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Air Force-TCU Preview

Oct 18, 2010 - 8:19 PM By SCHUYLER DIXON Associated Press Writer

Air Force (5-2) at No. 5 TCU (7-0), 8:00 p.m. EDT

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - No. 4 TCU is dominating on defense again. Now the Frogs should find out how much that has to do with the punchless offenses they've opposed.

TCU came within a field goal of becoming the first major college team since Boston College in 1992 to post three consecutive shutouts, settling for a 31-3 victory against BYU on Saturday.

The Frogs (7-0, 3-0 Mountain West) allowed less than 200 yards in all three games, yet it's worth noting that the highest-ranked offense among the bunch was Colorado State at No. 83. When Air Force (5-2, 3-1) brings the nation's best rushing offense to Fort Worth next weekend, TCU will be a day shy of a month since the last time it allowed a touchdown.

"The last three weeks, we played young quarterbacks," TCU coach Gary Patterson said of a stretch that also included the nation's worst offense in Wyoming. "I'm not willing to go out there and vote them to be the Pittsburgh Steelers yet or the Dallas Cowboys. Next week we're going to face an older Air Force quarterback, and anytime Air Force has an older quarterback, you'd better get ready to go."

TCU can't get preoccupied with Tim Jefferson, though. The top Air Force rusher - running back Asher Clark - is 30th nationally, but the Falcons still have three in the top 100. That includes Jefferson at 66 yards per carry, Clark at 96 yards and Jared Tew at 77 per game.

Masters of the triple option, the Falcons are averaging 347 yards rushing.

"It's a completely different scheme, a different system than what we face every day," said TCU quarterback Andy Dalton. "I know coach Patterson is going to have them ready."

The Frogs were ineffective on offense for three quarters, other than a two-touchdown flurry in the span of a minute late in the first half, but the defense made sure TCU was never in danger. BYU had minus-1 yard rushing in the first half and finished with 147 total yards.

Almost half (70) came on a third-quarter drive to a field goal that snapped the Frogs' scoreless streak at 175 minutes.

TCU is second to fellow BCS buster Boise State nationally in total defense, which means the Frogs are in range to have the No. 1 defense for the fifth time since 2000. No other school has more than two defense titles since 1989.

"I think it's just the program that we have here and the way that we build year in and year out and prepare young players to step up and play that role," said safety Tejay Johnson, who leads the Frogs with two interceptions and is third in tackles.

The Frogs made the BYU score look a little better for the pollsters when Dalton threw his third and fourth touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. His final scoring toss was on fourth down when Patterson decided to go for it to keep the clock running. Dalton threw for the end zone instead because BYU blitzed.

TCU stayed at No. 4 despite Ohio State dropping from the top spot because Oklahoma jumped from sixth to third after a 52-0 win over Iowa State. Boise State is now two spots ahead of the Frogs after spending most of the season side-by-side with them.

The Frogs suffered a bit of a blow because Air Force's upset loss to San Diego State dropped the Falcons from the Top 25, costing TCU a ranked opponent.

"I'm not going to sell my team. I think my team's got to sell itself," Patterson said. "I thought last year we did a great job of people believing in us, and I think we've got to do the same thing."