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TCU has built a powerhouse defense by following the premise of stopping the run first.
The No. 4 Horned Frogs have been so good at it that their weekly media release lists their shutdown efforts against high-profile running backs.
All of which makes it so strange that TCU had trouble figuring out how to contain Zach Line during a 41-24 victory over SMU on Friday night.
Line is a linebacker-turned-running back who was used as a short-yardage specialist last year. He had some good games early this season, so it's not like it was a surprise when he got the ball Friday night.
Yet the Horned Frogs (4-0) rarely seemed prepared to handle him, especially on the draw. He rumbled 17 times for 139 yards, gaining 40 yards more than any of TCU's three previous foes.
He averaged 8.2 yards per carry, and had a 29-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Line was a big reason the Mustangs (2-2) notched the most points, most yards and most yards rushing against TCU this season.
SMU's 192 yards rushing was the most yards rushing against the Horned Frogs since Air Force had 229 last October, 12 games ago.
''We prepared for the screen and we prepared for the draw, but we did not have any success stopping the screen and the draw,'' TCU coach Gary Patterson said.
With the Horned Frogs starting Mountain West play next weekend, conference coaches may already be sending out the alerts - asking linebackers if they want to play offense and telling offensive coordinators to mix more delayed handoffs into the game plan.
What makes this possibly more than a one-time exception was this comment from Line: ''We saw what they did on defense and thought we could have some success with (the draw play).''
Patterson did not allow any defensive players to speak with reporters after the game.
Line began traipsing through open spaces on SMU's second drive, helping the Mustangs go ahead 7-0. TCU led 14-10 at halftime and Patterson noticed them walking into the locker room with their heads down.
He hollered, ''You're ahead, we need to take the game,'' but instead Andy Dalton threw an interception - his second in a row - and the Horned Frogs found themselves trailing 17-14 just 1:02 into the third quarter.
Dalton bailed out TCU with three straight touchdown drives. Along the way, he threw the 49th touchdown pass of his career, tying the school record.
Actually, the guy who sparked the Horned Frogs' surge was Jeremy Kerley. He went 83 yards on the kickoff following SMU's go-ahead touchdown.
''I don't know if I saved the season,'' he said. ''I figured I saved the game.''
Patterson hopes this performance in the spotlight of a Friday night doesn't hurt too much in the polls.
He tried swaying public opinion by stressing the emotion of facing Baylor and SMU, programs that were TCU's rivals back in the days of the Southwest Conference, but have combined for one bowl victory (last year, by the Mustangs) since his players were in elementary school.
This also wrapped up a nonconference schedule that included games against lower-division Tennessee Tech and No. 24 Oregon State.
''It's very hard to get to (4-0) in this day and time, especially with the type of nonconference schedule that we played,'' Patterson said.
