The No. 19 Horned Frogs ended their regular season in dramatic fashion Friday night, knocking off the No. 7 Baylor Bears 28-21 in double overtime in a rain-soaked affair at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
It was the first time since 2012 that TCU defeated their arch-rivals from Waco, who handed the Frogs their only loss of the season last year.
This time around it was TCU’s turn to rush the field, as the Frogs’ defense stopped Baylor on 4th and 1 in double overtime to seal the victory, capping off a second consecutive undefeated season at home for the Frogs.
“We ran a play that we didn’t work all week, but we brought in the corners and somehow one of them got a hold of his legs,” TCU head coach Gary Patterson said. “I guess sometimes practice is overrated.”
TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin finished the night with 148 passing yards, recording two touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown in his return after missing last week’s game against Oklahoma with an ankle injury.
“Games like this is what we come out here for, and we were able to come out with a victory tonight,” Boykin said.
Outside linebacker Ty Summers had a banner night after being ejected from the Oklahoma game for targeting, recording a TCU single game record of 23 tackles. Senior tailback Aaron Green capped off his final home game as a Horned Frog with 77 rushing yards.
After the start time was delayed 50 minutes due to lightning in the area, the game was a low scoring affair as the rain poured down on Amon G. Carter Stadium throughout the evening. The ballgame featured seven turnovers, including four lost Baylor fumbles, and 23 punts between the two teams.
“All game long it was just hard for us to find a rhythm with the ball and for us to come out with a win like this is just unbelievable,” Boykin said.
Baylor, who started third string quarterback Chris Johnson, struck first on the opening drive of the game when Devin Chafin ran into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown, giving the Bears a 7-0 lead. The Frogs would respond on the ensuing drive when Trevone Boykin found Jarrison Stewart for a 25-yard touchdown to knot the game at 7-7.
Baylor would regain the lead soon after when Chafin recorded another rushing touchdown to put the Bears out in front 14-7. That would be final time Baylor scored before overtime.
The defense came through in the 2nd quarter for the Frogs, when Josh Carraway recovered a Chris Johnson fumble for a 56-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14-14. That score would hold all the way until the end of regulation, sending the contest into overtime. It was the first time either team had been shut out for an entire half all season.
One overtime would not be enough to settle the contest, as both teams struck for touchdowns on their first possessions. The Frogs began the second overtime with another score when Boykin found a wide-open KaVonte Turpin in the end zone for a touchdown, giving TCU a 28-21 lead. That would be enough to give the Frogs the win, as the defense came through to stop the Bears on 4th down on the ensuing drive.
“What stood out tonight was not the ballgame itself, but the guys who played in it,” Patterson said.
TCU students stormed the field as the their team defeated the Bears for the first time in three years. The Frogs eliminated Baylor from Big 12 title contention with the victory.
“I didn’t think they were going to rush the field like that,” running back Kyle Hicks said. “That’s only the second time I’ve seen them do that. That’s what we do it for though. We do it for the fans.”
Baylor’s 21 points scored on the evening was their lowest point total since 2013. The Bears were also held to only 335 yards of offense on the night.
The Frogs finish the season with a 10-2 overall record and a 7-2 Big 12 record. The Big 12 conference champion will be decided tomorrow night when Oklahoma State hosts Oklahoma in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on ABC.
