Portland St. @ Texas Christian preview

THE STORY: No. 20 TCU dropped from the rankings briefly following its season-opening loss at Baylor, but now the Horned Frogs have won two in a row despite an abnormally leaky defense. The nation’s leader in total defense each of the past three seasons, TCU ranks 103rd this year, giving up 431 yards per game. Portland State is only an FCS program, but the Vikings have been electric on offense in wins over Southern Oregon and Northern Arizona and lead the FCS in rushing. This is the first meeting between the schools. TCU has won its last four games against FCS opponents by an average score of 58-12.

TV: None. Line: None

ABOUT PORTLAND STATE (2-0, 1-0 Big Sky): With two wins, the Vikings have already matched their season win total from 2010 when they finished 2-9. Portland State has lost seven in a row and is 2-26 all-time against FBS opponents, with the lone wins coming in 2006 against New Mexico and 2000 against Hawaii. The Vikings run a Pistol offense that paces the FCS in rushing at 348 yards per game. Running back Cory McCaffrey is the most dynamic threat; he's averaging 145 yards a game and has scored seven TDs.

ABOUT TCU (2-1, 1-0 Mountain West): After an opening-week loss to Baylor, the Horned Frogs have responded with a pair of dominant wins, defeating Air Force by 16 points and Louisiana-Monroe by 21. Last week’s victory was the 100th of coach Gary Patterson’s career, and he's now just 10 wins shy of breaking Dutch Meyer’s school record. The Horned Frogs' defense is far from the dominant unit it was in 2010, but they’ve made strides since allowing 50 points to Baylor in the opener. Against Louisiana-Monroe, TCU yielded 314 yards, including just 82 yards rushing. Offensively, first-year quarterback Casey Pachall has been efficient. His current 69 percent completion rate would be a TCU record, and he's thrown seven TDs against one INT.

EXTRA POINTS

1. TCU has won 21 straight home games, third-longest streak in the nation behind Oklahoma (37) and Boise State (32).

2. The Horned Frogs have allowed 17 or more points in each of their first three games. Last year, they gave up 17 or more points four times all season.

3. Portland State lost to Arizona State and Oregon last year by a combined score of 123-9.

PREDICTION: TCU 48, Portland State 10 -- The Vikings can run the ball, but they won't have that luxury playing from way behind.