No. 16 TCU looks for 17th consecutive home-opening win

Published

Southern University (7-4 last season) at No. 16 TCU (11-3), noon ET (FSN).

Line: None.

Series record: First meeting.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

TCU is looking to win its 17th consecutive home opener. This is the third time in seven seasons the Horned Frogs will open against a Southwestern Athletic Conference team. They had lopsided shutout victories against the last two, beating Jackson State 63-0 last year and Grambling State 56-0 in their 2012 opener.

KEY MATCHUP

TCU speedy receivers against Southern secondary. Senior all-purpose threat KaVontae Turpin and sophomore Jalen Reagor head up the pass catches for TCU. The Jaguars have defensive backs Montavius Gaines (52 tackles, two interceptions) and Demerio Houston (26 tackles, 16 passes defended).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Southern: Sophomore QB John Lampley emerged from a three-player competition to be the starter. The 6-foot-2 Lampley will make his first career start.

TCU: QB Shawn Robinson. The sophomore dual-threat won his only start last season against Texas Tech when filling in for a banged-up Kenny Hill. Robinson now takes over as the starter with Hill working as a student-coach after the end of his playing career.

FACTS & FIGURES

Gary Patterson's 17 seasons as the Horned Frogs coach are more than the combined tenures of the 11 other FBS head coaches in the state of Texas. ... DE Ben Banogu is the preseason Big 12 defensive player of the year. The senior had 16½ tackles for loss last season, his first at TCU after transferring from Louisiana-Monroe. ... TCU will celebrate Davey Day on Saturday, commemorating the 80th anniversary of quarterback Davey O'Brien winning the Heisman Trophy in 1938. That is the season the Frogs won their only AP national championship. ... Two of TCU's three losses last season were to Big 12 champion Oklahoma, including in the league's championship game.