SAN ANTONIO – TCU’s star quarterback was arrested and subsequently suspended Thursday. A day later, Oregon promoted wide receivers coach Matt Lubick to offensive coordinator. So yeah, it has been a rather full week of news as the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl between Oregon and TCU nears.

Expected to be one of the more entertaining non-New Year’s Six bowl games, the matchup has certainly lost a bit of its flash with Boykin’s suspension. But, as Oregon’s Charles Nelson said Thursday, “the show must go on.”

Here’s the stories we’re reading before Saturday’s game in San Antonio:

— Mark Helfrich announced Oregon promoted to Matt Lubick to offensive coordinator Friday morning. 

“Matt is extremely detail-oriented, he’s a very good recruiter and players really take to him,” said Helfrich.

– Boykin’s absence means that TCU will be without its most explosive playmaker on offense. His backup quarterbacks Bram Kohlhausen and Foster Sawyer have both played behind center when Boykin was hobbled by an ankle injury in November. TCU’s co-offensive coordinators said the starter will be named by Saturday. Regardless neither is the threat that Oregon would’ve faced with Boykin.

– Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum, as well as select player on the Ducks’ defense, spoke to the media Thursday about what their plan of attack will be against TCU. 

– The bowl game will still be played, but without Boykin behind center for TCU, Austin Meek of the Register Guard writes that the matchup is now forgettable.

– Pellum has been the product of a lot of criticism this season. The Ducks rank near the bottom in total defense and passing defense in the nation this season. But, Pellum usually channels the noise out, and continues to be a coach his players speak highly of. 

– Vernon Adams Jr. has tattoos scattered across both of his arms. The Oregonian’s Tyson Alger tells the story of one of them.

– Boykin issued an apology to the TCU community Friday via Twitter. Boykin, a senior, would have been playing in his final game for the 11th ranked Horned Frogs.

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

SAN ANTONIO – Mark Helfrich said Matt Lubick will call offensive plays in the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl Saturday and will assume the role of offensive coordinator going forward.

Lubick, who joined the Oregon coaching staff in 2013 as the wide receivers coach, will call plays for the first time this season. He also will permanently fill the void that former offensive coordinator Scott Frost left after he left to become the head coach at University of Central Florida.

“Matt is an outstanding coach,” Helfrich said Friday during a coaches press conference.

What happens to the wide receivers coach position remains to be seen. Helfrich said that they will address that after the bowl game.

But, Lubick’s promotion cements what was presumed by many to be the eventual decision by Helfrich.

Since he began coaching wide receivers, Lubick’s been known for what Helfrich termed a “tireless” work ethic. Bralon Addison said he’s heard stories Helfrich had to to tell Lubick to leave the office multiple times.

“Matt is extremely detail-oriented, he’s a very good recruiter and players really take to him,” said Helfrich.

Addison added that he hoped Lubick would become an “important stick” as the offensive play caller in not just the Alamo Bowl but the following season when speaking to the media Wednesday.

So, he’s clearly going to be pleased with the news. Part of the reason Helfrich said he promoted Lubick before the game was because he didn’t want it to be viewed as a “job audition” — especially considering the opponent is a Gary Patterson coached TCU defense. It will be the first time Lubick, in his 20 years of coaching, will call plays.

With the promotion, Lubick is also due what appears to be a substantial raise. Scott Frost received $755,000 this year, while Lubick, as the receivers coach, had a salary of $367,416.

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

SAN ANTONIO — It’s clear that any school would be substantially downgraded by the suspension of a dual-threat quarterback who scored more than 40 touchdowns in a season. It is currently the hand TCU has been dealt as it prepares to face Oregon in the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl Saturday. But, it also is not the first time the Horned Frogs have received a detrimental blow this year.

It actually seems to be just another setback that TCU has consistently faced since it began practicing in August. The team has started more than 20 players on defense alone and, according to defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow, started about 30 redshirt freshman — making for a season of never ending attrition and one that Glasgow has never experienced in his coaching career.

“I’ve never been around a year like it and I hope that I’m never remotely around a year like it,” Glasgow said. 

TCU safety Derrick Kindred, who played the entire year with a broken collarbone, said Wednesday during a press conference that he felt the team was jinxed.

“It was just like, ‘man, can we catch a break,’” said Kindred, who was the only starter from 2014 to play every game of the 2015 season.

