Knudson: Hats Off to the Frogs

By Mark Knudson, The Mtn. Insider
September 15, 2011
 
Just like a math quiz, it’s the ones you miss that you remember most. The only one I’ve missed so far in the young season was a big one. Hats off to the resilient and very well coached TCU Horned Frogs. They proved a lot of us wrong.
 
Air Force remains a very good football team but TCU made them look very ordinary, using a familiar formula: Run the ball, stop the run. I suspect the Frogs will mature into another great team well before most of us thought. The TCU – Boise State game will be a barnburner.
 
Everything else went according to form and it wasn’t pretty in a couple of cases. As for the AQ standings? Not so good. Two lopsided losses have left the MW 1-4 vs. AQ schools so far with two more shots this week.
 
After getting five out of six last week and combined with a 7-0 start, we sit at 12-1 on the not-as-tough-as-they-will-get-later early season picks. On to Week Three.
 
Game of the Week:  Colorado State (2-0) vs. Colorado (0-2) in Denver
(vs. AQ game #6)
 
CSU has started the season with a Conference win on the road and a comfortable win in their home opener over an overmatched FCS team. So it’s all good so far, right?
 
Maybe not.
 
Losing their best player, linebacker Mychal Sisson, to a broken ankle (why was he in the game blocking on a punt return?) leaves a big hole in the defense. Next man up? The depth behind him is very young, so we’ll see how that goes. And Rams fans should still have big time concerns about QB Pete Thomas. He’s a big kid with a strong arm but all we’ve seen from him so far is a lot of soft tossing. In baseball terms, he’s thrown the ball like a finesse pitcher and not a power pitcher. It worked against Northern Colorado; it’s not going to work against teams with more talent and speed like the University of Colorado.
 
The Rams are 2-0 and should be able to make their way to the bowl game that head coach Steve Fairchild set as a goal for the season. But they have not been overly impressive in either of their wins, and even though Colorado comes in 0-2, it’s the Buffs under first year coach Jon Embree that look like the stronger football team when you put it to the eyeball test. No one expected them to be passing the ball this well.
 
Colorado is an undisciplined group and far from a smooth operation right now, and if they go Oakland Raiders again and play out of control, they could roll up another dozen penalties behind a bunch more mistakes. That could keep the game close. But after playing Cal very tough, CU looks to have made more progress thus far than CSU.
 
My heart tells me one thing, but I trust my eyes more.
 
Colorado 37, Colorado State 13
 
Boise State (1-0) at Toledo (1-1)
 
A second cross country flight for these Broncos did not originally appear that daunting until the surprising Rockets threw a scare into Ohio State last week in Columbus. Now, Kellen Moore and Co find themselves in the unusual position of having to make another eastern trip but playing a game that everyone thinks they should win easily. It’s a different kind of pressure, but pressure nonetheless.
 
Toledo is a good football team. They’re going to win a lot of games and play in the post season. But with Moore calling signals, you still have to like the Broncos chances of beating the Rockets a little more soundly than the Buckeyes did. Another chance for much-needed style points.
 
Boise State 33, Toledo 17
 
Texas Tech (2-0) at New Mexico (0-2) (vs. AQ game #7)
 
It’s possible to be improved and still be winless after two games. Unfortunately, the Lobos are going to be better sand still be winless after this one, too. It does get a little easier for Mike Locksley the following week, but just a little.
 
Texas Tech 42, New Mexico 21
 
Washington State (2-0) at San Diego State (2-0) (vs. AQ game #8)
 
Break up the Cougars! One of the worst teams in America over the last half dozen seasons has started the season with a bang. They travel south and will put up a test against an Aztec team that has to guard against looking ahead to the next week. A tougher game than originally thought against a Pac 12 team that has scored a lot of points already.
 
SDSU 31, Washington State 24
 
Louisiana-Monroe (1-1) at TCU (1-1)
 
Ah, to be a Warhawk. You open with Florida State then pick up a nice win over Grambling, and now it’s TCU and Iowa back-to-back. Ouch.
 
If the Air Force game was any true indication, it only took this new Frog team one week to jell. Casey Pachall already looks like the real deal. The running game clicked in Colorado Springs and the defense is back on the beam.
 
Watch out, world.
 
TCU 46, Louisiana-Monroe 16
 
Hawaii (1-1) at UNLV (0-2)
 
Next year, this will be a Conference game. For now, UNLV is probably glad it’s not. Hawaii looked pretty good in beating Colorado in the opener on the Island but did not play very well on defense in a loss at Washington last week. They can score some points and QB Bryant Moniz will put up some huge passing numbers. However, can they stop anyone? Unfortunately, UNLV has been stopped a lot already.
 
This is another Mainland game and maybe that’s what the Rebels need, but it might not be enough.
 
Hawaii 33, UNLV 23
 
Wyoming (2-0) at Bowling Green (2-0)
 
Wyoming remains on script after beating a couple lesser foes to start the season. It’s been a big plus for the program to get freshman QB Brett Smith acclimated to the college game. Now comes the first real test.
 
Bowling Green comes in unbeaten having already come west to win at Idaho then put a beat down on Morgan State. The Cowboys have better players than both, but how will they respond on the road? Both offenses have clicked already and are among the top units statistically in the country. Could be a shootout.
 
Of course, next week it gets much tougher for the Pokes, but what could be better than going into a home game with Nebraska undefeated?
 
Wyoming 37, Bowling Green 34
See all of Mark Knudson's blog entries HERE.