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| A dramatic 35-34 comeback victory over Texas Tech on Saturday, October 26, in Fort Worth, gave TCU a two-game winning streak heading into its rivalry game against Baylor on Saturday, November 2, in Waco. See photos from TCU's win over Texas Tech: here |
By Tom C. "Midnite" Burke
TCU’s 1984 football team that broke a 20-year Horned Frogs bowl drought with a 31-14 loss to West Virginia in the Bluebonnet Bowl in the Astrodome, in Houston, Texas, was honored during TCU’s Homecoming activities in Fort Worth, Texas, this past Saturday, October 26.
The mantra of that memorable 1984 football team, under the exhuberant leadership of effervescent head coach Jim Wacker, was “unbeleeevable.”
Appropriately, 40 years later, the unpredictable Horned Frogs of 2024 responded on Homecoming Saturday with an “unbeleeevable” 35-34 second-half comeback victory over Big 12-foe Texas Tech in TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium, before an announced crowd of 42,144.
The Frogs have won consecutive conference games for the first time since their undefeated 2022 regular season. On Saturday, October 19, TCU defeated Utah, 13-7, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
See photos from TCU's win over Texas Tech: here
The Horned Frogs are 5-3 overall, 3-2 in the Big 12. TCU is tied with
Cincinnati, West Virginia and Texas Tech for fourth place in the Big 12. BYU (5-0) is in first place, followed by Iowa State (4-0). Kansas State (4-1) and Colorado (4-1) are tied for third place.
While the college football world is tuned to the battle for the first-ever 12-team college football playoff, TCU fans are left to be mesmerized by the Horned Frogs quest for their first bowl game since 2022. The Frogs now are one victory away from being bowl-eligible.
TCU’s four other victories this season have come against Stanford, Long Island University, Kansas and Utah. The Horned Frogs’ three losses have been to UCF, SMU and Houston.
In this week’s USA TODAY Sports Week 10 Ranking of 134 Division 1 football teams, TCU is 49th, three spots better than the Frogs’ 52nd ranking last week.
See this week’s USA TODAY Sports Week 10 Ranking of 134 Division 1 football teams: here
The Horned Frogs’ next game is a Big 12 Conference game against longtime rival Baylor, on Saturday, November 2, in McLane Stadium, in Waco, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm (Central). The game will be televised on ESPN2.
The loss to the Frogs dropped Texas Tech to 5-3 overall, 3-2 in the Big 12. The Red Raiders suffered their second loss in a row, following a 59-35 loss to Baylor, on October 19, in Lubbock.
Texas Tech is ranked 51st in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Week 10 Ranking of 134 Division 1 football teams.
The Red Raiders play Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, November 2, as they continue their quest to have a third straight winning season for the first time since 2008 to 2010.
These are the most exciting times for Tech fans since they were able to watch one of their most famous alums, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who now is winning Super Bowls for the Kansas City Chiefs and making Whataburger the preferred hamburger in the Kansas City metro area.
Here are results of the other Big 12 games played on Saturday, October 26:
- Oklahoma State 20 (3-5, 0-5) at Baylor 42 (4-4, 2-3)
- BYU 37 (8-0, 5-0) at UCF 24 (3-5, 1-4)
- Utah 14 (4-4, 1-4) at Houston 17 (3-5, 2-3)
- West Virginia 31 (4-4, 3-2) at Arizona 26
- Kansas 27 (2-6, 1-4) at Kansas State 29 (7-1, 4-1)
- Cincinnati 23 (5-3, 3-2) at Colorado 34 (6-2, 4-1)
- Arizona State (bye) (3-5, 1-4)
- Iowa State (bye) (7-0, 4-0)
Victory for TCU over Texas Tech looked bleak, to say the least, after the Red Raiders scored 28 unanswered points to take a 17-point lead (31-14) midway through the third quarter. In fact, with the game seemingly lost by the Frogs, Amon G. Carter Stadium quickly was becoming a ghost town, particularly in the student section.
But as if on cue, the Frogs’ offense roared to life, the defense stiffened and with 5:10 remaining in the game, TCU took its first lead over Tech since late in the first quarter.
The Frogs’ comeback began with a one-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Jeremy Payne late in the third quarter. It was Payne’s second rushing touchdown of the season.
TCU’s offensive outburst continued with an eight-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Josh Hoover to junior tight end DJ Rogers midway through the fourth quarter. The touchdown was Rogers' second career touchdown reception. His first career touchdown reception came last season at Texas Tech.