Nine starters on defense missed extended periods of the season, and Glasgow and head coach Gary Patterson converted two safeties into starting linebackers by September. The offense was then hobbled by the injuries of Trevone Boykin and top wide receiver Josh Doctson in November.

“Every week it was hold onto your hat,” Glasgow said. Glasgow added, though, that the group was as healthy as its ever been coming into its date with a high-powered Oregon offense. 

But, that was Wednesday. By Thursday morning, the narrative was completely altered.

TCU still can’t catch a break.

The defense may be healthier than it was in September, but the offense will be missing  its top two playmakers in Boykin and Doctson.

As has been the case all year, TCU’s managed to weather each storm to the best of its capability, finishing the regular season 10-2 and ranked No. 11 in the nation. It’s why running back Aaron Green doesn’t think it will be tougher for the team to win.

“We went up to Norman without Josh, without (Trevone). We should have won that game,” Green said Thursday, referring to the Horned Frogs’ 30-29 loss to Oklahoma.

But regardless of the mindset, it will undoubtedly be more difficult, and the burden may be even more so placed on the TCU defense Saturday.

Which would seem like a manageable test, considering coach Patterson’s TCU defenses are usually some of the most dominant in the country year after year. It was the case in 2014, in which the Horned Frogs allowed just 129 yards of offense to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl.

But, TCU isn’t as well know for its dominance this year, but rather the amount of turnover the lineup faced. They didn’t get to this point by physically harassing each team they played, but rather hanging on and finding ways to win.

And against an explosive Oregon offense that has been running up the score on team’s since Vernon Adams’ return from injury, the outlook doesn’t look favorable. At least on paper.

Josh Carraway, speaking on Wednesday before Boykin’s arrest and suspension occurred, understands what the perception of the game was as well — a high-scoring battle of explosive offenses.

“We really take it to heart,” Carraway said. “Even with the injuries we have, TCU defense is TCU defense.

“Ultimately, it won’t be no hundred points like everyone thinks.”

TCU will need it to be that way to have a shot at winning.

The Horned Frogs ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing 26.1 points per game. It also ranked in the top half of the conference in both rushing and passing defense. Opposing quarterbacks averaged just 214.3 yards per game through the air against them.

The unit will rely on players like Carraway and Kindred, as well as freshman linebacker Ty Summers, who recorded 23 tackles in the Horned Frogs’ season finale against Baylor.

If it can do enough to start the new year with a win is a difficult task. But, as appeared to be the case on Wednesday when members and coaches of the TCU defense spoke to the media, adversity is something the Horned Frogs accustomed to.

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

SAN ANTONIO – Oklahoma cornerback Zach Sanchez provided gaudy praise for TCU’s most dangerous threat on offense this week. In the run-up to Oklahoma’s matchup with Deshaun Watson and Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Sanchez was asked to compare TCU’s Tevone Boykin to the Heisman Trophy finalist.

But, Sanchez didn’t think the two much compared. As far as Sanchez was concerned, Boykin “was the best athlete we’ve ever seen,” and a completely “different animal.” TCU defensive end Josh Carraway gave a similar answer Wednesday when asked to compare Boykin to Oregon’s Vernon Adams Jr.

“I don’t think he’s as athletic as Boykin,” Carraway said.

Both comments appeared to be an additional testament to Boykin’s true capability. Sure the stat sheet has already been stuffed — Boykin totaled over 4,000 yards in 11 games this season — but Boykin being described as a “different animal” when compared to the most successful quarterback in the FBS was certainly telling.

But, none of it seems to matter anymore. Boykin, a senior, was suspended for TCU’s game against Oregon this week after he got into a bar fight and allegedly punched a police officer early Thursday morning. 

The suspension now leaves TCU without its top player for the second time this season. The first time he was absent TCU lost to Oklahoma 30-29.

In addition, Boykin’s top wide receiver, Josh Doctson, who caught 79 passes for 1,327 yards in 2015, has already been ruled out for the Alamo Bowl, leaving TCU without its most lethal combination on offense.

When Boykin has been sidelined this year, TCU’s looked like a shell of itself. Bram Kohlhausen first replaced him against winless Kansas in early November after Boykin left due to a right ankle injury. Foster Sawyer also got time behind center, and the two combined to go 14-of-26 for 154 yards. Sawyer threw a touchdown on his lone completion, helping TCU avoid complete disaster and beat the Jayhawks, 23-17.

