Quarterbacks
TCU: Sophomore quarterback Andy Dalton had trouble moving the ball against the now-No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners, throwing for 212 yards, and he threw his second interception of the season in the first half. Dalton threw for 298 yards and ran for 59 yards against San Diego State last season. Dalton’s experience gives him the edge.
San Diego State: Freshman Ryan Lindley has shown some signs of being the quarterback of the future the Aztecs need after the departure of Kevin O’Connell to the New England Patriots. Lindley is averaging 299.8 yards per game this season and has thrown eight touchdowns compared to four interceptions.
Advantage: TCU
Runningbacks
TCU: It seems like junior Joseph Turner has been a constant force in the Horned Frog backfield since coming off an injury last season. Turner leads the team in yards, with 229, and touchdowns, with seven. Turner owned the Aztecs last season rushing for 226 yards and four touchdowns.
San Diego State: The Aztecs are led by the pair of junior Atiyyah Henderson and sophomore Brandon Sullivan. Sullivan is leading the team with 142 yards and has a touchdown. Last season, Henderson rushed for 25 yards on six carries.
Advantage: TCU
Wide Receivers
TCU: About the only thing that went well for the Frogs last week was the play of sophomore Jimmy Young, who had 111 yards against the Sooners. Young is dominating his teammates in the receiving categories, he has 26 catches, 15 more than the next Frog, and 348 yards, 247 more than any of his fellow receivers.
San Diego State: Two starters return for the Aztecs this season, senior Darren Mougey and sophomore Vincent Brown. Brown, the faster of the two, leads the team with 20 catches, 315 yards and four touchdowns. The depth the Aztecs have gives them the edge over the Frogs.
Advantage: San Diego State
Offensive Line
TCU: Senior center Blake Schlueter continues to be the anchor of the Frogs’ offensive line. The Frogs allowed three sacks last week, including one to sophomore wide receiver Jeremy Kerley on an attempted trick play. Last season, the Frogs did not allow a sack against the Aztecs.
San Diego State: Senior left guard Mike Schmidt has the most experience at the D-1 level for the Aztecs. So far this season, the offensive line have allowed the quarterback to be sacked seven times for a loss of 46 yards.
Advantage: TCU
Defensive Line
TCU: Junior defensive end Jerry Hughes didn’t force a turnover for the first time this season last week. Hughes has been a force to be reckoned with this season, having been involved in 22 tackles, six for a loss, intercepting two passes and recovering three fumbles.
San Diego State: Junior defensive lineman Jonathan Soto has been successful in causing havoc in the trenches so far this season. Soto has 22 total tackles, 3.5 for a loss and leads the team with 2.5 sacks for a combined loss of 10 yards.
Advantage: TCU
Linebackers
TCU: The linebacker core was tested last week against the nation’s top scoring offense. Senior linebacker Jason Phillips was involved in five tackles, three for a loss, and had a sack last week. Phillips lead the Frogs with 13 total tackles against the Aztecs last season.
San Diego State: In his second year as a starter at linebacker, Luke Laolagi is leading his team with 21 solo tackles and in total tackles with 36. Laolagi matched Phillips’ efforts in last season’s game with 13 total tackles.
Advantage: TCU
Defensive Backs
TCU: The Frogs defensive backs were put to the test last week against the Sooners, who threw for 411 yards. The backs will look to rebound against a rookie quarterback this week. Junior cornerback Nick Sanders leads all defensive backs with 20 tackles and five pass breakups this season. Expect the secondary to come into this week’s game with extra motivation.
San Diego State: The secondary for the Aztecs has the most depth on the team, returning four seniors and nine letter-winners. Cornerbacks Aaron Moore, a junior, and Vonnie Holmes, a senior, are providing leadership for the defensive backs. Both have 18 total tackles and one interception, but Moore has two more tackles for loss than Holmes.
Advantage: TCU
Special Teams
TCU: The Frogs continue to have success on punt returns, averaging 15.46 yards per return. Freshman kicker Ross Evans has connected on seven of his eight field goal attempts this season and has made 21 of his 22 point after touchdown kicks.
San Diego State: The Aztecs have had four different punt returners this season and are averaging just 4.1 yards per attempt. Junior kicker Lane Yoshida has made both of his field goal attempts and 11 of his 12 PATs.
Advantage: TCU
Coaching
TCU: Head coach Gary Patterson has to get his team back on track after last week’s game, in which TCU committed 12 penalties and lost the turnover battle 4-0. The Frogs are now the third-most penalized team in the nation, averaging 9.4 per game.
San Diego State: Head coach Chuck Long is in his third full season as San Diego State’s head coach. His team has the fourth-worst third down conversion percentage in the nation, converting only 25.9 of its opportunities.
Advantage: TCU
Prediction
Expect the Horned Frogs to come out with extra motivation after last week’s defeat. TCU wins 37-10.