The comeback was completed offensively when junior wide receiver Eric McAlister, a transfer from Boise State, and Hoover connected on an 84-yard, game-tying touchdown pass. The extra point conversion by freshman kicker Kyle Lemmermann provided the go-ahead and deciding point in the Frogs’ 35-34 victory.
McAlister’s reception tied for the 12th-longest pass play in TCU history and was the longest since Kenny Hill hit Jalen Reagor for a 93-yard touchdown in TCU's 2017 Alamo Bowl win over Stanford.
After TCU took its 35-24 lead, Tech’s offense had two opportunities to tie or win the game. TCU’s defense both times denied the Red Raiders.
The Frogs’ biggest defensive play of the game came with 1:38 left in the game.
Tech Tech was driving for a potential game-winning field goal when senior defensive lineman Hakeem Ajijolaiya (#93) hit Tech freshman quarterback Will Hammond (#15) and forced a fumble. It was the first career forced fumble for Ajijolaiya, with the football recovered by TCU redshirt defensive lineman Markis Deal (#95) at the TCU 27-yard line.
After TCU’s offense failed to run out the game clock, Tech’s offense began a drive deep within their territory with 29 seconds remaining in the game. A fumble on the Red Raiders’ third play of the drive was recovered by TCU senior defensive lineman Caleb Fox, a transfer from Stephen F. Austin, and victory for the Horned Frogs was secured.
Because of the dramatic late-game turn of events, despondent Texas Tech fans were forced to eat their victory tortillas, instead of tossing them onto the field in celebration of a victory.
TCU's victory over Texas Tech returned the coveted Saddle Trophy to Fort Worth. It had been in Lubbock since Tech's victory over TCU last season.
The battle for the Saddle Trophy is a longtime tradition that was renewed in 2017. TCU and Tech used to compete annually in the West Texas Championship for the Saddle Trophy, before it went away in the early 1970s. Thanks to M.L. Leddy's Boots & Saddlery of Fort Worth, the Saddle Trophy returned and headed to Fort Worth after TCU's 27-3 victory in Lubbock five years ago.
The Saddle Trophy sits on a stand and includes the logos for TCU and Texas Tech. Scores for 60-plus years of the rivalry are represented on the stand.
TCU’s victory over Tech also turned Hoover from a goat into a hero.
Hoover led TCU’s comeback victory, but earlier in the game it was his two interceptions and a lost fumble during a sack that helped enable Tech to build its big lead over the Frogs.
Tech also resorted to some trickery to gain control of the game.
In the second quarter, Texas Tech was trailing 14-3 and faced fourth-and-goal from the TCU four-yard line. The Red Raiders lined up for a field goal attempt, but instead, junior punter/holder Jack Burgess (#41) took the snap and flipped the ball to senior kicker Reese Burkhardt (#38), who ran untouched four yards for a touchdown.
In celebration of his first career touchdown, Burkhardt lifted his jersey and pulled down his undershirt, which featured a handwritten message of "Trump 24! MAGA."
The remainder of the game was played without equal time being given to Kamala Harris.
Hoover completed 21-of-32 passes for 344 yards against Tech. He threw three touchdown passes, as TCU won its first game of the season in which he threw an interception. Hoover passed for at least 300 yards for the 10th time in 14 career starts and threw for at least three scores for the sixth time.
Hoover’s performance earned him one of eight Manning Award Star of the Week honors.
Hoover ranks fifth in the college football’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in passing yards, with 2,614. He is tied for fifth with 37 completions of at least 20 yards, and he is tied for eighth nationally with 19 touchdown passes.
Hoover has been named to the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2024, making him
an official candidate for the 2024 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.
Semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien Award will be announced on November 12. The
award is named after former TCU standout Davey O'Brien, who won the 1938
Heisman Trophy en route to leading the Horned Frogs to their second national
championship in four seasons. Duggan was the 2022 recipient, becoming the first
Horned Frog to win the award.
Another offensive star for the Frogs against the Red Raiders was senior wide receiver Savion Williams. Williams caught a career-long 75-yard touchdown pass from Hoover in the first quarter. It was TCU’s longest pass play of the year, before McAlister's 84-yard scoring grab. Williams had three receptions for 81 yards against Tech.