The next week Kohlhausen received the start, but was eventually replaced by Sawyer again. The two combined for 219 yards a touchdown, but this time four interceptions in a 30-29 loss to Oklahoma. Kohlhausen did lead a last ditch effort to win the game after the Horned Frogs trailed by 17 in the fourth quarter. A failed two-point conversion attempt proved to be the difference in the game.

“We’ve played without him before… We went up to Norman and we should’ve won,” TCU running back Aaron Green said.

The threat of a quarterback running with the football was virtually nonexistent when Kohlhausen and Sawyer were behind center, though. In addition, TCU averaged just 26 points in those games, versus a 44 points per game average when Boykin was healthy. TCU offensive co-coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie did not say who would be the starter during a press conference Thursday.

Boykin’s absence for the game Saturday squashes what would’ve been a entertaining quarterback duel between him and Adams. Expected to be fully healthy, Boykin would have been arguably the best quarterback the Ducks have faced all season.

Which didn’t sound great for Oregon’s secondary, a unit that has been exposed by a laundry list of quarterbacks throughout the year. The Ducks rank 126th out of 128 teams in passing defense and feature a group of players that had little to no experiences as a collegiate defensive back before the year began.

Now, Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum will prepare for obviously a much different opponent.

An example of how much Boykin’s presence means: TCU opened as a 1.5-point favorite but is now a 7-point underdog according to many Vegas sports books.

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise 

TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin has been suspended for the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl.

Boykin was arrested and charged with a felony after getting into a bar fight and then hitting a police officer early Thursday morning, according to ESPN.

He was charged with assaulting a public servant and a third-degree felony. Boykin was given a $5,000 bond. TCU’s Preston Miller was also suspended.

“TCU’s Trevone Boykin and Preston Miller have been suspended for Saturday’s game due to a violation of team rules,” TCU said in a a prepared release. “We are disappointed in their actions and apologize to the TCU Horned Frogs nation, Valero Alamo Bowl and city of San Antonio.”

Boykin was at a bar named Pat O’Brien’s late Wednesday night and, according to the police report, began being heckled by employees and allegedly hit a bar employee.

Boykin was then removed from the bar, where a police report said that he continued to be ” very aggressive and was being held back by the group that he was with. Members of his group stated they would get him back to the hotel they were staying at.”

Full police report. Charges initially listed as “Assault/PO, Resisting Arrest, Public Intoxication”. #TCU#WFAATCUpic.twitter.com/GfVJeNEZ66

— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) December 31, 2015

After walking away, Boykin then charged the police officer and began swinging at him, before being taken to the ground by other officers on the scene, according to the report.

The San Antonio police department chief said it wasn’t known whether Boykin was swinging at the officer, but that he was hit in the face.

SAPD chief: ‘We don’t know whether he was swinging at the officer or at somebody behind him. But the officer was struck in the face.’

— Carlos A. Mendez (@calexmendez) December 31, 2015

ESPN’s Jake Trotter reported that a source told him Boykin was in his room by TCU’s set curfew, but then left to go out.

Boykin is a 22-year old senior who passed for 3,575 yards 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2015. He figured to be a huge test for the Oregon defense when the two teams meet on Saturday.

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

SAN ANTONIO — Just a few days before Matt Lubick’s possible trial run for the Oregon offensive coordinator position he was introduced as “Sonny.”

“My dad’s not here yet,” Lubick joked to the moderator as the Ducks’ offensive press conference began Wednesday.

Sonny, Lubick’s dad, was the all-time winningest coach in Colorado State football history and is still the first person “old-timers,” like the moderator apologetically admitted he was, associate the name Lubick with. But Matt wasn’t bothered, and appeared relaxed and ready as he transitioned into his interim role for the Ducks’ matchup against No. 11 TCU in the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl.

After former Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost became the head coach at the University of Central Florida on Nov. 29, Lubick as well as the rest of the staff, has seen an increase in their respective jobs. For Lubick specifically, who was the passing game coordinator prior to Frost’s departure, that could mean calling plays. Vernon Adams Jr. said he will.

But, head coach Mark Helfrich and Lubick aren’t divulging on what the plan of attack will be come Saturday. Helfrich told reporters in mid December that the play calling has always been a collaboration between coaches, and Lubick did not comment on what “the plan” will be Wednesday.

Regardless, Lubick seemed comfortable as he answered questions about the possibilities for his future as well as how he will fill Frost’s shoes.

