TCU coach Gary Patterson was expected to address the suspension of starting quarterback Casey Pachall today during a press conference. And, indeed, it has fallen in line with what Texas safety and former high school teammate Kenny Vaccaro said Monday.
Pachall will be taking time off and will not play for TCU the rest of the 2012 season. Pachall has dis-enrolling from the university this semester and will enroll in a drug/alcohol treatment center. There is an option for him to return during the upcoming spring. Pachall is a redshirt junior and has one season of eligibility left.
“We want to make sure we can make this turn into a positive,” Patterson said. “Casey’s parents, Casey and I, we all agreed that there was only one way to change the path he was on - to step away from it.
“I don’t think (suspending Pachall) one game or three games would have made any difference. You have to change a kid’s life. For us this was the best decision, for both of us. We both get a chance to heal. We are going to still try to win games; we won them before we had Casey Pachall as quarterback.”
Pachall was suspended indefinitely last week after being arrested on a suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Pachall has previously admitted to failing a drug test and using cocaine. For all involved, there’s no doubt this decision is the right one.
Replacing Pachall will be backup Trevone Boykin. In a 37-23 loss to Iowa State last Saturday -- the first game without Pachall this season -- Boykin threw three interceptions.
(Hat tip: Fort Worth Star-Telegram)