Patterson hopeful for a pass rush resurrection with return of Lathan

For the first time this season, TCU coach Gary Patterson is hopeful of having two major pass rushers in the lineup together.

Defensive end Terrell Lathan could be ready to go for Saturday's game against Texas, joining defensive tackle Davion Pierson. Lathan left the SMU game with an apparent shoulder injury and did not play against Texas Tech. Pierson made his season debut on Saturday in the wild 55-52 win at Tech after missing with the first three games with lingering concussion effects.

"We’ve got a chance to get some guys back this week,” Patterson told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “If we can get Lathan back, get some guys healthy, that will help us.”

Lathan and Pierson combined for nine sacks last season, but have yet to play together in 2015.

The injury-ravaged TCU defense will need to as many reinforcements as possible with Texas coming to Fort Worth on Saturday. The No. 4 Horned Frogs continue to have their sights set on a College Football Playoff berth and will need to shut down the Longhorns' upstart offense led by first-year starting quarterback Jerrod Heard, who will be making something of a homecoming. Heard went to Denton Guyer High School, located about 45 miles north of the TCU campus.

"Pierson wasn’t in as good a shape as we need to be,” Patterson said. “He’ll be a lot better player next week, kind of like [receiver] Josh Doctson was at the beginning of the year when he had his hamstring through two-a-days — he and Aaron Green both didn’t practice much during two-a-days, and every week they’ve gotten better. Same thing is going to happen with Davion Pierson. If we get Lathan back, Lathan gives us another pass rusher that we need."