Happy Homecoming, Frogs! And happy Parents Weekend, too. Couldn’t we find one other major event to pile on this one weekend? Game tickets are scarce.

After a long summer and much anticipated beginning to football season that we never thought would get here, today we find ourselves at Game 3. 25 percent done with the regular season. It goes fast.

At the quarter pole, the Frogs have a lot on their plate in the wake of the Arkansas loss. Sure they dropped out of the Top 25 and there’s a new road map to getting to the CFP playoffs (by the way, cheer for Arkansas and OU and Texas) and don’t forget it’s a short week to prepare for SMU next Friday. All kinds of “looking ahead” conversation among the TCU faithful.

But I’m good with this Frog team. Don’t get me wrong, losing is tough. And it’s no fun to experience as a player or talk about on the radio, but I think the pressure’s off a little bit. No ranking. No hype. Just 1-1 and Iowa State coming to town.
I think Coach P summed it up Tuesday at his press conference when he said, “I’m just trying to beat Iowa State.” Focus.

The best teams at the end of the year are the ones who learn to play in the eye of a hurricane. Lots of thunder, lightning, debris swirling all around but calm on the inside. That’s what great teams do and it’s that time for the Frogs.

Things for the Frogs to do:
1. Figure out a way to start fast. In this day and age of basketball scores in college football, getting out of the blocks quickly is a must. The effort the Frogs made to get out of 20-7 hole last week would have the stuff of legend if they’d won.
2. Tinker with the defense. Not fix it, just adjust. The Frogs have given up 41 points in three straight, if you include the Alamo Bowl. Again, cut that number by 10 points with a few takeaways and all’s well.
3. Play fast and loose.
4. Throw deep….test the secondary for big plays.
5. Let QB Kenny Hill do what he does. You’ve just gotten a peak so far. He’s a very gifted player.

Iowa State comes in with a new coach, new schemes and a lot of new faces. Head coach Matt Campbell is the youngest head man in Division 1-A at 36. He brings in a team that is 0-2 and, like TCU, is coming off a loss. Their offense has two big weapons in WR Allen Lazard, who had 147 receiving yards against TCU a year ago and is among the nation’s leaders in yards per game at 120.

Running back Mike Warren was a freshman “phenom” last year as the Big 12’s Offensive Freshman of the Year, but he’s had trouble getting going behind a patchwork offensive line, which features center Brian Bobek, a graduate transfer from Minnesota who lined up against the Frogs at UM last year. The Iowa State offense has struggled.

The Cyclones were kept out of the end zone last week against Iowa, prompting a quarterback situation. Incumbent QB Joel Lanning gave way to Georgia transfer Jacob Park, a Top-15 national recruit when he signed with Georgia, but things didn’t work out for him in Athens. Based on what I’ve seen on video, Park moves the offense and really gives Iowa State a spark. Good arm.

If Iowa State has a something to lean on, it’s the defense. Iowa State returns seven starters and has a good secondary. They get back corner Nigel Tribune from a two game suspension and the defensive line is active with DE #9 Jhaustin Thomas who’s tall and rangy. I also like Linebacker #9 Reggan Northrup, who gets to the ball. He reminds me of TCU’s Travin Howard, about 210 pounds and can get to the quarterback.

The Frogs lead the all-time series 6-1, with the first game being played in 1998. The Frogs won the season opener that day with new head coach Dennis Franchione and a young, feisty defensive coordinator named……well, you know.

It’s an early start Frog Fans. Set your alarms as the parking lots open at 6 a.m. for this 11 o’ clock kickoff.

Now I have to run and pick up a corsage (with lots of bells). Happy Homecoming!

Kick ‘Em High!

Students brought noise and spirit during Iowa State’s last visit to Amon G. Carter Stadium, in 2014. (Photo by Sharon Ellman)