“My mindset ever since I’ve been employed here is to do everything I possibly can to help Oregon football win,” Lubick, who came to Eugene in 2013 after a stint as the wide receivers coach at Duke, said. “I did that when Scott was here and I’m doing that now that he’s left.”

But, as senior wide receiver Bralon Addison said later, with any offensive system, there’s room for a coach’s personality to shine through with the play calling.

“Any time your position coach gets more involvied, its a little bit more fun,” Addison admitted. “All the wideouts were excited about it.”

Lubick added that he told Royce Freeman that the offense would continue to do what they did best, though — which is getting their best playmakers, such as Adams, Freeman and Addison, in space and letting them run up and down the field.

Coming in to Saturday, Oregon is averaging 287.8 rushing yards and 260.4 passing yards per game. And Lubick doesn’t think those numbers are a product of the play calling .

“It’s not so much the play caller or the play calling, it’s the player and its putting them in the situation where they can succeed,” Lubick said. 

It’s clear that Helfrich doesn’t need to worry about Lubick putting in the extra hours to make sure Oregon is prepared to face a Gary Patterson defense Saturday. A man of many dedicated  routines — Lubick has a dietary regimen “that is the stuff of minor legend” according to a GoDucks.com article from 2014 — Addison said Lubick is usually the first person in the building and the last one to leave.

“I’ve heard stories where Helfrich had to get him to leave,” Addison said. 

Helfrich has begun the interview process for the newly vacant offensive coordinator position, but did not give any indication whether Lubick, the nation’s 2012 Wide Receivers Coach of the Year according to FootballScoop.com, was the favorite when asked back on Dec. 12.

Lubick has mostly downplayed the questions about the job, but exuded a calm and relaxed feel when asked about his role heading into Saturday. He’s also allowed for many of the offensive weapons like Addison to have feel an additional sense of comfort by being the one to fill the gap left by Frost’s departure.

Addison is hoping it’s a permanent fill-in as well.

“For him to come over, hopefully that can be an important stick,” Addison said. 

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

In the days leading up to the 2016 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and TCU, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 2 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s secondary.

Oregon

The struggles of the Ducks’ secondary have gone well-documented this year. The unit ranks 126th out of 128 FBS teams in the passing defense, allowing over 300 yards per game, and defensive backs coach John Neal has mixed and matched the starting lineup consistently throughout the season.

After losing starters Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Troy Hill and Erick Dargan after last season and then seeing cornerback Chris Seisay succumb to injury early in the year, Neal knows that the group, if it continues to develop, can be a strength of the team eventually.

But, he told members of the media this week that he wants the defensive backs to show they can do it now — against a team that averages 345.5 passing yards per game no less. Arrion Springs and Tyree Robinson have found their footing in spurts at the cornerback positions as the year has waged on. Charles Nelson moved over to safety and has provided a spark in the secondary since his arrival. Seisay will also be back in the lineup Saturday. And when adding all of that together — the added experience from first-time starters and the return of Seisay from injury — Neal thinks now is the time for the unit to break out.

Stopping the big play will be their toughest test against Boykin most likely. The Ducks have given up 30 completions of 25 yards or more this season, according to The Oregonian.

TCU

TCU has been battling attrition seemingly every week this season and it has resulted in a down year for what his normally a vaunted Horned Frogs defense coached by Gary Patterson. They have not become a weak unit that is allowing Big 12 quarterbacks to torch them for 300-plus yards each week, though.

Safety Derrick Kindred was a first-team all-Big 12 selection and ranked second on the team in tackles with 79. Cory O’Meally leads the team in pass break ups with 10. All together, a unit that has started 20 different defenders on defense at one point this season, has weathered the storm as best it could. The Horned Frogs allowed just 214.3 passing yards per game this season.

Yet, it doesn’t mean they aren’t susceptible to high-powerd offenses like Oregon’s. Texas Tech ran up 52 points on them and Kansas State scored 45.

Advantage: TCU

TCU’s defense has managed to hold offenses to under 10 points in the second half of its last seven games. And while the defensive backs are just as prone as Oregon to allowing big plays, the averages speak for themselves. Opposing quarterbacks are averaging just over 200 yards per game compared to Oregon, who is allowing over 300 yards per game.

