TCU News: “You can’t turn a blind eye to the running game.”

Football:

He’s not a household name, but this TCU player among ‘most valuable’ for Frogs in 2019 | The Star-Telegram

Demercado is the Frogs’ swiss army knife.

“Our running backs are really talented,” Cumbie said. “Emari Demercado came on late last year and had a really good spring. He’s a guy who not many people talk about, but he’s a key to that equation.”

The Frogs ranked seventh among Big 12 schools in rushing offense last season, averaging 156.6 yards a game, but would like to see that improve behind a solid offensive line and talented backs such as Anderson, Olonilua and Demercado.

“You can’t turn a blind eye to the running game,” Cumbie said. “When you’re trying to sift through a little bit who the quarterback is going to be, who do you lean on and who are the most experienced and better players you have on your offense? I think you probably try to lean on those guys early on until the quarterback situation comes stable.”

The PFF Preseason 2019 All-American and All-Conference teams | Pro Football Focus

Gladney is the Frogs’ only representative on the team.

CB

Jeff Gladney, TCU

As stout a Big 12 cornerback as anyone will find this season, Gladney was targeted a whopping 71 times a year ago. He allowed just 27 of those to be caught in a breakout year last season.

24. TCU Horned Frogs | Tuscon.com

Well, at least one organization believes in TCU.

Why they’re here: The lasting image many have of TCU football is the turnover-filled Cheez-It Bowl against Cal. In a lot of ways, it was representative of the 2018 Horned Frogs: mediocre on offense, stout on defense. QB questions – including a lower-body injury of unknown severity to projected starter Mike Collins that happened after the AP ballots were due – remain a concern.

TCU Football: If healthy, Horned Frogs will contend for 2019 Big 12 title | Saturday Blitz

They aren’t fully accurate in who does what, here, but there’s a good argument for a good season.

The defense, although inexperienced in spots, is really talented. The pieces on that side of the ball look like a standard Gary Patterson defense.

The schedule is manageable. It would awesome if every conference played a round-robin schedule like the Big 12 does. It’s difficult to figure out the middle of the conference after Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa State.

Prediction: 9-3, 6-3 Big 12

The ‘Frogs could find themselves undefeated going to Ames for a showdown against the Cyclones if they can get past Purdue in West Lafayette. This prediction 100 percent hinge on Patterson and co-offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie figuring out who’s playing quarterback.