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BYU-TCU Preview

Oct 13, 2010 - 2:38 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

No. 14 Brigham Young (2-4) at No. 4 TCU (6-0), 4:00 p.m. EDT

After notching back-to-back shutouts, TCU's schedule appears to get a bit tougher with a couple of Mountain West powers looming.

But with the way their defense is playing combined with BYU's recent struggles, the Horned Frogs could be on their way to another convincing win Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

TCU (6-0, 2-0) has the top-ranked defense in the FBS, allowing an average of 230.2 yards, and is second in scoring, yielding 10.2 points. This unit is coming off its best two games of the season, giving up 161 yards in a 27-0 win at Colorado State on Oct. 2 and permitting 191 in last Saturday's 45-0 victory over Wyoming to record consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1955, when the Horned Frogs had three in row.

"Defensively, we seem to be getting a lot better with attention to detail," coach Gary Patterson said.

TCU has won 32 of its last 35 games and its regular-season winning streak is up to 19.

Extending this run could be difficult with the seemingly toughest portion of the schedule about to begin.

After this game, the Frogs' next contest is against No. 23 Air Force and they visit 11th-ranked Utah two weeks later.

"This is a tough two-game swing with BYU and Air Force," Patterson said. "We've got to be ready to play and understand that everybody wants the same thing we do. They want to win a conference title."

BYU (2-4, 1-1) is playing its last season in the Mountain West, and finished runner-up to TCU in league play a year ago. The Frogs handed the Cougars their lone conference defeat, a 38-7 setback at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Oct. 24.

BYU opened conference play this season with a 35-14 loss to Air Force on Sept. 11, the first of four straight defeats. The Cougars snapped this losing streak - their longest single-season skid since 1993 - with last Saturday's 24-21 win over San Diego State. They finished with season highs in points and yards (413) after averaging 13.3 points and 288.8 yards during the slide.

BYU finally got its running game on track, rushing for 271 yards after combining for 232 in the previous three games. Junior JJ Di Luigi led the way with 134 rushing yards.

The defense also stepped up, as coach Bronco Mendenhall called the defensive plays for the first time since firing defensive coordinator Jaime Hill, and the Cougars held the Aztecs to minus-2 yards rushing in the first half and 53 for the game.

San Diego State entered ranked 23rd in the FBS in rushing, averaging 213.5 yards.

BYU will need a similar effort against TCU, which is seventh in the nation in rushing, averaging 280.0 yards.

Ed Wesley is leading the ground game, ranking first in the Mountain West in rushing yards with 612 and a conference-best 7.0 yards per carry.

The Frogs are also winning behind a steady passing attack, led by quarterback Andy Dalton.

The senior was 14 of 17 for a season-high 270 yards and three touchdowns last weekend, and is 50 of 61 for 719 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions in three home games. The Frogs have outscored opponents 152-17 at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

Dalton completed 12 of 19 for 170 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-7 win over No. 9 BYU in 2008, and threw for 241 yards with three TDs against the 16th-ranked Cougars last season.

Putting this all together - the suffocating defense, punishing running game and savvy play from Dalton - the Frogs are in the hunt for a spot in the BCS national championship game.

"They play with a lot of conviction and belief that they will have success," Mendenhall said. "They're very physical and they're fast and athletic. When you put that all together with a good scheme, that makes them a good team. Then when you've had a quarterback who has had a lot of success as well, I think they carry themselves with a presence that they expect to win."