TCU News: Hogs Feeling Confident on the Eve of Big Matchup

Football:

Opponent Q&A: How Much Better Has TCU Gotten? | Arkansas Fight

Jamie sat down with the Hogs’ SB Nation site to talk tomorrow’s matchup.

Last year TCU was 4-1 on the road. Granted, two of those were SMU and Kansas, but how confident are TCU fans about their team being able to play well outside of Fort Worth?

Plunkett: The Frogs have historically been a pretty good road team. They're 21-14 on the road against P5 teams all-time under Patterson (which includes 12 seasons of being non-AQ), and they're 18-9 (total) on the road since joining the Big 12. Patterson has this ability to motivate guys when it seems like the odds are stacked against them. There's no doubt he's fueling that fire for Saturday, along with reminding these kids about last year's game, which they feel they let slip away.

TCU's Kenny Hill eager to make most of final opportunity | ESPN

The more mature Hill’s early returns are very positive. But, it’s early.

"I wasn't ready for it [success] yet," Hill said. "I wasn't mature enough yet. I thought I was; I wasn't. I've grown up now and I see ..." Hill pauses and laughs and says with a smile, "Man, I was dumb back then. I was young and dumb, man."

Off the field, that's no longer the case. Hill said he's learned the benefits of staying home ("there's always another party") and that he doesn't have to win respect from teammates by going out with them ("you win your teammates over in the weight room, on the field"). While teammates might joke around once in a while by invoking the "Trill" moniker, there are no more nicknames either.

"I'm just Kenny Hill Jr.," he said. "That's it, same name as my dad."

McTelvin Agim: Hogs must get back to basics against TCU | SEC Country

Arkansas’ game plan for TCU: stay in yo lane.

It’s a curious game of cat and mouse that Arkansas’ defensive fronts will have to play against mobile quarterbacks such as Hill. Come at him too hard, and he will zip out of the pocket, maybe with a linebacker and the safeties to beat. That’s what Hill did last year on his way to 93 yards and 2 touchdowns on 15 carries.

Of course, if Arkansas doesn’t come at him with enough, he can stand around with all day to throw. Meantime, first-year defensive line coach John Scott Jr. said his group cannot get sidetracked by red herrings.

“[Against] TCU you’ve got to be locked in,” Scott said. “They’re the same TCU offensively that I remember that we played when I [served as defensive line coach at Texas Tech]. They do present some unique challenges. They give you a lot of flash that can distract your eyes from what’s really happening.”

Analytics site predicts margin of victory for key Week 2 SEC matchups | Saturday Down South

I can’t wait to see that 0.1 point conversion attempt late in the game :/

TCU will beat Arkansas by 0.1 on the road. Arkansas has a 50% chance of beating TCU.

FEATURED: Mat Boesen | www.gofrogs.com

A really good in-depth look at the Frogs’ long-haired pass rushing specialist from the West Side. Be careful on that longboard, though, brah.

In high school, wrestling helped him a lot as it translated to the football field and his position specifically. It taught him that he may not be the biggest guy on the field, but his speed and leverage has helped him get to where he is today.

One of Boesen’s trademarks is his long hair, which is also where some of his iconic nicknames come from. When asked the reasoning for this style, Boesen admits he just decided to grow it out in high school and has had it ever since. However, his decision to grow it out was inspired by Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, whom he looks up to as a player.

You may find Boesen riding his longboard around campus to keep California habits here in Texas, possibly with some cornrows or a different style to mix things up with his signature flow. If it’s before a game, though, he has some different rituals. These include listening to music as well as sitting at his locker, closing his eyes, and visualizing plays in his head before they happen. As far as music goes, he likes it all, but a pregame playlist usually consists of heavy rap to get him in that knockout mentality, as well as some electronic dance music to get him pumped up.