TCU Races Way To Stylish Thrashing Of Utah

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Twenty-four hours after Cincinnati couldn't turn the trick, its third-wheel rival TCU earned some much-needed style points by spanking a ranked conference foe.

Utah Week became Hype Week around Fort Worth over the last few days, and the Horned Frogs were up to the task. They scored early and very often and drilled their Mountain West Conference rivals, 55-28, to improve to 10-0 and 6-0 in the league.

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"If the nation didn't think that this was enough style points, then I don't know what is," coach Gary Patterson told the Associated Press after the game.

On its own home field Friday night, Cincinnati struggled with West Virginia and didn't seal its 24-21 win until the Bearcats recovered an onside kick in the final minute.

After the Utes tied the game, 7-7, TCU scored four straight touchdowns and eventually took a 38-14 lead into halftime.

Utah trotted back out for the second half, but the visitors looked so discouraged in doing so that it nearly seemed a surprise that they did. While the Horned Frogs kept their webbed feet on the gas offensively in the first 30 minutes, they were just as relentless on defense. All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes was in the Utes' backfield about as often as their running backs.

But back to that offense; TCU rolled up 549 yards, including 342 on the ground. Six different players scored touchdowns, including Matthew Tucker, who had the team's first and final scores.

Tank Carder returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown during the second-quarter onslaught.

Quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 207 yards and a touchdown, and led an offense that converted seven-of-13 third downs.

Up next: Sunday's updated BCS rankings, in which the Horned Frogs will likely stay at No. 4, followed by the Bearcats and then Boise State, which hammered Idaho, 63-25. Cincinnati is the only team of the trio that has a ranked opponent on its remaining schedule (at Pittsburgh, Dec. 5).

More notes from Fort Worth:

+ The drawback to TCU's success: It will be more difficult for the Horned Frogs to get elite non-conference foes on future September schedules. But Texas could certainly spice up its own non-league dockets. Um, Mack Brown, Courage is on Line 1.

+ The Gameday Gallery will be published Sunday afternoon.

+ The Hot Girls Of College Football gallery will be published Monday or Tuesday. You definitely want to check back for that; TCU's spirit squads are easily the prettiest I've seen on the tour this year. And remember, I've been to three USC games times this season.

+ The OGS tour is en route to New Haven, Conn., to see the great Harvard-Yale rivalry next weekend. Extra bonus? I get to sleep in my own bed in Brooklyn for the first time since August.

+ Goodnight.