#4 TCU 41 SMU 24: Postgame Ramblings

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- INJURIES! In the war of attrition that is college football losing starters to injury can be as bad an omen for a team as an actual loss, and tonight TCU saw at least two starters go down.  I wasn't too concerned with the injury to RB Ed Wesley, he's great and all but running back is our deepest position and it looked to be pretty minor (concussion).  The injury to WS Alex Ibiloye on the other hand could be a killer,TCU is thinner than Nicole Ritchie at safety and it looked like a knee to me.  The most frustrating part about losing Ibiloye is that he got injured in garbage time and if TCU's offense could've converted on 4th and 1 that never happens. Look for Patterson to burn the redshirt on freshman safety Jonathan Anderson sooner rather than later.

 

- Was very impressed with Waymon James' performance (9 touches, 48 yds, 2 TD's) in Wesley's stead and hope we see alot more Way James in the future.

- Matthew Tucker on the other hand looked terrible (19 car, 63 yds, 1 TD). He ran with no authority and unless that fumble was the product of an involuntary muscle spasm it is absolutely inexcusable and he should have been riding the pine after that. I know Tucker had a phenomenal season in 09' but I think with so many backs in the stable you've got to play the hot hand, and Tucker wasn't even luke-warm tonight.

- Can the punt return team please pay some freaking attention?!?  First Boise State, then Oregon State, and tonight SMU didn't even try a fake punt and they still converted!!!  Unacceptable.

- The defense is really missing that extra burst of closing speed that we had in '09.  Lucky for the TCU Horned Frogs the offense is good enough to get away with it, for now.

- Of course Ross Evansmissed a PAT, but the best part was that I called it right before it happened, pretty proud of myself for that one.  It's safe to say that Evans' missed PAT cost alot of folks some money tonight as the spread was between 17 and 17.5.

- SMU QB Kyle Padron is one tough S.O.B., he took a licking and kept on ticking tonight.

- Same goes for SMU RB Zach Line, what a night (17 car, 139 yds, TD). Looks like June Jones figured out a weak-spot in the 4-2-5 in spreading out the defense and then running draws with a power back, I'm sure Utah RB Matt Asiata is licking his chops right now.

- SMUhas a good squad, very impressed with them tonight and hope they can go and win C-USA.  If only they could have beaten Tech...

- Impressed by the crowd of 35,481 at Ford Field tonight, which I believe is a new SMU record.

- I hate weeknight games!  I don't care what anyone says about the MWC TV contract because from my perspective as a fan I think it's great.  Sure more money would be nice, but Rome wasn't built in a day.  I get to see all of my teams games on TV and we play them on Saturdays when college football is meant to be played.  Do you honestly think the MWC would have gotten 3 ESPN College Gamedaysif we had a contract with ESPN?  If you do you are crazy because they would just stick us sometime between Tuesday and Friday like a sideshow circus freak.    I hope BYU enjoys their new Tuesday time slot next year on ESPN 2 right after the "Bearded Lady Power Hour."

- As far as style points go TCU screwed the pooch tonight, I don't care how good SMU actually is because perception is reality. The media and "Joe Six-Pack" still think that SMU is a joke no matter what they do this year.  But a win is a win, and I'll take it.

- If you are a TCU (or Utah) fan you better root hard for the Beavers on Saturday night, because a win by them could be the difference between the Rose Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl for the MWC champs.