Hyperbole aside, TCU’s Dalton is not too good to be true

He is the one who doesn't leave the field until every autograph is signed, the one who reads to kids, the one who volunteers at youth football camps, the one who created an on-campus ministry that draws 600 students each Monday night.

Sometimes it all seems too good to be true about Texas Christian senior quarterback Andy Dalton, and sometimes it is because even the simplest acts get magnified and embellished.

The truth is, even Dalton has days when he's not at his best. He certainly wasn't in last season's Fiesta Bowl, throwing three interceptions in the Horned Frogs' humbling 17-10 loss to Boise State.

It's a memory he carried into this season.

"We want to get back there," Dalton said in July. TCU players aren't allowed to give in-season interviews to media in opposing cities. "We want to prove that we can get to that game and win it."

Dalton has the Horned Frogs on the right path, leading them to an 8-0 record and No. 4 national ranking. They have beaten their four Mountain West Conference opponents by a combined 141-10 this month, entering Saturday's 8 p.m. game against UNLV (1-6, 1-2) at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Dalton, last season's Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,635 yards and 14 touchdowns, with five interceptions.

TCU coach Gary Patterson, however, said the true test of how much Dalton took away from the Fiesta Bowl experience will be shown in the Horned Frogs' final four games of the regular season.

"We'll probably go as Andy Dalton goes," Patterson said. "If he thinks it's important and he plays at a high level, then we'll probably have a chance to win more of those games than we lose."

Dalton has spent his four seasons as TCU's starting quarterback, winning far more games than he has lost. His 37 victories lead the nation and are a TCU record, beating out the legendary Sammy Baugh's mark of 29.

UNLV's best hope to keep Saturday's game at least somewhat close is if the Frogs look ahead to next week's Mountain West showdown at No. 8 Utah.

But Dalton also knows each week is a test with voters, who would be disappointed with anything short of a rout of the Rebels.

The expectations each week are high for the Frogs and for Dalton, who wakes up every morning knowing eyeballs are drawn to him whether he's holding a football or walking to class.

Dalton was driving home more than a year ago when he saw a woman waving her arms at him. She was training for a marathon with her dog, which collapsed seven miles into the run. So Dalton provided the dog water, then gave the pet and the woman a ride to her car.

The story made its way around Fort Worth, Texas, and became greater with each retelling. Dalton, some said, breathed life back into the dog.

It's part of being a star quarterback on one of the nation's top teams in one of the most passionate football markets, where the stadium is packed and the downtown lights are purple.

"Fort Worth," Dalton said, "has bought into TCU."

Considering how long it took Fort Worth fans to warm up, that seems too good to be true.

But with Dalton, the simple truth is proving to be good enough.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.