California (7-5, Pac-12) vs. TCU (6-6, Big 12), Dec. 26, 8 p.m. CT
LOCATION: Phoenix
TOP PLAYERS
California: LB Evan Weaver, 142 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 2 interceptions.
TCU: WR Jalen Reagor, 72 catches, 1,061 yards, 9 touchdowns.
NOTABLE
California: Second-year coach Justin Wilcox has overseen the building of one of the nation’s top defenses. The Bears are allowing 200 fewer yards and 21 fewer points per game than they did two years ago.
TCU: Horned Frogs closed the regular season with back-to-back wins to earn their 16th bowl trip in 18 years under Gary Patterson.
LAST TIME
This is the teams’ first meeting. Schools have scheduled a home-and-home series for 2020-21.
BOWL HISTORY
California: Third appearance in Cheez-It Bowl or its previous iterations (2-0), 23rd bowl appearance (11-10-1).
TCU: First appearance in Cheez-It Bowl, 34th bowl appearance (16-16-1).
TCU closed the regular season with back-to-back victories over Baylor and Oklahoma State as part of three wins in its last four games to earn its 16th bowl trip in 18 years under head coach Gary Patterson. TCU also went to a bowl all three seasons (1998-00) when Patterson was defensive coordinator.
Over the last five seasons, TCU has the Big 12’s second-best overall record (46-19) and conference mark (30-15).
TCU and Cal will be meeting for the first time on the gridiron. The schools have scheduled a home-and-home series for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
TCU is 6-0 versus Pac-12 opponents under Patterson. Most recently, the Horned Frogs rallied from an 18-point deficit to defeat Stanford 39-37 in last year’s Valero Alamo Bowl.
TCU will be traveling to Arizona for a bowl game for the third time under Patterson. The Horned Frogs played in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl and 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against Boise State and Michigan State, respectively.
The Cheez-It Bowl will mark the 34th bowl appearance in TCU’s history. The Horned Frogs are 16-16-1 in bowl games. TCU is 12-6 in bowls with Patterson on its coaching staff and 10-6 with him as head coach. He was named head coach prior to the 2000 Mobile Alabama Bowl. Before Patterson’s arrival on campus in 1998, the Horned Frogs had just four bowl wins in their history.
TCU season-ticket holders and Frog Club members have until Wednesday at 5 p.m. to make ticket requests through the Horned Frogs Priority Points System. Requests can be made online at GoFrogs.com, calling 817.257.FROG (3764) or dropping by the Parrish Family Athletics Ticket Office in Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
GoFrogs.com__
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