TCU Horned Frogs playing last game in 'old' home

FORT WORTH, Texas — Davey O'Brien won a Heisman Trophy and a national championship playing there more than seven decades ago. Bob Lilly was a fierce defender and LaDainian Tomlinson set the NCAA single-game rushing record on the same field.

Now there is only one more home game left for TCU at 80-year-old Amon G. Carter Stadium before the campus facility undergoes a major modernizing renovation.

More than 400 former lettermen are expected to mark the last game in the old home when the third-ranked Horned Frogs (10-0, 6-0 Mountain West) play San Diego State (7-2, 4-1) on Saturday. With a win, TCU is guaranteed at least a share of another conference title and stays in contention for a possible national championship shot.

"It's a big week, last (home) game for the seniors, more importantly, an opportunity to get to 11 wins," coach Gary Patterson said. "I watched that Amon Carter video and already get emotional. ... There's just a lot of things that are going into this week."

Many of the former lettermen who will be recognized Saturday never had the kind of success there like O'Brien in 1938 or the current team, which is going for its second consecutive 12-0 regular season after finally becoming a BCS buster last year.

"Just knowing that this place will never look the same, everyone wants to send old Amon Carter Stadium out with a bang," said receiver Curtis Clay, one of 26 seniors on the team.

Regardless of the outcome, there will be a big bang three weeks later when the west grandstand is imploded on Dec. 5.

Work on the $105 million project fully funded by donations will begin after Saturday's game. It is the first major renovation at the stadium since the upper deck was added in 1956. Construction won't be completed until 2012, though the Horned Frogs will still be able to play all their scheduled home games in the stadium next season.

TCU won 40-0 over Arkansas in the stadium's debut in 1930, a year after the Frogs won their first Southwest Conference title and construction of the new stadium was approved.

Dutch Meyer, who coached the Frogs for 19 seasons, and quarterback "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh made their TCU debuts in 1934. Before he was a Pro Football Hall of Fame player, Baugh won 29 games in three seasons for TCU. That remained the school record until this year, when current starter Andy Dalton got his 30th in the season opener.