Iceland12
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For TCU’s Gary Patterson, the test is building a top defense again despite major graduation losses. And for Baylor’s Art Briles, it means developing yet another quarterback who will throw for at least 3,500 yards while directing a top-five offense.
What’s about to unfold could be two great coaching clinics.
In Fort Worth and elsewhere, people wonder if a record-setting offense now much more familiar with the spread formation can be even better with 10 starters returning. Special teams are solid, too. So that leaves a defense that bade goodbye to linebackers Paul Dawson and Marcus Mallet (236 combined tackles last season, including 31.5 for losses) and defensive backs Sam Carter, Chris Hackett and Kevin White (13 combined interceptions).
The challenge falls to Patterson.
Even though his title is head coach and he has had some very good assistants over the years, there’s no doubt about who runs the defense, just like when Patterson arrived on campus in 1998. Even in the Big 12, where you have to grade defensive numbers on a curve because of the offenses, the Horned Frogs have ranked first, second and first since joining the league before the 2012 season.
He believes he has the building blocks. More than once, he’s talked about the superior athleticism of his new guys.
As a group, his linebackers averaged in the 4.5-second range when they were timed in the 40 last spring, far quicker than their predecessors. But can Sammy Douglas and Mike Freeze play up to that speed while learning on the fly?
At times, Patterson has sounded downright cranky in the summer, calling his group “about a .500 football team.”
Quick translation: a good sign. A cranky Patterson tends to get results.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...-to-their-roots-for-tcu-baylor-to-succeed.ece
What’s about to unfold could be two great coaching clinics.
In Fort Worth and elsewhere, people wonder if a record-setting offense now much more familiar with the spread formation can be even better with 10 starters returning. Special teams are solid, too. So that leaves a defense that bade goodbye to linebackers Paul Dawson and Marcus Mallet (236 combined tackles last season, including 31.5 for losses) and defensive backs Sam Carter, Chris Hackett and Kevin White (13 combined interceptions).
The challenge falls to Patterson.
Even though his title is head coach and he has had some very good assistants over the years, there’s no doubt about who runs the defense, just like when Patterson arrived on campus in 1998. Even in the Big 12, where you have to grade defensive numbers on a curve because of the offenses, the Horned Frogs have ranked first, second and first since joining the league before the 2012 season.
He believes he has the building blocks. More than once, he’s talked about the superior athleticism of his new guys.
As a group, his linebackers averaged in the 4.5-second range when they were timed in the 40 last spring, far quicker than their predecessors. But can Sammy Douglas and Mike Freeze play up to that speed while learning on the fly?
At times, Patterson has sounded downright cranky in the summer, calling his group “about a .500 football team.”
Quick translation: a good sign. A cranky Patterson tends to get results.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...-to-their-roots-for-tcu-baylor-to-succeed.ece