Dec. 26: Offensive line preview

Dec. 27: Tight ends preview

Dec. 28: Linebackers preview

Dec. 29: Defensive line preview

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

– Oregon’s Alamo Bowl matchup against TCU appears to be the perfect consolation prize for the Ducks’ 2015 season. In addition, with the Ducks’ opponent being one who was predicted to be in the College Football Playoff, the Valero Alamo Bowl has all the ingredients to be an intriguing showdown Saturday. 

– Oregon has plenty to play for when it meets TCU on Saturday, according to CSN Northwest’s Aaaron Fentress. A win would extend the Ducks’ streak of winning 10 or more games in a season to eight and also extend the program’s streak of consecutive years winning a bowl game to five.

– The Alamo Bowl will be a rather large test for an Oregon secondary that has had its share of struggles in 2015. Ducks defensive backs coach John Neal said he wants the unit to show its growth against Trevone Boykin and TCU, according to the Register Guard.

“I’m challenging my guys,” Neal said. “We need to be good January 2, 2016, and not really good January 2, 2017. I think we’re talented enough to play really well, and this team is going to make us play well.

– Darren Carrington will be playing on Saturday with a new number and a heavy heart. The standout wide receiver is honoring his friend, Markel Byrd, who died in a car accident Dec. 22 by wearing the number Byrd wore at New Mexico, No. 20. Byrd was Carrington’s high school quarterback and New Mexico safety, someone who Carrington told reporters he was closer to than his own family members.

– Oregon’s defensive line appears to have the edge over TCU’s.

–It’s not just Oregon’s uniforms that are garnering attention for the Alamo Bowl. Thanks to Nike, both the Ducks and Horned Frogs will have two of the more unique end zone decorations we’ve seen this year. 

Oregon’s endzone is straight pic.twitter.com/kulUl1nN0Z

— Addicted To Quack (@AddictedToQuack) December 29, 2015

– TCU head coach Gary Patterson spent some time this week not answering questions about his team or Oregon’s, but rather a recruit he didn’t offer a scholarship: Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. In Miami in preparation for the Orange Bowl, Mayfield told reporters that Patterson hung him out to dry. Patterson doesn’t see it like  that. 

– The Valero Alamo Bowl is producing some of the heaviest box-office interest in the history of the game, according to the San Antonio Express News. 

– How good is TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin? According to Oklahoma cornerback Zach Sanchez, he’s ” the best quarterback we’ve ever seen.” Sanchez was talking about Boykin when prompted to compare him to Deshaun Watson.

OU CB Zack Sanchez says Deshaun Watson is good, but not Trevone Boykin good. “Trevone is the best athlete we’ve seen, and will ever see.”

— Larry Williams (@LarryWilliamsTI) December 27, 2015

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

A date against No. 11 TCU in the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl looked to be the perfect consolation prize for Oregon’s season when it was announced in early December. Both the Horned Frogs and 15th ranked Ducks were preseason favorites to contend for the College Football Playoff.

However, injuries appear to be the reason why they are meeting in a bowl game without the lure or national energy that the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl will certainly provide on New Year’s Eve.

While the Ducks are haunted by Vernon Adams’s broken index finger in the first half of the season — in which Oregon crawled its way to a 3-3 record — TCU seemed to suffer a never ending slate of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. And once those injuries carried over to the offense, with both quarterback Trevone Boykin and his top wide receiver, Josh Docston, going down, the Horned Frogs couldn’t withstand the damage. After starting 7-0, they lost two of their final five games.

Yet, as fate would have it, both teams seem to be as healthy as they have been all season now. Boykin, who was injured against Kansas and sidelined against Oklahoma, will be fully healthy, according to TCU head coach Gary Patterson. Doctson will not play. Adams, as Ducks fans already know, has put on a show every time he stepped on the field while guiding Oregon to a six-game winning streak to close the season.

The equation equals what on the surface appears to be one of the more intriguing matchups of this bowl season, and a narrative that both teams are undoubtedly aware of.

“A lot of people had this game as a semifinal game in the playoffs earlier on in the season, so being able to finish off the year against a team like TCU, it’s going to be a really fun one,” Deforest Buckner told reporters when the Ducks arrived in San Antonio Dec. 26, according to CSN Northwest.

TCU’s coach, Patterson, echoed a similar sentiment when his team arrived Monday.

Patterson said he felt Oregon was a “top 10 team” while also mentioning that he was happy to see this game in between the College Football Playoff semifinal and the National Championship.

“I love that it’s Jan. 2,” said Patterson. “Playoffs are done and you got this great bowl game with two teams that are high powered on both sides of the ball.”

