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ASU at TCU
TCU is 17-9 since 1998, has two bowl victories under third-year Coach Dennis Franchione, sports a Heisman Trophy candidate in LaDainian Tomlinson and is ranked No. 18 in the nation. "We needed a marquee game in '99," Hollis said. "We didn't have a marquee game in Jonesboro on campus in '99 and then they agreed to come to our place in '99 and we would give them a return game. "That was first, and then second I did not think that they would probably be as good as they are. ... To get the marquee game we've got to go to Fort Worth this weekend." TCU becomes the second of three preseason Top 25 teams on ASU's schedule. Schools such as Oklahoma, Ole Miss and the Horned Frogs have ASU rated No. 75 on the strength-of-schedule list on the NCAA's Web site. TCU is at No. 104. "When I took this job in December of 1997, they were stacked up like club sandwiches wanting to play us," Franchione said. "And now we can't get anybody to play." Franchione had head coaching stops at Southwestern (Kan.) College, Pittsburg (Kan.) State, Southwest Texas State and New Mexico before arriving at TCU. He led Division II Pittsburg State to five postseason appearances in five years and in his last year at New Mexico won the Western Athletic Conference title and a berth in the Insight.com Bowl. Franchione said TCU's rapid improvement his first season -- from 1-10 in 1997 to 7-5 in 1998 -- was more mental than physical. "You can't make a lot of changes [your first year]," Franchione said. "But you can capture their minds, and our coaches did a good job of that." The talent pool slowly began to improve through recruiting and hard work. In a one-year period, the number of Horned Frogs who could bench press 400 pounds improved from four to 51, and such dedication helped translate to eight victories -- the most at TCU since 1984 -- and a share of the WAC title last season. And then there has been the development of Tomlinson. As a freshman in 1997 he gained 538 yards. He increased that to 717 in 1998 and last year gained a national best 1,850. Tomlinson, 5-11, 220 pounds, gained 406 yards against UTEP last season, the only time in NCAA history a back has gained more than 400. "They do a lot of things with him," Hollis said. "They pitch him the football, they throw him the football, they run sweeps, he's good on the inside zone. He's just really an outstanding player, and he will be difficult to defend." Last year's game turned into a showcase for Tomlinson and ASU tailback Jonathan Adams. Adams gained 155 yards, his second highest single-game total, and scored two touchdowns. Tomlinson gained 125 of his 269 yards in the first quarter as the Horned Frogs built a 21-7 lead. ASU rallied to within 24-21 before the teams played a scoreless second half. "We had to play very hard last year to beat them," Franchione said. TCU is averaging 41 points a game after victories over Nevada and Northwestern, and led by Tomlinson, they are averaging 352 yards a game on the ground. Tomlinson is averaging 209.5. But facing formidable offenses isn't anything new to Hollis and ASU. "We've played against good people week in and week out," Hollis said. "We've been challenged in all kinds of coverages and fronts, offenses, whether it be a physical-natured offense or a wide-open passing attack. We need to use this schedule as an advantage to our football team."
This article was published on Saturday, September 23, 2000RETURN to main pageCopyright and permissions Copyright © 2000, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. |
