No. 13 TCU stays unbeaten with 43-40 OT win over No. 8 Oklahoma State
TCU is the lone remaining unbeaten team in the Big 12.
The No. 13 Horned Frogs came back to beat No. 8 Oklahoma State, 43-40, in two overtimes on Saturday thanks to a short TD run by Kendre Miller after a gutsy run by QB Max Duggan. TCU got the game-winning score after Oklahoma State had to settle for a 52-yard field goal to start the second overtime and the teams traded touchdowns in the first OT.
TCU (6-0) scored 14 consecutive points in the fourth quarter after Oklahoma State (5-1) kicked a field goal to take a 30-16 lead in the third quarter.
The Horned Frogs cut the lead to seven with 9:22 to go on a three-yard run by Kendre Miller. After the teams traded punts, TCU went 94 yards in eight plays to score with 1:57 to go and tie the game. Oklahoma State went three-and-out on its ensuing possession before TCU also couldn’t get a first down ahead of overtime.
TCU’s comeback came as Oklahoma State’s offense struggled to do anything over the second half. Oklahoma State had 24 points with more than 10 minutes to go in the second quarter with a little assistance from a TCU muffed punt. But the Cowboys could only muster two field goals in the second half and TCU’s offense finally got cooking.
Quentin Johnston had his second big game in a row for the Horned Frogs. Johnston had 14 catches for 206 yards a week ago against Kansas and followed that up with seven catches for 155 yards in regulation. Johnston caught a TD pass from Duggan in the first overtime that briefly looked like it would be the game-winning score. But Oklahoma State converted on fourth down to extend its possession and scored to push the game to a second OT.
OSU’s offense sputters in the second half
Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders completed just two of his last 13 passes over the second half and overtime. Sanders got a huge completion when he found a wide open Braydon Johnson to the TCU 1 to set up the game-tying TD in the first overtime. But Sanders threw three incomplete passes in the second overtime and underthrew a potential TD in the fourth quarter.
Sanders had an open receiver streaking toward the end zone with the Cowboys up 30-23 but the pass was intercepted by Bud Clark with less than eight minutes to go. The teams then traded punts before TCU went on its game-tying drive.
Sanders finished the game 16-of-36 for 245 yards and a TD and an interception. He also rushed 11 times for 68 yards and two scores, but Oklahoma State couldn’t muster any other threat on the ground. Dominic Richardson rushed 22 times for just 72 yards and was also the team’s leading receiver with three catches for 79 yards.
How far can TCU go?
The Horned Frogs are now 3-0 in the conference and join Kansas State as the only teams in the Big 12 who don’t have a conference loss. And guess what? The two purple-clad teams meet in Week 8 to make sure the Big 12 will have just one team without a conference loss through the first eight weeks of the season.
TCU’s rebound in Sonny Dykes’ first season has been spurred on by Duggan’s efficiency and a running game that features a heavy dose of Miller and a splash of Emari Demarcate. Miller has 578 rushing yards and eight touchdowns through the first six weeks of the season while Duggan has thrown 16 touchdowns.
The emergence of Johnston gives TCU a three-headed monster on offense that few teams in the Big 12 can counter. But how will the defense hold up over the second half of the season? That may determine how far TCU goes.
The Horned Frogs are a throwback Big 12 team of sorts. TCU has given up at least 31 points in three of its last four games. Kansas State will present a tough test on the ground for TCU’s run defense. If the Horned Frogs can keep Adrian Martinez and Deuce Vaughn contained, then the path to the Big 12 title game looks pretty open with just one more ranked team remaining on the schedule.
