TCU matchup with South Dakota State offers intriguing subplots

TCU vs. South Dakota State

When, where: 7 p.m. Saturday, Among G. Carter Stadium

TV: FSSW

TCU, the top-ranked college football team from Texas in the preseason polls, begins its quest for a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth with Saturday’s opener against South Dakota State.

The Horned Frogs, who return 13 starters from an 11-2 team, are No. 13 in The Associated Press poll. South Dakota State, the No. 8 team in the FCS preseason rankings, finished 8-4 last season and fell to Montana, 24-17, in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

Where they are similar: South Dakota State coach John Stiegelmeier is one of the few men in college football who has overseen his program longer than TCU counterpart Gary Patterson. Stiegelmeier heads into his 20th season at the school with a record of 128-90, including a 12-7 mark in season openers. Patterson, heading into his 16th season, has a 143-47 record at TCU. He is 11-4 in season debuts. In addition, both schools posted victories over Kansas last season. SDSU won, 41-38, in its season opener in Lawrence, Kan. TCU defeated the Jayhawks 23-17 on Nov. 14 in Fort Worth.

Where they are different: TCU, as an FBS program, has more scholarships to offer and draws more heralded recruits. The Horned Frogs’ roster also is heavy on Texans, with 80 players who played high school football in the Lone Star State. South Dakota State has no player from Texas on this year’s roster but does have two players from Alaska (OL Justin Moore, LB Thomas Hopp).

Notable debuts: TCU quarterback Kenny Hill, a transfer from Texas A&M, will be making his first career start for the Horned Frogs. Hill, a junior from Southlake Carroll, threw for 2,649 yards and 23 touchdowns in eight games as the Aggies’ starter in 2014. SDSU quarterback Taryn Christion, a sophomore, begins his first full season as the Jackrabbits’ starter. Christion, who posted a 3-1 record as a starter last year, won the starting job in fall drills.

Trends: TCU enters with a 13-game home winning streak, trailing only Florida State (21) and Clemson (16) among Power 5 programs. The Horned Frogs have won 14 consecutive home openers under Patterson, with the lone loss coming in 2001 to Northwestern (La.) State, an FCS school. South Dakota State is 4-6 in its last 10 openers, including a 1-3 mark against FBS opponents. The lone victory over an FBS foe came in last year’s opener at Kansas.

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This story was originally published August 31, 2016 at 1:05 PM with the headline "TCU matchup with South Dakota State offers intriguing subplots."