Quarterbacks
TCU: Sophomore Andy Dalton had two weeks off to rest an injured leg, then came back and picked apart a good Brigham Young University defense during his best game as a Frog. Wyoming’s pass defense only allows 159.7 yards per game through the air, but it has given up 84 points to Utah and BYU combined.
Wyoming: The Cowboys are in the midst of a quarterback controversy with both sophomore Dax Crum and junior Karsten Sween getting significant playing time. Sween has thrown the majority of the passes over the past three games. He has combined for 207 passing yards, no touchdowns and five interceptions in those games.
Advantage: TCU
Running backs
TCU: Welcome to the spotlight junior wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, who is getting worked into the offense by lining up at quarterback and running the ball on direct snaps. Kerley has 133 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the season, but he had 77 yards and a touchdown on nine carries last week.
Wyoming: Senior Devin Moore leads the team with 688 rushing yards and has three of his team’s four rushing scores this season. But the Frogs as a team average 73.5 yards per game on the ground more than the Cowboys.
Advantage: TCU
Wide Receivers
TCU: Dalton found six different receivers in the Frogs’ upset victory against BYU last week. Sophomore wide receiver Jimmy Young continues to lead the team in receptions and receiving yards after making four grabs for 78 yards last week. He also had his first touchdown of the season in the win.
Wyoming: The Cowboys have four receivers with 10 or more catches so far this season, and junior Greg Bolling leads the team with 14 grabs and 130 yards. Bolling was shut down last year against the Frogs; he only had one catch for 14 yards.
Advantage: TCU
Offensive Line
TCU: The offensive line for the Frogs has been solid all season, allowing only nine sacks in eight games. Injuries kept senior left guard Preston Phillips and sophomore right tackle Marcus Cannon from playing last week. Senior right guard Giles Montgomery has made 21 straight starts.
Wyoming: The Cowboys’ offensive line has allowed 15 sacks for 85 yards loss through seven games this season. Center Tim Bond and right guard Kyle Howard are the lone senior starters on the line. Howard has started 35 straight games for the Cowboys and earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West Conference honors last season.
Advantage: TCU
Defensive Line
TCU: The Frogs’ defensive line is arguably the best in the nation right now, leading the nation in sacks with 33 and rushing yards allowed per game with 21. Junior defensive end Jerry Hughes has been dominant, and he leads the nation with 11 sacks and the conference with four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Wyoming: The Cowboys have only been able to muster nine sacks so far this season and are allowing 159.9 yards per game on the ground. Junior Mitch Unrein leads his fellow defensive linemen with 35 total tackles. He is also tied for the lead among interior defensive linemen with 2.5 sacks.
Advantage: TCU
Linebackers
TCU: Like the defensive line, the linebackers for TCU are possibly the best in the nation, leading the nation’s top defense in allowing just 10.9 points and 218.6 yards per game. Senior Robert Henson has 44 tackles on the season and has led the team in tackles three times this year.
Wyoming: The Cowboys are No. 35 in the nation in total defense, allowing an average of 317.1 yards of offense per game. Senior Ward Dobbs has 49 tackles, a sack and an interception so far this season.
Advantage: TCU
Defensive Backs
TCU: The secondary for TCU is coming off of its best game of the season, holding the No. 10 BYU passing offense to just 274 yards through the air. Junior cornerback Nick Sanders played exceptionally well last week, intercepting two passes and making four tackles.
Wyoming: Quietly, the Cowboys have the 12th best pass defense in the nation, allowing an average of 159.7 yards per game through the air. Sophomore safety Chris Prosinski leads the Cowboys in most categories, including tackles with 60, interceptions with two and pass break-ups with six.
Advantage: Wyoming
Special Teams
TCU: The only disappointing aspect of TCU’s game last week was the special teams play. The Frogs only had one punt to handle in the field of play, which was botched and recovered by BYU in TCU territory. Despite missing two extra points last week, freshman Ross Evans has made 11 of his 12 field goals and 10 straight.
Wyoming: Sophomore wide receiver David Leonard has returned 11 punts this season for an average of 7.4 yards per return, but missed last week’s game with a sprained left ankle. Junior kicker Jake Scott has made five of his six field goals and all six of his point-after tries this season.
Advantage: TCU
Coaching
TCU: Head coach Gary Patterson was visibly happy after last week’s win, but had calmed down for his Tuesday press conference because every game from here on out is more important. His Frogs still lead the nation in time of possession with an average time of 35:53.
Wyoming: Head coach Joe Glenn is in his sixth season leading the Cowboys. In that time, he has a record of 28-38, but his career coaching record is 186-97-1. The Cowboys have the most turnovers in the nation, having given the ball to its opponents 27 times in seven games.
Advantage: TCU
