Samford @ Texas Christian preview

Texas Christian hopes to bounce back from a disappointing season when it hosts Samford on Saturday in the curtain raiser for both teams. The Horned Frogs went 4-8 in their second season in the Big 12 Conference to finish with a losing record for the first time since 2004. "I said three to five years and we're now in Year 3," TCU head coach Gary Patterson stated. "We'll see how we do this year."

TCU was second in the conference in total defense (356.4 yards per game) in 2013 and the unit should once again be the team's primary strength. However, the Horned Frogs will have to make do without preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields, who was dismissed from the university after his arrest for domestic assault. Samford, which claimed its first Southern Conference title last season, looks to take advantage and pull off the upset in Fort Worth.

TV: 7 p.m ET, Fox Sports Net. LINE: TCU -34

ABOUT TEXAS CHRISTIAN (2013: 4-8): Patterson has not named a starting quarterback with Trevone Boykin and Texas A&M graduate transfer Matt Joeckel set to share snaps against Samford. Boykin was the only player in the country with a 100-yard rushing game, a 100-yard receiving game and a 200-yard passing game last season while junior wide receiver Josh Doctson seems poised to build on his team-high 440 receiving yards in the new Air Raid scheme. TCU hired new offensive co-coordinators Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meacham to jump-start a static attack that finished eighth in the Big 12 in scoring (25.1).

ABOUT SAMFORD (2013: 8-5): The Bulldogs return 13 total starters from the squad that earned its first FCS postseason bid since 1992. Arizona State transfer Michael Eubank won an intense quarterback battle and will make his Samford debut. Sophomore wide receiver Karel Hamilton caught 38 passes and a team-high seven touchdowns last season and will likely be Eubank's No. 1 target.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas Christian lost four games by three points or less last season.

2. The Horned Frogs have won 12 straight home openers under Patterson.

3. Samford head coach Pat Sullivan held the same position at TCU from 1992-1997.

PREDICTION: Texas Christian 42, Samford 3