Star-Telegram.com: Sports

TCU’s Ryan Christian just happy to contribute

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:13 CST

By STEFAN STEVENSON

No matter how many times a player says the right thing when logic calls for brutal honesty and no matter how many times an athlete puts on a good face when they’ve been stripped of playing time, you know deep down they are burning inside. Top-notch athletes want to play. TCU wide receiver Ryan Christian is no different in this regard. But during a season in which his playing time has decreased and his opportunities limited, Christian, a senior facing the final two months of his career, has remained a team player to his core. Christian and the rest of his senior teammates will play their second-to-last home game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, when the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs (9-0, 5-0 Mountain West Conference) take on No. 16 Utah (8-1, 5-0) at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

After being an integral part of the offense in 2008 when he was third in all-purpose yardage, Christian has often found himself on the sidelines this year, watching as a younger crop of receivers and running backs have become the focus of the Frogs’ offense. But he hasn’t just been on the sideline. He’s been a vociferous cheerleader for his teammates.

Before Christian led the Frogs with 106 yards receiving and two touchdowns against San Diego State last week, he had almost been an afterthought in the midst of TCU’s record-breaking year offensively.

He came into last week’s game with nine catches for 57 yards and 69 yards rushing on 13 carries. A far cry from last year when after eight games he had rushed 67 times for 302 yards — including three touchdowns — and caught 10 passes for 95 yards.

After his big day in San Diego, where he caught touchdowns of 44 and 29 yards, he was gracious about his role on the team. He said the right things. And with Christian, you believe it.

"It felt good to finally get back and get a touchdown again, but I have to give all the credit to the line," Christian said after the game Saturday. "If they don’t do their job, the running backs don’t do their job and Andy [Dalton] doesn’t do his job, I don’t get the ball. It’s a combination of everybody on the team."

There was no "it’s about time" attitude from Christian after the game. He was matter of fact and just happy to be part of a win. Christian showed the class and team-first ethic, something this Frogs team has in spades.

"No one is selfish," Christian said. "Everyone wants to do their part, and it doesn’t matter who gets the ball more. I think that’s what’s got us this far and everyone is looking out for everyone else, not themselves."

Such players include Jimmy Young, who led the team in receiving last season but has seen his touches diminish as Dalton has spread the ball around. Senior running back Joseph Turner has split time with two freshmen in the backfield all season but has encouraged them to excel.

It’s cliche, but true: These players put the team before themselves. And no one personifies this more than Christian, who looks and sounds like Matthew McConaughey’s character Wooderson in the movie Dazed and Confused. He likes to skateboard to class and wears a pink wristband for breast cancer awareness. He’s laid-back, confident and cool. He grew up loving rocks, so he majors in geology.

"He’s highly competitive, but he’s got kind of a Cali feel to him ... in Texas," coach Gary Patterson said.

Christian, who redshirted his freshman year in 2005, says he’s never played on a closer team.

"Our chemistry with each other is nothing like I’ve seen since I’ve been here," he said. "We’re a really close, tight-knit group. It’s really cool."

A concussion early in the SMU game Oct. 3 — Christian’s fifth since he started playing football in Aledo — is one explanation for his lack of production. He missed the next game at Air Force and was used sparingly against Colorado State and BYU before getting the ball four times for 33 yards against UNLV.

"He’s always been such a selfless person," said his mother Jodi Christian, who is the TCU women’s basketball team’s administrative assistant.

"Ryan’s never met a stranger he didn’t like. I have not heard him once ever say he didn’t like someone or even say a bad word about somebody."

Before a home game earlier this year, Christian spotted a man with a baby in the front row of the bleachers near the team’s tunnel. When most players are on the verge of combusting just before kickoff, Christian was making faces and talking to the infant. At Yogi’s Bagel Shop he listed his name as Optimist Prime and waited for the cashier to call out the name several times before picking up his food. And he was 5 years old before he realized he should call his parents mom and dad instead of by their first names. He is, in a word, quirky.

"I’m a real laid-back guy, until it comes to test-taking time," he admits. Christian says the Frogs team, in general, is low-key.

"No one is uptight. Everyone is relaxed. I guess we’re just confident," he said. "I’m just glad I had the opportunity to play here."

The Ryan Christian file Pos: WR Class: Senior Major: Geology

Ownership issue puts Rangers in tough spot

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:42 CST

By JEFF WILSON

CHICAGO — A baseball official has joked this week at the general managers’ meetings that the No. 1 thing the Texas Rangers are trying to find this off-season is an owner.

