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Sunny day TCU surprised with bowl invitation
Posted: Friday December 18, 1998 11:18 PM
DALLAS (AP) -- A few days before Thanksgiving, Texas Christian coach Dennis Franchione thanked his players for a great year and started them on their offseason program. Now, the Horned Frogs are back in training, ecstatic over their invitation to play Southern Cal in the Sun Bowl on December 31. Of the 44 teams appearing in bowl games this postseason, TCU probably is the biggest surprise. The Horned Frogs went 1-10 last year, then rebounded to 6-5 this season for their first winning record since 1995. They haven't been to the postseason since the 1994 Independence Bowl. "I think there is no team more honored and more grateful for the opportunity they've been given, or earned, than our team," said Franchione, in his first year at TCU. "We've seen all ends of the spectrum here. We have full appreciation of the opportunity we've been given. ... "We were honored just to be mentioned in their considerations. If it didn't happen, obviously you couldn't be too disappointed. But the high was really a high. It took me about three hours just to get my feet on the ground." Franchione has been a winner everywhere he's been, from Southwestern (Kansas) to Pittsburg State to Southwest Texas to New Mexico. The Lobos were 3-8 and ninth in the WAC his first year, then 9-4 division champions who played in a bowl and were ranked 25th in his sixth and final season. "At New Mexico, it took six years [to get to a bowl] and it was very special," Franchione said. "To do this in one year is really almost difficult to absorb, in a way. Right now, everything is spinning a little faster." TCU's turnaround season seemed over November 21 following a 41-18 victory over UNLV. Seniors were working out in hopes of being invited to postseason all-star games and underclassmen had begun running and lifting weights for next year. "I thought the season was over," quarterback Patrick Batteaux said. "We were just happy to finish the season with a winning record." But last week the school got word that if Ohio State made the Bowl Championship Series, the Sun Bowl would be looking for an at-large team and would consider the Horned Frogs. Franchione and several school and city officials flew to El Paso to lobby their case. "As soon as I knew we had a chance, I just started praying hard," senior running back Basil Mitchell said. "I never quit working out." Franchione didn't know what had to happen this past Saturday for things to work out for TCU. He thought the upsets of UCLA and Kansas State helped, but he wasn't sure. "We didn't have a good understanding of who to root for," he said. "It was kind of agonizing to watch those games and not know whether good things or bad things were happening." Around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Sun Bowl selection committee chairman John Folmer called Franchione to say things looked good for the Horned Frogs. Franchione next heard from Fullmer midway through Sunday's televised bowl announcements, minutes before the Sun Bowl matchup was broadcast to the entire country. "It was pretty much pandemonium from our team room," Franchione said. "They were hugging and high-fiving, singing the fight song and the alma mater." TCU was picked over WAC programs with better records in Colorado State (8-4), Wyoming (8-3) and Utah (7-4). All three bypassed schools are among a group splintering the conference after this season; TCU and bowl host Texas-El Paso are among those remaining. Central Florida and Miami of Ohio also were considered. Franchione's job now is to reign his teams emotions and begin focusing on the Trojans (8-4). "I remember in 1985 at Pittsburg State, we were surprised to get into the playoffs and that's about all we did. We got beat our first game because our mindset was not to win, just to go," Franchione said. "Our goal here all year has been to go to a bowl game and win. It wasn't just to go -- it was to win."
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