TCU-Cal Game Photos

 

Photos by Tom C. "Midnite" Burke

(photos above and below) Here come the Frogs! With an American flag in hand, TCU sophomore tight end Dominic Dinunzio (#84), of Cleveland, Ohio, led the Frogs out of the tunnel and onto the field on September 11, 2021, against the Cal Golden Bears.

(photos above and below) The TCU Block T Honorary Captain was Boyd Milby (center). A native of Paris, Texas, Milby starred for the Horned Frogs on the offensive line from 1991-1994. He helped lead the Frogs to the 1994 Southwest Conference title. TCU's game captains were Dee Winters (#13), Ochuan Mathis (#32), Steve Avila (#79) and Max Duggan (#15). The Block T is TCU's organization for athletic letterwinners. Learn about the Block T: here

(photos above and below) Under the direction of Offensive Coordinator Doug Meacham (black shirt), TCU's offense against Cal totaled 505 yards; 271 yards rushing and 235 yards passing. Much of the offensive load was carried by quarterback Max Duggan (#15), receiver Blair Conwright (#22) and running backs Zach Evans (#6) and Kendre Miller (#33). TCU's 505 yards of offense were its most in a game since totaling 549 in a 2019 win at Texas Tech.

(photos above and below) Against California, TCU sophomore running back Zach Evans (#6) set a career high with 190 yards rushing on 22 carries. TCU hasn’t had a player rush for at least 190 yards since Sewo Olonilua had 194 yards against Cal in the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl. Evans also had a rushing touchdown against Cal. His performance earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

(photos above and below) With 11 seconds remaining in the first half of the game against California, TCU running back Zach Evans scored a touchdown on a 51-yard run. Cal's lead was cut to 19-14 at halftime. Evans is the first Horned Frog since Sewo Olonilua in 2019 with a rushing touchdown in four consecutive contests.

(photos above and below) TCU junior quarterback Max Duggan (#15) completed 17-of-31 passes for 234 yards. Duggan's 17 completions were spread among nine receivers. Duggan tied a career-high, set on two previous occasions, with three touchdown passes. He had one pass intercepted, which was returned for a  touchdown by Cal safety Daniel Scott in the second quarter, to give Cal a 12-0 lead. Duggan totaled 305 yards of offense; 234 yards passing and 71 yards rushing.

(photos above and below) Against California, TCU quarterback Max Duggan (#15) rushed 19 times for 71 yards. He had a nine-yard touchdown run with 5:47 remaining in the fourth quarter which proved to be the winning points for the Frogs as it increased TCU's lead to 34-26. Duggan totaled 305 yards of offense; 234 yards passing and 71 yards rushing. 

(photos above and below) TCU sophomore wide receiver Quentin Johnston (#1) caught a team-best five passes for 95 yards against Cal. He had two touchdown receptions, an 18-yarder and a 45-yarder. Johnston's two touchdown catches equaled his career total entering the game. He became the first Horned Frog with two scoring grabs in a contest since Pro Wells last season at Kansas.

(photos above and below) In the second quarter against Cal, TCU sophomore wide receiver Blair Conwright (#22) caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Max Duggan. The touchdown reception was Conwright's first of the season and second of his career. In the game, Conwright caught three passes for 52 yards.

(photos above and below) TCU sophomore running back Kendre Miller (#33) carried the football four times for 18 yards in the game against Cal.

(photos above and below) Against Cal, TCU receiver/returner JD Spielman (#10) ran with the football two times for five yards, caught one pass for nine yards and returned two kickoffs for 35 yards. Spielman's reception extended his streak with a catch to 38 consecutive games, third-longest in the nation. It also represents every game in his collegiate career.

(photos above and below) Against the Golden Bears, TCU receiver/returner Derius Davis (#11) only was able to return one punt for eight yards. He ran the football one time, for no gain. 

TCU sophomore wide receiver Savion Williams (#18) caught one pass against Cal.

Four successful extra-point conversions by TCU kicker Griffin Kell were key in TCU's 34-32 victory over Cal, because the Golden Bears muffed an extra-point kick and failed on two two-point conversion attempts. Kell, unfortunately, missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter. For his TCU career, Kell now is 16-of-23 on field-goals.