But seriously, folks, the Rangers want to find a middle-of-the-order bat, preferably a right-handed one, and some bullpen help.

But, seriously, the sale of the club and the prospect of having a new owner in place this off-season might affect how effectively the Rangers are able to fill out their 2010 wish list.

Final bids from three potential owners are due this month, but a transfer of ownership from Hicks Sports Group to Jim Crane, Dennis Gilbert or Chuck Greenberg might not be completed until January.

Or later.

However, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Tuesday that the team will be conducting business as it has in the past. That means decisions on player acquisitions will continue to require the approval of Tom Hicks until the sale is completed.

"Right now we’re going to operate status quo," Daniels said. "Any time there’s a change in leadership, there’s a potential for some other change.

"But Tom is committed to our plan, and to the degree I’ve had dialogue with the three potential owners, they all have a similar sentiment."

While Daniels and other club officials have a game plan, the uncertainty surrounding the ownership could make signing free agents more difficult.

Agents here have wondered how much money the Rangers have to spend this off-season and don’t know how committed a new owner will be to their clients’ futures.

"In my job, you’ve got to have someone to talk to," agent Scott Boras said. "You have to know who to talk to, and you have to know what you’re talking about. So, knowing the parties and if they know how to answer all the questions, I think that’s necessary."

The Rangers currently can negotiate only with free agents who were on the roster last season. But they can send out feelers about other players who have filed, and Daniels has detected a level of curiosity about the ownership.

Daniels has received positive feedback while hiring a new hitting coach and making additions to the front office.

He hopes the same enthusiasm from the additions will be shared by potential additions to the roster.

"We were able to make some hires," Daniels said. "People are excited about the opportunity here to leave other organizations because they believe in the personnel and the product on the field."

More on Bradley

The Rangers met with the Cubs about acquiring Milton Bradley, who has fallen out of favor in Chicago only a season after becoming a first-time All-Star in Arlington. But the Rangers won’t be able to take on Bradley unless the Cubs agree to pay at least half of the $20 million owed to him over the next two seasons.

Bradley, who led the American League in on-base percentage in 2008, isn’t available in the upcoming free-agent pool. He would be quite a bargain at $5 million a year if he were able to repeat his 2008 production, and his patience at the plate could have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the lineup.

"You can argue that type of a presence, that type of approach is contagious," Daniels said. "We missed that production, but we missed it from some of the other guys, too."

Replay not hot topic

Dallas Mavericks’ defense gets going after slow start to rout Houston

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:44 CST

By EDDIE SEFKO

DALLAS — It would be nice to say that coach Rick Carlisle was peeved with the defense in the first quarter and a half Tuesday night.

But for that to happen, there would have had to be some defense played by the Mavericks.

If ever they needed a crystal-clear illustration of what defense means to this team, it was on display as the Mavericks pulled together late in the first half, then smothered the Houston Rockets in the second for a 121-103 victory at American Airlines Center.

The Mavericks were invisible on the defensive end until a spirited finish to the first half.

After that, they clamped down hard on the Rockets, who out-everythinged the Mavericks early, but were manhandled late.

When Dirk Nowitzki swished a 3-pointer with 3:20 to go, the Mavericks had turned a 17-point first-half deficit into a 110-91 lead, improving to 5-2 on the young season heading into a tough back-to-back at San Antonio tonight.

It was amazing to see the defensive turnaround.

The Rockets were shooting nearly 60 percent with 3 minutes to go in the half. They were up by 17 in the second quarter and still had a 61-47 advantage when Carlisle was asking his starters to get the Mavericks back into the game midway through the second quarter.

And so they did. They held the Rockets to 0-for-5 shooting down the stretch with two turnovers and scored the final 10 points of the half.

J.J. Barea helped break things open in the third quarter with eight points, while the Rockets shot just 5-of-22 in the quarter.

The Rockets were absolutely snuffed until garbage time. From 3 minutes to go in the first half until 3:18 left in the game, they were 9-of-38 from the field.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, had their second consecutive solid offensive game, shooting well over 50 percent and spreading the wealth with six players in double figures.

Erick Dampier was huge with 20 rebounds to go with 14 points and no missed shots. Jason Terry had 24 off the bench and Nowitzki added 23.

All-Star doings

Jason Terry was thrilled to find out he was on the NBA All-Star ballot, released Tuesday at American Airlines Center.

