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Falcons have big challenge with Horned Frogs

TCU run defense has been tough to crack all season

By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 20, 2008 at 8:12 p.m.

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Texas Christian linebacker Robert Henson and the rest of the Horned Frogs defense have been stout all season. TCU is allowing only 39.5 rushing yards a game and 220 overall.

Photo by Douglas C. Pizac / Associated Press

Texas Christian linebacker Robert Henson and the rest of the Horned Frogs defense have been stout all season. TCU is allowing only 39.5 rushing yards a game and 220 overall.

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No team this season has been able to run the football effectively against Texas Christian's brilliant defense.

That's the challenge Air Force faces Saturday (1:30 p.m., Versus), when the bowl-bound teams meet in a Mountain West Conference finale.

TCU has the No. 1 rushing defense and total defense in Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A). Air Force's rushing offense ranks fourth.

Something has to give.

"We have to play ball," Air Force junior offensive guard Nick Charles said. "We have to be able to go out there and challenge them on the ground. We have to just go out there and play our game."

The question is whether that will be good enough against a defense that has been stingy against Oklahoma, Utah and Brigham Young.

TCU is allowing 39.5 rushing yards a game and 220 overall.

"As an offensive line, we like challenges," Charles said. "It's kind of bred into us. In order to move the ball, you have to control the line of scrimmage. You can't be productive if there are people in the quarterback's face, if there's penetration in the backfield. That's something we try to prevent."

Not even No. 8 Utah or No. 16 BYU has been able to control the line of scrimmage and gain many yards against the Horned Frogs. No. 5 Oklahoma gained the most yards (436) against TCU this season, but only 35 came on the ground in a 35-10 win.

"They have a great defensive line, and it opens up space for the linebackers to make plays," Charles said. "We have to go out there, play our game and be technically sound and fly off the ball."

TCU (9-2, 6-1) still has a chance to share the conference championship with a win against the Falcons.

"They have been completely dominant in all nine of their victories," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. "There's no doubt this is one of the top teams in the country."

Air Force (8-3, 5-2) has locked up one of the conference's four bowl berths but wants to finish the regular season strong in a game that has a special meaning for Charles.

"I was born and raised in San Antonio," he said. "I have friends and family who will be going to the game. I have some friends who haven't seen me play yet. That is an opportunity itself to go out there and get it done."

bentonj@RockyMountainNews.com