Patterson says Horned Frogs are tired, but have to be ready: ‘That’s our job’

TCU, having played six games in six weeks and facing a third road game in four weeks, is a tired football team, coach Gary Patterson said.

“It’s been 2 1/2 months. We’re tired, to be honest with you,” he said after practice Wednesday. “They’re tired, I’m tired. Got to find a way to win. That’s about all there is to it.”

The Horned Frogs, 6-0 and ranked No. 3 in the AP poll, opened the season on Sept. 3, a Thursday night, at Minnesota. They got nine days between that game and their second game, but since then, the games have come every week.

But a 12-day break awaits following Saturday’s Iowa State game — the third road game in four weeks — before a Thursday night home game against West Virginia.

“Everybody else has had at least one week off or two,” Patterson said. “But you got to get ready to play. That’s what our job is. No complaints. I said before the season that’s what we were going to need to do. That’s exactly where we’re at. We got to find a way to win on Saturday, get ourselves a 12-day break so we can get ready and get better. There’s no magic to it.”

After Iowa State, the Horned Frogs have three home games and two road games left. They have won six straight on the road and 10 straight at home. Their 14-game winning streak matches the school records from 1937-38 and 2008-09.

Safety improving

Ridwan “Ray” Issahaku, who has started the last two games at weak safety, got credit from Patterson for being in the right spot to make two important plays in the second half last week – forcing a pass to hit the ground and become overturned into an third-down incompletion, giving TCU the ball back down 42-37, and for a tackle for loss of 4 yards that forced third-and-10 on the drive that ended with a Kansas State field goal to tie the game.

“He was the guy that was there to hit the ball that kind of caused it to hit the ground. He had the big play on the run play,” Patterson said.

Issahaku is a redshirt freshman from Norcross, Ga., who played quarterback in high school. He had nine tackles in his first career start two weeks against Texas. He also had a pass interference against K-State, one of five by Horned Frogs defenders.

“Youth. Been OK,” Patterson said, asked what he is seeing from Issahaku. “But he’s like all young guys – he needs to be quick but not out of control. And right now, we’re a little bit between the out of control and the quick. But every week, he gets better.”

Big vs. small

Patterson said Iowa State has a matchup advantage with its taller receivers against TCU’s smaller defensive backs, but he’s used to it.

“That’s the way it’s going to be all year,” Patterson said. “That was what it was in Minnesota, and we held them to 17. But that’s been going on forever. Jason Verrett gave up 6 inches; I just watched him cover a pretty good tall one the other night. Key to it is, it’s their job to cover. Find a way to do it.”

Patterson said it helps that the corners and safeties have to cover TCU’s own tall receivers.

“You’ve had to cover Josh Doctson. It’s not like we haven’t done it before,” he said.

Practice pattern

Patterson might have the Frogs’ slow starts on defense figured out.

He said the team is practicing poorly in the heat during the first part of practice, but much better inside during the second half.

“We’re outside, and it’s hot, and we’re not trying to beat it,” he said. “We come in here, and we turn it up. That’s exactly what we’re doing in the ballgames. So I told them today, you got to start practicing the first hour of practice. People play like they practice. And they didn’t do it again today. So hopefully we can pick it up come Saturday.”

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 8:41 PM with the headline "Patterson says Horned Frogs are tired, but have to be ready: ‘That’s our job’."