TCU coach Gary Patterson acknowledges that last year's 13-10 loss at Utah was a heartbreaker. A pair of missed field goals and Brian Johnson's last-minute touchdown pass to Freddie Brown proved to be the difference in a hard-fought battle between top-10 teams.

The setback, however, hasn't really served as motivation for the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs as they prepare for Saturday's rematch in Fort Worth.

"It's been a learning experience," said Patterson, who explained it helped his squad defeat Boise State in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl and carried over into this season. "We understand the difference between winning and losing is a very tight fraction, it's a very fine line."

TCU must have learned something.

The Frogs haven't lost since. They've won 12 consecutive games and have gone more than a calendar year without a loss.

"I think what it's done is helped us grow up," Patterson said. "It helped us mature."

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham notes there's more to it.

"Their roster is solid from top to bottom at every position. If you look at the stats, they're at or are near the top in all three phases of the game," he said. "Coach Patterson has done a great job assembling talent and I think they do a great job coaching them. There is no question that this is the best football team we have faced from them to this point."

ON THE LINE: Whittingham has good things to say about his offensive line. The guys in the trenches enter the TCU game having allowed just 13 sacks in nine games. They've led the way for running back Eddie Wide, who has topped 100 yards rushing in a school-record six consecutive games.

"The offensive line has done a nice job all year. You're not going to get 100-yard games without the offensive line," Whittingham said. "We have also not been sacked excessively. They don't get enough credit or props. They have done a nice job."

EXTRA POINTS: The Utes are 7-0 all-time in games where they and the opposition are both ranked in the Associated Press poll. Utah is currently No. 16 and TCU is No. 4 … There's another streak on the line. Utah has won 13 straight Mountain West Conference games … Linebacker Mike Wright currently leads the Utes with 54 tackles. Stevenson Sylvester is second with 51 … TCU will debut its new Nike Pro Combat uniforms on Saturday. The gear will include a horned frog skin print on the team's pants and helmets. The latter features some red lines as well.

e-mail: dirk@desnews.com