It might be a long shot for a sixth man to make it to the game Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium, but Terry plans on being there no matter what.

"This is going to be special," Terry said as the ballot was unveiled. "I’ll announce the team. I’ll put on Champ’s uniform [Mavs’ mascot]. Whatever I have to do, but I will be in attendance participating."

Terry would seem like a natural to be in the 3-point contest as he not only shoots a lot of them, but makes a lot, too.

Terry, Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion are the Mavericks on the ballot for the Western Conference.

They were the first to fill out ceremonial ballots, along with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.

Green Bay Packers feel the heat as Dallas Cowboys head for Lambeau Field

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:37 CST

By JEFF CAPLAN

These are tough times for Cheeseheads.

First an emotional home loss to the hated Minnesota Vikings to give Brett Favre and his new purple teammates the season sweep, followed by a — gulp! — choke job at winless Tampa Bay.

Now 4-4 and their playoff hopes on life support, the Packers face another distasteful foe Sunday at Lambeau Field, and it just happens to be the rolling Dallas Cowboys, the second-hottest team in the NFC (behind unbeaten New Orleans).

Packers president Mark Murphy watched his club’s 38-28 flameout to the Buccaneers in person, but unlike the horde of perturbed Packers fans who want heads to roll, Murphy is taking a more measured approach.

"The loss [Sunday at Tampa Bay] was disappointing, and it was for us," Murphy told reporters. "Everybody in the organization felt it. I think we’ll bounce back. I’m hopeful and expect that we’ll make the changes that we need to end up having a successful season."

The Cowboys will certainly be wary of a few new wrinkles.

Pass rush kaput

The Packers could be without their most consistent pass rusher Sunday as outside linebacker Aaron Kampman deals with the fog of a concussion sustained Sunday in Tampa Bay.

Kampman, Green Bay’s second-leading tackler, told reporters Monday that he was having trouble with his vision and had a monster headache. He said he took a blow to the left side of his head on the fourth play of the game, but he played into the fourth quarter.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook missed Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, his second week sidelined after sustaining a concussion.

The Packers have one sack in the past two games and rank 29th in the league with only 13 overall.

In the Cowboys’ 27-16 win last season at Lambeau, it was Kampman providing the only real pressure on quarterback Tony Romo with 1.5 sacks and four of Green Bay’s seven quarterback pressures.

Pass rush coming

Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers can’t like the prospect of Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware coming after him.

Rodgers has spent a lot of time on his back side — Tampa Bay dumped him six times Sunday. The Packers have given up a league-high 37 sacks, seven more than Kansas City and 20 more than Dallas.

"Well, it has to stop," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after the demoralizing Tampa loss. "You can’t sit here and keep taking sacks."

Injuries have added to the problem on the offensive line. The movement will likely continue this week with rookie T.J. Lang possibly getting the start at right tackle after Mark Tauscher re-injured his knee in his first start at right tackle at Tampa Bay.

It’s doubtful the Packers will go back to Allen Barbre, who started on the right side in the first seven games, but struggled in pass protection.

"We’ll look at all of our options. I am not committed to a starting five today," McCarthy said Monday at his news conference. "It’s unfortunate that we strive for continuity, building a starting five with the offensive line. We haven’t been able to accomplish that."

(Not so) special teams

TCU has gotten the hang of Patterson’s rugged defense

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:13 CST

GIL LeBRETON

This just in from the TCU zoology department:

"When cornered or frightened, horned frogs can squirt a fine, four-foot stream of blood from their eyes."

Of course, if you’ve been watching the new Nike TV commercials, you already knew that.

Maybe you saw the TCU Horned Frogs squirt blood from their eyes when they were forced to make a fourth-quarter stand in a driving rainstorm at Clemson.

Or maybe that was blood shooting from the Frogs’ eyes when the field was shrouded in fog and frost at Air Force.

Or maybe you saw what happened three weeks ago, when the TCU defense shot eyeball blood at BYU on the first series — and the Cougars never recovered.

I think it was eyeball blood, at least. The way the Frogs defense has been playing, there has to be something.

The horned frog, phrynosoma cornutum, the official state reptile of Texas (so named in 1992), is about to get its 15 minutes of Andy Warhol fame.

The new Nike-designed helmets that will be used for Saturday’s game against Utah have a pair of thin, blood-red stripes running from the forehead.

It begs the question, why didn’t head coach Gary Patterson think of it first?

