Steady play of QB Dalton leads fourth-ranked Frogs
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP)—Andy Dalton’s penchant for producing big plays isn’t confined to the field.
Along with rolling up wins for No. 4 TCU, the junior quarterback also rescues dogs in distress. This has simply been that type of charmed season for Dalton and the Horned Frogs.
TCU is 11-0 for the first time since 1938 after a 45-10 win over Wyoming on Saturday that gave the Frogs at least a share of the Mountain West Conference title and kept them in the hunt for a BCS bowl.
TCU wraps up the regular season next weekend against New Mexico, which edged Colorado State on Saturday for its first win of the season. Provided the Frogs beat the Lobos, they can sit back and wait to see if their work was enough.
“(We) see what’s ahead of us,” said Dalton, whose team remained at No. 4 in The Associated Press poll released Sunday. “If we win next week, we get a shot at a big bowl. It’s motivation for us. We’re trying to play our best each week. Hopefully, we’ll impress someone.”
Dalton certainly impressed a runner out for a jog with her dog. While driving down the road a few months back, a woman frantically waved him over after her dog had fallen ill.
Dalton then did what he does best—engineered a crucial drive.
“She said, ‘My dog has passed out and isn’t moving, please take me to my car,”’ Dalton recalled. “I told her, ‘Put your dog in my car and I can take you.’ I gave them some water and got the dog in the car.”
Just like he’s been doing all season, Dalton came through under pressure.
The red-haired signal caller out of Katy, Texas, has the Frogs marching to his steady beat. Over the last six games, he’s thrown 12 touchdown passes and just two picks.
The calmly confident Dalton also is approaching legendary company. With 28 career wins, he’s one shy of matching the school record that Slingin’ Sammy Baugh set from 1934-36.
“It’s pretty cool to be considered with a guy like that,” said Dalton, who became the starter as a redshirt freshman in 2007.
For all the wins, though, he’s almost an afterthought in the Heisman Trophy race. It’s a notion that TCU coach Gary Patterson understands quite well since his team is in the same boat.
“It’s because it started too late. It’s like being ranked. If you want a chance to be in the top 10, you have to start higher and Andy Dalton didn’t start very high,” Patterson said. “I think he will be a guy people will pay attention to. All he’s ever done is win.”
All those wins have cost Dalton some hair, though. He told his teammates over the summer that if the Frogs won 10 straight, he’d shave his locks into a faux Mohawk.
Keeping his word, Dalton went to receiver Jeremy Kerley’s barber to get his tresses trimmed late last week, allowing the stylist to have free reign over Dalton’s hair. The next thing Dalton knew, he had “TCU” carved into the side of his head.
“I guess I lost a bet,” Dalton said, “but it was a good bet to lose.”
Now, he’s hoping the Frogs can earn a crack at one of the big boys on the block in a big-money bowl. But that’s out of his control.
“It’s all speculation who will go and then who should go. Each team thinks they should have the shot,” Dalton said. “We’re trying to play the best we can each week and hopefully we’re impressing some people as we do it.”
Dalton was consistent through the air against Wyoming, finishing 10-of-19 for 168 yards and a 45-yard TD strike to Kerley. He also threw an interception on a tipped pass.
Even more, he displayed another part of his game—his running ability. When the Cowboys left the middle of the field open, Dalton took off through the line and finished with a season-high 88 yards rushing.
“It seemed to work for us,” Dalton casually said.
These days, pretty much everything is working for a team that boasts a high-powered offense to match their dominating defense. The Frogs gained more than 500 yards of offense for the fourth straight week, with the running game doing most of the damage against Wyoming. Matthew Tucker and Joseph Turner each scored two touchdowns and combined for 200 yards on the ground.
“I’m glad to see everything’s clicking,” Dalton said. “For these seniors, for this program, for this school, it’s been a lot of fun this whole year.”
