams in total offense. Sophomore Austyn Carta-Samuels has been sacked 12 times while throwing five interceptions and four touchdowns.

Carta-Samuels went 4 of 10 for 83 yards and an interception against TCU last year, while the Horned Frogs rolled up 355 rushing yards.

Wyoming opened MWC play with a 20-14 home loss to Air Force on Sept. 25.