Patterson coaches like a guy who would spit a four-foot stream of blood, if he had to. And his defenses play the same way.

In this age of college football where five-receiver sets and spread offenses have become the norm, TCU is trying to do it the old-fashioned way, with smothering, blood-shooting defense.

Consider the company that the Frogs are endeavoring to keep:

The face of the Texas Longhorns, without question, is the Opie smile of quarterback Colt McCoy.

Alabama? The grimacing Nick Saban.

Boise State? Trick plays.

Florida? That stupid Gator Chomp sign.

And for TCU, the iconic image has become Patterson’s defense.

In six of the nine seasons that Patterson has been the head coach, the Frogs defense has allowed less than 19 points per game. In all but one of those seasons, opponents have rushed for an average of less than 108 yards per game.

Four of his nine TCU defenses, including the current one, have ranked in the top three in the nation in fewest yards allowed.

Harbaugh apologizes to Jerry Jones for comment

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:06 CST

By CLARENCE E. HILL JR.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh created a stir last week with his quote about the Cowboys standing "for everything that is wrong with the NFL" in an excerpt from the book Game Changers: The 50 Greatest Plays in Philadelphia Eagles Football History.

Harbaugh called Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Saturday and apologized, Jones said on his radio show Tuesday.

Jones was understanding and accepted the apology.

"I was able to be a little bit forgiving," Jones said. "In 20 years, I know firsthand, I’ve had my foot in my mouth plenty of times."

Mr. November

While Tony Romo’s struggles in December have been well chronicled, it’s worth noting that Romo is perfect in November.

He has 13 starts and 13 wins during November since being named the starter in 2006. That includes a 35-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 116.5 passer rating. He has seven career 300-yard games in November. The Cowboys have three more games this November — at Green Bay on Sunday, at home Nov. 22 against Washington and at home against Oakland on Thanksgiving.

A perfect rest of the month would extend the Cowboys’ winning streak to seven and take them into December with a 9-2 mark.

December angst

Bradie James said the Cowboys proved something to themselves and to everyone else in a 20-16 victory against Philadelphia. They showed they could beat a good team in a tough game on the road. They proved they could handle the pressure of the moment and not melt in crunch time.

And while James knows the Cowboys will have to prove themselves all over again in the crucial month of December, he said the victory could be an indication that things will be different this year. The Cowboys have not had a winning record in December since 1996. They are 17-29 in December since 1999. They are 5-8 in December since Tony Romo took over as quarterback in 2006.

"It’s important no matter what, whether it’s December or in the week," James said. "We will always have that December cloud over our head, and when we get to December, this game was kind of like a foreshadowing for me for December because you know if we wouldn’t have gone in and beat Philly, then the December cloud always looms in the back of your mind, so we knew we had to just go out there [and win]."

Healthy message

Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten visited Akin Elementary in Wylie on Tuesday where he spoke to students about the importance of good health and led kids in fitness activities.

The visit was part of the NFL’s PLAY 60 campaign that helps youths get 60 minutes of exercise a day.

Witten picked up fourth-grader Trent Beamer and his sister, Brianna, in a limo and rode with them to school.

Philly win was sweet

The Cowboys said all the right things about the Philadelphia game last week.

It was about this year and not about last year. It wasn’t about redemption for the 44-6 shellacking in the 2008 season finale but trying to win now and take control of the NFC East.

Now that the game is over and the Cowboys won, the truth is starting to come out.

National preview: While Kansas, Texas look good, several other teams will contend as well

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:21 CST

By DREW DAVISON

All signs point to the Big 12 taking home a lot of hardware at the end of the men’s college basketball season. Kansas and Texas are two of the odds-on favorites to win the national championship. Players such as Kansas’ Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, Oklahoma’s Willie Warren, Texas’ Avery Bradley and Iowa State’s Craig Brackins are All-America candidates.

But there are other leagues and players out there, too.

The SEC, for instance, wants to rebound from a below average year in which only three teams made the NCAA Tournament, especially with John Calipari taking over at Kentucky. The Big East, meanwhile, hopes it doesn’t regress with Villanova, West Virginia and Connecticut leading the way. It also boasts a national player of the year candidate in Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody. Michigan State is the best Big Ten team and hopes to make another Final Four run, while the ACC would simply be happy if ESPN is still at its beck-and-call come March. And, of course, all of the mid-major conferences are eyeing Cinderella’s glass slipper. Here’s a non-Big 12 look at this college basketball season:

National championship contenders

Michigan State: Last year’s runner-up returns a talented core, including guard Kalin Lucas and forwards Raymar Morgan and Delvon Roe.