Williams also scored a touchdown on a 35-yard run. The run was the longest carry of Williams' career and the longest rush by a Horned Frog this season. Williams topped TCU in rushing for the second straight game with his second consecutive 72-yard effort.
Williams’ performance earned him a Texas Star of the Week honor by the Shrine Bowl.
Senior wide receiver JP Richardson, a transfer from Oklahoma State, had four receptions for 35 yards to give him at least one catch in 35 consecutive games, tying for the seventh-longest streak in the nation.
Texas Tech had 438 yards of total offense; 180 rushing yards and 258 passing yards.
TCU’s defense held Tech to three points in the fourth quarter.
The Frogs’ defense also held Texas Tech senior running back Tahj Brooks, who is one of the country’s best running backs, to 121 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries. Brooks was held to his lowest yards-per-carry average (4.0) of the season and his explosiveness was limited to a long run of 12 yards.
Brooks has run for at least 95 yards in 18 consecutive games, including 15 with at least 100 yards. The only Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) player since 1996 with a longer streak was 19 in a row by Minnesota's Mohamed Ibrahim from 2020-22.
The Red Raiders’ starting quarterback, junior Behren Morton, completed
13-of-22 passes for 137 yards. He was sacked once, during which he was injured
and forced from the game. He did not play during the game’s second half. After the game, he was seen with his left arm in a sling.
Hammond was the Red Raiders’ quarterback for the second half of the game.
Playing in his first meaningful action of his college career, Hammond started strong, completing his first nine passes. He then completed one-of-six passes. He was 10-of-15 for 121 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and he ran for one touchdown. He was sacked once.
TCU junior linebacker Devean Deal, a transfer from Tulane, and senior
linebacker Namdi Obiazor led the Frogs’ defense with nine tackles each.
Deal also had a sack, which gave him a team-best 3.5 on the season. He has three
sacks in the last two games.
Redshirt defensive lineman Zachary Chapman recorded his third sack of the
season, placing him second on the team behind Deal.
Junior safety Bud Clark's eight tackles were one shy of a career-high nine, set
last season against Colorado.
- TCU-Texas Tech box score: here
- TCU-Texas Tech game highlights: here
- TCU head football coach Sony Dykes discusses the TCU win: here
- Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire discusses the Tech loss: here
Rivalry Game in Waco
Are the Horned Frogs trending in the right direction after two straight wins?
We’ll see on Saturday, when TCU plays surging Big 12-rival Baylor in Waco. With a win, the Horned Frogs will achieve their first three-game winning streak of the season and lock up a bowl bid.
“We’re going to have to play better,” Dykes said. “If we’re going to make any noise, we have to play better. I’m excited and anxious for us to play a good football game on offense and defense together. We haven’t done that yet, but I’m excited about what this team can be if we can get to that point where it can happen.”
With 119 games played, TCU has faced Baylor more than any other opponent in the Frogs' football history.
TCU has a 59-53-7 series lead over Baylor. The Horned Frogs are 30-24-1 on the road against the Bears and 29-29-4 at home. Both neutral-site meetings saw the teams play to a tie.
The Horned Frogs have won the past four meetings with Baylor and eight of the last nine in the series.
Since beginning Big 12 Conference play in 2012, TCU is 9-3 against Baylor, with a 5-1 mark in Waco and a 4-2 record in Fort Worth.
Last fall, student government leaders at TCU and Baylor established the Bluebonnet Battle as the name of the annual rivalry football game between the schools and created a trophy for the winner.
Because of this rivalry history, TCU and Baylor are one of just four protected annual games in the Big 12 scheduling matrix.
Last season, on November 18, in Fort Worth, TCU defeated Baylor 42-17.
The last time the Horned Frogs and Bears played in Waco was in 2022. The game was one of the most epic in the rivalry as TCU used a last second walk-off field goal to avoid an upset against the Bears that would’ve likely kept the Frogs out of the playoffs. Ultimately, TCU played in the national championship game against Georgia.
With the final seconds ticking away in McLane Stadium and Baylor fans giddy about a possible victory over the Frogs, TCU’s field goal unit ran onto the field and Griffin Kell kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired for a 29-28 win to keep the Horned Frogs undefeated at 11-0 (TCU’s play call for such a moment is Bazooka).
Like TCU, Baylor is coming into Saturday’s game on a two-game winning streak; a 59-35 road win over Texas Tech and a 38-28 home victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday, October 26, which was Baylor’s Homecoming.