(photos above and below) TCU head coach Gary Patterson had to have his Horned Frogs defense come up with several key defensive plays for TCU to eke out a 34-32 victory over Cal. Dating back to last season, TCU has won its last five games for the seventh-longest active winning streak in the nation. The Horned Frogs have won seven of their last eight games. TCU is 2-0 for the 13th time in Patterson’s 21 seasons as head coach. Under Patterson, TCU is 8-0 against Pac-12 teams. Only two of those games have been at home. Patterson is 9-0 against Pac-12 teams if you count TCU's 1998 Sun Bowl win over USC, when Patterson was the Frogs' defensive coordinator.

(photos above and below) Against the Horned Frogs, Cal redshirt senior quarterback Chase Garbers (#7) completed 16-of-27 passes for 309 yards. He threw two touchdown passes and no interceptions. He also ran seven times for 43 yards. Garbers started for the Bears against TCU in the 218 Cheez-It Bowl that the Horned Frogs won 10-7 in overtime. In that game, Garbers completed 12-of-19 passes for 93 yards, and he threw three interceptions.

California had 133 rushing yards against TCU. Sophomore running back Damien Moore (#28, top photo) had 71 yards on 14 carries. He scored two rushing touchdowns. Tough TCU defense limited senior running back Christopher Brooks (#34, bottom photo) to one yard on two carries.

(photos above and below) TCU’s defense limited Cal senior wide receiver Nikko Remigio (#4) to four receptions for 16 yards and one touchdown.

Golden Bears senior wide receiver Trevon Clark (#80) beat TCU junior cornerback C.J. Ceasar (#9) on a reception that went for a Golden Bears touchdown. Clark caught two passes for 122 yards. Cal had five pass plays that gained at least 28 yards, including two of more than 50 yards each on touchdown drives.

After giving up the touchdown catch by Cal receiver Trevon Clark, TCU cornerback C.J. Ceasar received some coaching on the TCU bench from head coach Gary Patterson.

Cal quarterback Chase Garbers (#7) is pressured by TCU defensive end Dylan Horton (#98) and TCU defensive tackle Terrell Cooper (#95). Horton and Cooper had three and two tackles in the game, respectively.

TCU defensive end Ochaun Mathis (#32) blocks a pass thrown by Cal quarterback Chase Garbers (#7). Against Cal, Mathis had two tackles.

TCU junior linebacker Dee Winters (#13) sacks Cal quarterback Chase Garbers (#7). In addition to the sack, Winters had a team-best eight tackles, including 1.5 with a loss.

TCU senior safety La'Kendrick Van Zandt (#20) disrupts the passing of Cal quarterback Chase Garbers (#7). Against the Golden Bears, Van Zandt had his first sack of the season and second of his career.

(photos above and below) TCU senior safety La'Kendrick Van Zandt (#20) and junior linebacker Wyatt Harris (#25) stop Cal running back Christopher Brooks on a fourth-and-one play in the first quarter. Wyatt and his brother, senior offensive guard Wes Harris, were in the starting lineup in the same game for the first time.

(photos above and below) After Cal had scored a touchdown to cut the TCU lead to 34-32 with just over four minutes left in the game, the TCU defense stiffened and defensive end Ochaun Mathis (#32) and defensive tackle Patrick Jenkins (#91) denied Cal running back Damien Moore (#28) the end zone on a two-point conversion attempt. 

After the TCU defense denied Cal the game-tying two-point conversion, the TCU offense was able to grind out three first downs and end the game in the victory formation.

TCU head coach Gary Patterson and California head coach Justin Wilcox (right) meet at midfield after the Horned Frogs' 34-32 victory.

The TCU band, cheerleaders, Showgirls, fans, players and coaches celebrate the Frogs' 34-32 victory by singing the Alma Mater.

TCU gets to enjoy its 34-32 victory over Cal for a while. The Frogs have a bye on Saturday, September 18. TCU's next game is against SMU at 11 am (Central) on Saturday, September 25, in Amon G. Carter Stadium. It will be the 100th meeting between the two schools who last played each other in 2019. The 2020 scheduled game was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols. In 2019, in Fort Worth, SMU secured the Iron Skillet with a 41-38 victory.