Purdue: The Big Ten, surprisingly, has two legitimate title contenders. In his fifth year, Matt Painter has the Boilermakers in position to make a deep run with forwards Robbie Hummel and JaJuan Johnson, as well as junior guard E’Twaun Moore.

Kentucky: Yes, John Calipari might bring some baggage to Kentucky, but he also brings high-profile players. He landed the best prospect in the nation, guard John Wall, and the Wildcats return forward Patrick Patterson.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels lost their top four scorers, but Roy Williams doesn’t rebuild, he reloads. Four McDonald’s All-Americans lead the incoming freshman class, including forwards John Henson, David Wear and Travis Wear and guard Dexter Strickland.

West Virginia: Bob Huggins gave Kansas State a sniff of what it felt to be a basketball school. Now, in his third year leading the Mountaineers, Huggins has a Final Four-caliber team behind forwards Devin Ebanks, below, and Da’Sean Butler.

Mid-majors to watch

Butler: Last year, the Bulldogs went 26-6 and entered the tournament as a No. 9 seed. This year, Butler is even more potent, returning all five starters, including forwards Gordon Hayward, last year’s Horizon Player of the Year, and Matt Howard.

BYU: The Cougars are going for their fourth consecutive Mountain West Conference title and return senior guard/forward Jonathan Tavernari and junior guard Jimmer Fredette. The players will also have a heavy heart for coach Dave Rose, who was diagnosed with cancer this past summer.

Dayton: A year after advancing to the second round, the Flyers return four starters, including junior forward Chris Wright.

Siena: The Saints are quickly becoming a bracket buster, advancing to the second round of the NCAAs each of the past two seasons under Fran McCaffery.

Western Kentucky: Former Texas assistant Ken McDonald led the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Tournament in his first year, and the team returns senior guard A.J. Slaughter, the Sun Belt Player of the Year last year. Former Oklahoma forward Juan Pattillo transferred to WKU this off-season, too.

Buzzer-beaters

Last year, Arizona took a hit because of Brandon Jennings’ decision to play overseas in Europe. This year, Florida appears to be that team because it lost guard Nick Calathes to a Greek professional team.

Florida International hired former Detroit Pistons great Isiah Thomas to lead its program. Thomas failed miserably at running an NBA team (New York Knicks), but he appears to be on the right track in college, having already received commitments from highly touted prospects Phil Taylor (a point guard from Georgia) and Dominique Ferguson (a small forward from Indiana).

Another Isaiah Thomas (no relation) will impact the college basketball landscape, as well. Washington’s 5-8 sophomore guard averaged 15.5 points in leading the Huskies to the Pac-10 title last year.

Cal, which led the nation in 3-point percentage last year, is the favorite to win the Pac-10. The last time the Bears claimed that title was 50 years ago.

Forward James Neal is stepping up for Dallas Stars

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:56 CST

By MIKE HEIKA

FRISCO — There are a lot of No. 18s popping up on the backs of fans at American Airlines Center this season. But there are also a lot of No. 18s being circled in the locker rooms of opposing teams.

What that means is that second-year Stars winger James Neal is both a lot more popular with his fans and a lot more recognized by the opposition.

Neal returned to practice Tuesday after missing two games with a groin injury that was probably a result of his "popularity" with the Calgary Flames. Facing one of the biggest and most physical defenses in hockey last Wednesday, Neal was banged around as he tried to get in on the forecheck and tried to get to the front of the net. After the game, his groin felt the brunt of the physical play.

"That’s just part of what he’s going to have to deal with," Stars coach Marc Crawford said.

And Neal said he knows it. Just 22, Neal is a big (6-foot-2, 210 pound) winger who looks for contact himself, so he just naturally invites the ire of opposing defensemen.

Mix in the fact he has a team-leading nine goals through 15 games and plays on the Stars’ most successful line with Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson, and the opposition is pretty interested in ways to stop him.

"It’s something you have to be ready for," Neal said "I went through it in junior, and I never thought about it at this level, but yeah, when we played Nashville, you would see [Shea] Weber every shift, and when we played Calgary, it was [Jay] Bouwmeester or [Dion] Phaneuf every shift. You’re out there playing against big, tough guys, and it’s a challenge every night, and you have to be ready for it. I think if you’re confident in what you’re doing, you’ll be fine."