Baylor is promoting Satruday's game against TCU as a blackout.
The Bears are 4-4, 2-3 in the Big 12. BU is tied with Houston for sixth in the conference.
Baylor’s two other wins both came at home, against Tarleton (45-3) and Air Force (31-3).
The Bears’ other three losses have been at #11 Utah (23-12), at Colorado (38-31 OT) and at home against #22 BYU (34-28).
Offensively, in the Big 12, Baylor ranks:
- Third in scoring, averaging 33.1 points per game.
- Eighth in total offense, averaging 409.4 yards per game
- Seventh in rushing offense, averaging 176 yards per game
- Ninth in passing offense, averaging 233.4 yards per game
The Bears have scored 32 touchdowns; 20 through the air and 12 on the ground. They have given up 10 sacks.
Baylor’s offense is led by redshirt junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson (#13), a transfer from Mississippi State prior to the 2023 season. He is ninth in the Big 12 in passing. He has completed 116-of-193 passes for 1,541 yards. He has thrown 17 touchdown passes and four interceptions.
Robertson also is a runner. He has rushed for over 200 yards and has four rushing touchdowns.
Robertson is backed up by sixth-year senior quarterback Dequan Finn (#7), a transfer from the University of Toledo. He has played in three games. He has completed 23-of-43 passes for 307 yards. He has thrown three touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Redshirt freshman running back Bryson Washington (#30) is 12th in the Big 12 in rushing. He has carried the football 70 times for 380 yards. He is averaging 63.3 rushing yards per game and 5.4 yards per rush. He has three rushing touchdowns and a long run of 44 yards.
Sophomore running back Dawson Pendergrass (#35) and junior running back Richard Reese (#29) provide depth in the backfield and have helped the Bears improve their rushing yards per game average by nearly 60 yards over last season.
Six Bears have at least 12 catches on the season, led by redshirt junior wide receiver Josh Cameron (#34). Cameron leads the Bears in receptions, (25), receiving yards (365) and receiving touchdowns (seven).
Fifth year wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins (#6) has 346 receiving yards and has caught three touchdown passes.
Senior wide receiver Hal Presley (#16) also has at least 300 receiving yards on the year redshirt junior tight end Michael Trigg (#1), an Ole Miss transfer has a career-high in 227 receiving yards.
Senior wide receiver Monaray Baldwin (#4), who has game-breaking speed, has only 12 catches for 158 yards.
Baylor, which had one of the worst defenses in the country last season, has shown modest improvement this season.
Defensively, in the Big 12, Baylor ranks:
- 12th in total offense defense, allowing 365 total yards per game, while allowing a total of 23 touchdowns to opponents.
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10th in scoring defense, allowing 25.9 points per game. The Bears have given up at least 28 points in five of their six Big 12 games.
- Eighth in rushing offense, allowing 149 rushing yards per game, while allowing a total of nine rushing touchdowns to opponents.
- 10th in passing offense, allowing 216 passing yards per game, while allowing a total of 14 passing touchdowns to opponents.
BU’s defense has recorded 17 sacks and intercepted seven passes.
Sixth year senior linebacker Matt Jones (#2) is second in Big 12 with 72 tackles. He averages nine tackles per game. He has recorded three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.
Jones was named the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Week last week for his performance in the Bears’ win over Oklahoma State. He recorded 12 tackles, a sack and three tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble.
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Keaton Thomas (#11) is sixth in Big 12 with 64 tackles. He averages eight tackles per game. He has gotten one sack.
Sixth-year senior outside linebacker Steve Linton (#10) has three sacks and seven tackles for loss.
Sixth-year senior outside linebacker Garmon Randolph (#5) has 3.5 sacks.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Treven Ma’ae (#9) has 2.5 sacks.
Redshirt sophomore safety Corey Gordon (#24), Jr., has intercepted two passes.
Baylor’s punter is sophomore Palmer Williams (#94). He averages 51.14 yards per punt. He has a long punt of 79 yards. He has not had a punt blocked this season.
Redshirt junior Isaiah Hankins (#98) is the Bears’ field-goal kicker. He has made nine-of-12 field goal attempts. He has a long field goal of 51 yards. He has had one field goal attempt blocked this season.
Dykes talks about Baylor: here
Baylor head football coach talks about TCU: here
Baylor is an early three-point favorite over TCU. The over/under for total points scored in the game is 64.5 points.
