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TCU News: “He’s a great football player and I’m just so glad he’s at TCU.”

A veteran presence in the wide receiver room is paying dividends.

Links Be Informed Blood

Football:

Iowa State visits unsettled TCU for Frogs’ opener | ESPN

Unsettled? Seems a bit harsh.

No matter who takes the snaps, the quarterback will have another talented target. Patterson has big plans for wide receiver and Nebraska transfer JD Speilman.

“Number one, I think he has a chance to be our starting punt returner; he’s a good specialist,” Patterson said. “He gives us a lot more flexibility to go to more personnel groups. He loves playing the game. He’s a very positive person. ... He’s been a great addition to the TCU Horned Frogs — it’s been a lot of fun for us to have him.”

The Horned Frogs didn’t have much fun playing Big 12 opponent Iowa State last season. The Cyclones rolled to a 49-24 victory behind a stellar performance from quarterback Brock Purdy, who completed 19-of-24 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 102 yards and two more scores.

TCU vs. Iowa State: Preview and Prediction | Heartland College Sports

HCS thinks TCU will fall — and while they have good reasons, we can all admit they’re wrong, right? ;)

TCU HORNED FROGS

Where are the points coming from? That’s the same question that it’s been for TCU the last couple of seasons. It’s the offense that has kept this program mired in mediocrity the last couple of seasons. They’ve lost a ton of close games that their defense has kept them in, but they just haven’t been able to get over the hump. The quarterback is obviously a place to keep an eye on, but also the backfield includes a junior in Emari Demercado, but then a trio of freshman backs with a lot of potential in Zach Evans, TCU’s first five-star signee in program history, Daimarqua Foster, the No. 7 back from the 2019 class who is now a redshirt freshman, plus Darwin Barlow, another four-star from 2019 who was the No. 4 RB in Texas.

TCU WR Taye Barber ready to get season started | Horned Frog Blitz

Taye Barber was the first player to get the podium for TCU.

How much difference have you seen with Doug Meacham calling the plays; how would you assess that change?

“I can say we’ve been more aggressive. We’ve got a lot more play calls and a lot more routes we can run. We’re more versatile. We’ve got a lot of good minds in the offensive staff room and I can’t wait to see what they got together.”

What have you guys learned about Downing?

“He’s got confidence. Like I said, no matter who is back there it’s not going to make a difference. We all prepare the same and we all got each other’s back. It doesn’t matter who is back there.”

What has it been like working with JD Spielman?

“It’s been great; he ups everybody’s game with what he does at practice. He’s a great football player and I’m just so glad he’s at TCU. We can do so many more things on offense with him on our team.”

College football picks (Week 4): Predictions for Texas A&M, Baylor and TCU’s openers, plus UT-Texas Tech and more | Dallas Morning News

How does one of the local papers expect the Frogs to do?

Three different area schools will be making their season debuts this weekend: Baylor, TCU and Texas A&M. Only the Aggies were slotted to actually start this week. Both Baylor and TCU were supposed to already have a non-conference game under their belts by this point of September, but both schools had games postponed because of COVID-19 issues.

Among this week’s big games: Texas Tech will host Texas in the first in-state vs. in-state matchup between a pair of Power 5 Texas schools this fall. The three aforementioned in-state schools making their season debuts will all be doing so from home, with TCU’s battle against Iowa State having one of the smallest spreads of all games this weekend (2.5 points). And there is a big wave of games from SEC country as all 14 schools from that conference begin their seasons this weekend.

Around Campus:

California wildfires and their impact on TCU students | TCU 360

This story is from last week, but as a California native, and someone whose family is being impacted by these fires, I want more people to know what’s going on out west.

In California, wildfires have burned more than 3 million acres so far, an area larger than the state of Connecticut. One of the fires burned over 400,000 acres, the largest in California’s history.

There are more than 1,300 TCU students from California. Many of their families are now dealing with the wildfires.

McKenzie Mock, a senior nursing major from Marian County, said her parents own their own coffee shop. Business has been difficult, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, since no one wants to leave their house, Mock said.