TCU football notes: Dawson was no problem, Patterson says

TCU coach Gary Patterson wonders where the idea came from that linebacker Paul Dawson could be a character problem for NFL teams.

He can’t believe it was TCU.

“Here’s the thing — why would anybody from here want to hurt Paul?” Patterson said.

Dawson wrote in a diary for USA Today that he has had to answer questions from NFL personnel about being a “distraction,” a reputation he believes he earned because he was late on occasion at TCU.

Patterson, speaking to reporters ahead of spring practice that opens Sunday, has called Dawson a “knucklehead” and acknowledged the linebacker’s tardiness. But the TCU coach spoke with affection and humor about Dawson to reporters.

“Is he a knucklehead? Was he late? I think that’s his personality,” Patterson said. “Do I think he’s a bad person? No. Do I think he’s a good player? Yes. Do I think he’ll lose a lot of money in the NFL in fines if he doesn’t change a couple of those ways? Yes.”

Patterson said he and Dawson had conversations all season about how he could improve personal habits.

“You know, at the bowl game, he was perfect,” Patterson said. “I told him at the bowl game — and he looked at me like I was crazy — ‘You’ve got to screw up.’ He had one week where he didn’t do anything, and he hadn’t played very well. I said, ‘Look, be late for curfew, talk back, do something.’”

The old way

Patterson said that after the Baylor game last year he went back to calling defense as though he couldn’t afford to give up points.

“Early, because we were scoring, I tried to call it different than what I used to call it, where I was managing the game trying not to screw it up,” he said. “We got to Baylor, and what I did was, I said, ‘I can’t.’ Basically, the last half of the season, I went back to calling it the way Gary Patterson would call it.”

Patterson blamed himself after the 61-58 loss for throwing too much into the game plan and overwhelming his players.

“This is the way I’m going to call a defensive game — we’re not scoring any points,” he told reporters this week. “Or it’s going to be a low-scoring game.”

Last year, TCU’s offense had the fourth-highest point total in the nation, and 10 starters return from that group.

“The way we used to do it — winning with special teams, running the ball, play action — it was all about winning close ballgames,” Patterson said. “And in this league you’re still going to have to win close ballgames. It just might be 37-35.”

Gut feeling

Only an hour before kickoff against Iowa State, Patterson said he had a “gut feeling” TCU wouldn’t make the College Football Playoff, no matter the outcome in the regular-season finale.

“I told Paul Rhodes before the game, standing in the middle of the field,” said Patterson, remembering his pregame talk with the Cyclones coach. “He said, ‘You going to get in if you win?’ I said, ‘Nope. I think we will not get in the playoffs.’”

Patterson said he believed too much was lined up against the Horned Frogs, who until 2012 were “outside the circle.”

Patterson said Rhodes will vouch for his prediction.

“You need to call him,” Patterson said. “I said, ‘If by some way or form we can win this ballgame, I don’t think we’ll get in.’ I had that gut feeling.”

Spring injuries

Patterson said running back Aaron Green will probably miss the first week of spring practice because of a groin injury.

He said right tackle Hala Vaitai and defensive end Mike Tuaua won’t practice at all because of shoulder injuries.

And quarterback Trevone Boykin will miss the final week to get a head start on healing a left wrist injury.

This story was originally published February 27, 2015 at 2:52 PM with the headline "TCU football notes: Dawson was no problem, Patterson says."