Neal is confident, but does he have to adjust his game to survive the physical abuse? Some targeted players have worn down over time. Some find a way to deftly avoid hits. Others move out of the danger zone and become less effective.

"I think he can give it pretty well, and he’s used to that type of game, so I don’t see him changing," Richards said. "If he wants to play a different type of game and not go to the net, then he probably wouldn’t have his nine goals. Unfortunately for your body sometimes, that’s just the way it goes."

That said, Neal will get smarter and more experienced.

It’s a process that has been followed by players throughout NHL history.

"I think that’s a compliment to him," Crawford said of the defending pressure. "People start to understand what you do well and they prepare for you better. Then, when you start to have success, you start to match up with the better people. So there’s always another step for every player.

"That next step is consistency of performance. That’s something I think James is becoming more and more positive with. And as he does that, I think you’re going to see him have success against even the better defensemen in the league."

TCU, Utah coaches pour on the praise

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:36 CST

By STEFAN STEVENSON

Let the compliment war begin.

Gary Patterson and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham took turns praising the other at their respective press conferences Tuesday.

Here’s a tit-for-tat dialogue between the two coaches and the respect they have for the other’s program as they prepare for the 6:30 pm. Saturday Mountain West Conference "Showdown in Cowtown," as Patterson referred to it Tuesday.

Whittingham on TCU: "Their roster is solid from top to bottom at every position. If you look at the stats, they are at or are near the top in all three phases of the game. Coach Patterson has done a great job assembling talent and I think they do a great job coaching them. There is no question that this is the best football team we have faced from them to this point."

Patterson on the series with Utah: "Every game we’ve played against Utah has been close. We understand the historic part of how many games they’ve won and how they’re coached. This year’s no different."

Whittingham on the TCU offense: "Their run game is the best in the conference if you look at yards per carry. Andy Dalton is a talented kid, he feels comfortable in the scheme and when the running game is in high gear, it opens up the throw game. Jeremy Kerley is a terrific returner and a good receiver. He is a dangerous guy and they did not have him last year for this game."

Patterson on Utah’s defense: "They’re big, physical and very fast. And they’re very aggressive. They come at you. They’re not going to give you anything. You’ve got to go take whatever you want. Like any other Kyle Whittingham defense they’re going to come hit you in the mouth."

Hughes a finalist

Jerry Hughes was named one of four finalists for the prestigious Rotary Lombardi Award on Tuesday. The TCU defensive end has 10.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. The other three finalists are Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody, Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The award will be presented to the winner during a ceremony Dec. 9 in Houston.

Key stat

6.5 The average point differential in the four games between TCU and Utah in Mountain West Conference play since 2005. TCU is 1-5 all-time against Utah.

Will call advice

With a sellout crowd converging on Amon G. Carter Stadium, Horned Frogs fans are strongly encouraged to pick up their will call tickets at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum ticket window early in the week. The will call window is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (an hour later this week), plus it will be open for the duration of Wednesday’s TCU women’s exhibition basketball game at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s basketball season opener at 7 p.m. Friday.

The will call window will open at 8 a.m. Saturday. Also, fans are encouraged to arrive at Amon G. Carter Stadium early for the 6:30 p.m. game Saturday to avoid long lines at the gates.

ONLINE: star-telegram.com/tcu

Dampier’s play should earn playing time

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:44 CST

It’s a non-issue, and don’t worry. As long as the Mavericks are winning, it won’t become an issue.

Not when it comes to splitting playing time between Erick Dampier and Drew Gooden.

But there’s a bigger picture that needs to be examined. The more games that Dampier continues to pile up numbers like Tuesday’s against Houston, the tougher it’s going to be to sit him.

That said, there’s no way the franchise allows Dampier to reach the minutes-threshold incentive that would trigger guaranteeing the final year of his seven-year contract at more than $13 million.

Ain’t gonna happen.

But imagine the uncomfortable situation if Dampier keeps rolling up numbers like the 14 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks (while going 6-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line) he had against the Rockets.

How can you not put that kind of production on the court when you really need it?

Dampier is not lacking motivation this season. He would tell you he never lacks motivation. But if he needed even more, he was left off the All-Star ballot, which was released Tuesday.

While Dampier was on the court, which was for 33 minutes against the Rockets, the Mavericks were a plus-20.

Hard to argue with that — if it keeps happening consistently. And if it does, it’s going to be important to continue to watch as those minutes accumulate. — Eddie Sefko