Come out swinging for a really big game

Now it's Utah's turn to take on the streaking Horned Frogs and protect a winning streak and national ranking.

TCU's a program that entered the league with a big splash a few years ago, then bowed to Utah and BYU. But Gary Patterson's team entered this season with a kind of chip-on-their-shoulder attitude.

That kind of attitude is a trough that TCU coach Patterson likes to take his team to for a deep sip. It motivates the Frogs — all that outside looking in, us against the world, we are disrespected, we are not favored, the ache of "we were not picked first" stuff.

Ask BYU about the chip.

The Frogs embarrassed BYU in Forth Worth last month, reshuffling some thinking in Provo while deflating the quest for a perfect record. The Cougars walked right into the crosshairs in Texas and were significantly humbled.

Kyle Whittingham, another head coach who uses the circle-the-wagons mantra to perfection, now has a chance to filter out what part of TCU's bravado is real and which is attackable.

This is a great matchup of No. 10 against No. 11.

The Utes can take a lesson from the way BYU came out of the tunnel for such a big game with the Frogs a month ago. TCU came out in a frenzy, ready for a fracas. The Cougars appeared hopeful, anxious, but not emotionally geared for an energized fight.

BYU went to a knife fight with a folded up Swiss knife. TCU yielded machetes.

Patterson explained the big game mentality he tries to instill in his players when it comes to games like tonight.

"I think you have to have some good things happen to you and you have to create those," Patterson said.

In the case of BYU, Frog defensive end Jerry Hughes forced a fumble on Max Hall right out of the chute, and it set the tone for TCU's win. Hughes sacked Hall four more times that night, three of them in the first half.

"There is a scene in the movie 'Gladiator,' in the deal where guys come out and it's kill, kill, kill, and then they bust out and within about 15 seconds, everybody's about dead," Patterson said. "That pretty much about sums up big games."

Warned Patterson: "You better come out swinging, you better not hesitate and you better not duck."

"We always tell our linebackers to strike at darkness. Well, this is one of those where you better come out of the tunnel understanding that you don't need to wait around to find out how the game is going to go — you come out ready to go, especially on the road."