BYU football: TCU's terrific trio fuel Frogs' bid to bust the BCS

Hughes, Dalton & Kerley.

No, it's not a Fort Worth law firm. It's TCU's Terrific Trio.

Defensive lineman Jerry Hughes, quarterback Andy Dalton and kick return specialist/wide receiver Jeremy Kerley are three players BYU is looking to slow down when the Horned Frogs invade LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday (5:30 p.m., Versus).

Not that TCU is a three-man team, but, certainly, Hughes, Dalton & Kerley are three of the most feared players in the Mountain West Conference and are leading the Frogs' march toward their goal of winning a conference championship and earning a Bowl Championship Series bid.

Jerry Hughes

A high school running back, Hughes arrived at TCU hoping to follow in the footsteps of LaDainian Tomlinson. But Hughes was switched to defensive end, and it proved to be a stroke of genius. After leading the nation in sacks (15) a year ago, he is projected to be a first-round NFL draft pick next April. The 6-foot-2, 257-pound senior is tied for No. 4 in the nation this season with eight quarterback sacks.

"He's a freak, man. He's a super athlete. He's a big, physical guy," said BYU running back Manase Tonga. "He gets around the edge really well and he uses his hands really well. He's smart. He's a beast. We're going to have our hands full with that guy."

Last October in Fort Worth, Hughes ran around and through BYU's offensive line, recording four sacks and forcing two fumbles in the Frogs' 32-7 victory.

"He's obviously a player you have to account for. You have do some things to counteract what he's doing," BYU quarterback Max Hall said. "He's a great pass-rusher. He makes a lot of plays in the backfield. We've got to get the ball out of my hands quick."

Because of where Hughes usually lines up on the line, BYU right tackle Nick Alletto figures to be the one who will tangle with Hughes the most on Saturday. But Alletto can't handle him alone.

"I'm not sure you can block him with any one guy," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "At least the teams that have tried that have ended up getting their quarterback hit quite a bit. By position, you'll see a matchup there. But that doesn't mean he (Alletto) alone will be responsible. That wouldn't be wise."

"Any time you get a chance to go up against good players, it's a good barometer to see kind of where you're at," said BYU left tackle Matt Reynolds. "The guy I'm going up against is also a great athlete. It will be tough week for the line all-around and a good chance for us to show what we've got."

Andy Dalton

Dalton, a junior QB, is not flashy. He simply knows how to manage an offense and win games. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound redhead is 23-6 as a starter and is only seven wins away from eclipsing legendary TCU quarterback Sammy Baugh for the school record.