Patterson speaking with media now. pic.twitter.com/48vBMFo7LW

— Tyson Alger (@tysonalger) December 28, 2015

But the lack of a high powered motor on the defense, specifically the secondary, is another reason why the Ducks are not playing in a New Year’s Six Bowl. With a largely inexperienced group in the secondary, the Ducks allowed over 300 yards passing per game this year .

They’ll face their toughest test yet this Saturday against Boykin, who totaled 4,187 total yards and 40 touchdowns in 11 games this season. And if those stats aren’t enough to make you weary, Oklahoma cornerback Zach Sanchez said Boykin was the “best athlete we’ve ever seen” when asked to compare the TCU quarterback to Heisman trophy finalist Deshaun Watson.

TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin scans the field in the Horned Frogs’ game against Baylor. (Kelsey Ritchie/ TCU 360)

Oregon has improved in spurts throughout the latter half of the season, though. Arrion Springs and Tyree Robinson have become formidable defensive backs, and Chris Seisay will return from an injury that kept him out the majority of the year.

“I think this game is going to be important to see if we’ve improved over the course of the year because they’re going to exploit us in every way they can,” Oregon defensive backs coach John Neal told the Register Guard.

If Neal’s group can keep Boykin at least somewhat slowed that could be the difference, because no team has shown the ability to stop Adams since his return from injury in October, a period in which the Ducks offense averaged 44.8 points per game. 

Mark Helfrich or wide receivers coach Matt Lubick will call plays on game day, filling the void that former offensive coordinator Scott Frost left when he became head coach at UCF. Helfrich conceded earlier this month that it shouldn’t create a problem, as “they do everything collaboratively anyway.”

Like Oregon, TCU has started numerous players on the defensive side of the ball who had yet to make a start in their college career before 2015 due to injuries. The notorious 4-2-5 scheme Patterson runs, in his eyes, was more like the “4-7” earlier in the year because of the amount of turnover each position face. ESPN reported that the Horned Frogs started 20 different defenders just in the first seven games.

But, while TCU has certainly had its struggles on that side of the ball — it gave up 52 points to Texas Tech and 45 to Kansas State — the unit has been considerably dominant coming out of the half. As TCU sports information director Mark Cohen tweeted this week, the Frogs are giving up just 7.4 points per game in their last eight games.

In the 2nd half and OTs of its last 8 games, the @TCUFootball defense has allowed a total of just 59 points (7.4 per game).

— Mark Cohen (@TCUSID) December 27, 2015

So while the matchup will not break any ratings records, Oregon’s bout against TCU has all the ingredients to be a back-and-forth tilt between two of the more high-powered offenses in college football.

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

In the days leading up to the 2016 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and TCU, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 2 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s linebackers. 

Oregon

Oregon boasted a rather deep and experienced group of linebackers this year. On the inside, Rodney Hardrick and Joe Walker had combined for 156 tackles in 2014 and will undoubtedly eclipse that total after the Alamo Bowl. The seniors have combined for 154 so far this season, with Walker leading the team with 82. On the outside, Christian French, Tyson Coleman and Terrodney Prevot have combined for 22.5 tackles for loss.

All together, the unit has helped the defense become considerably better at stopping the run than in previous years. Although the stat sheet may say running backs averaged 4.8 yards per carry, it was clear this season that containing ball carriers was the Ducks’ strength on defense.

TCU 

Hurt by injuries at the beginning of the season, TCU was forced to start two converted safeties at linebacker in its contest against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 12. Mike Freeze and Sammy Douglas were expected to be starting linebackers this season, however neither have seen the field since September. Douglas suffered a season-ending injury and Freeze left the team on a personal leave of absence.

Those filling in their shoes have experienced mixed reviews throughout the season, but have clearly improved as the year waged on. Exemplifying just that was freshman linebacker Ty Summers’ 23 tackles in the Horned Frogs’ win over Baylor. In addition, TCU, which runs a 4-2-5 defensive scheme, ranks fourth in the Big 12 in total defense, allowing 564.3 yards per game. Opposing rushing attacks are averaging 182.3 yards per game.

Advantage: Oregon

There’s a key difference between TCU and Oregon when it comes to this position: Experience. While TCU has certainly gotten production from first-time starters this year, the combination of guys like Joe Walker and Tyson Coleman appears to give the Ducks a slight edge.

Dec. 26: Offensive line preview

Dec. 27: Tight ends preview

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise