Chips are in for Frogs -- TCU Tostitos Fiesta Bowl-bound

By David May / KillerFrogs.com

The Horned Frogs had their bowl ticket punched Sunday, and it’s a familiar foe waiting on the other end.

Playing in its biggest bowl game in more than 50 years, TCU will face Boise State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in a matchup of two top six, undefeated teams.

The game will be played Jan. 4 with a 6:30 p.m. CST kickoff. The game will be televised on Fox.

The announcement was made about 7 p.m. Sunday with a large crowd of fans at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum following a “Meet the Frogs” autograph session with players and coaches.

The Horned Frogs are 12-0 for the first time in school history and making its first trip to a Bowl Championship Series game while Boise State, making its second BCS bowl trip, will enter the game with a 13-0 mark. The Broncos upset Oklahoma, 43-42, in overtime in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

The game will mark the third post-season meeting between TCU and BSU since 2003. The Broncos edged TCU, 34-31, in the 2003 inaugural Fort Worth Bowl. TCU got its revenge in last year’s Poinsettia Bowl, beating BSU, 17-16.

“It’s been an unbelievable season for everyone here,” said TCU quarterback Andy Dalton. “It’s been an unbelievable ride. We’re a well-rounded team and we do it in all phases. Hopefully we’ll go out and prove it when we play.”

TCU head coach Gary Patterson (85-27, ninth season), said of the pairing, “Well, number one, Boise is a great team. We have a lot of admiration, we understand what kind of team they have.”

Patterson noted he voted TCU No. 2 on his ballot in the USA Today coaches’ poll.

“We are here to prove a point. We are out to prove we have the number one team in the nation so that is what we are going out to the Fiesta Bowl for,” Patterson said.

The Frogs will be going to their 11th bowl game since the 1998 season, the ninth bowl in Patterson’s nine seasons, including in his first game as TCU’s head coach. The Frogs are 5-3 in bowl games under Patterson, with four consecutive post-season wins. Since 1998, TCU is 7-3 in bowl games.

If TCU wins its BCS game, it will notch a school single-season record 13th victory.

For ticket availability, contact the TCU ticket office or go to www.gofrogs.com.