TCU Football: Horned Frogs Advance to National Championship in Win Over Michigan
As I begin to write about the craziness that was the Fiesta Bowl, I find myself still recovering and in complete shock that I am saying this: The TCU Horned Frogs are headed to the national championship. A distant dream has suddenly become a reality. A Cinderella story that is one win away from greatness.
TCU's defense stepped up big in the early going. A turnover on downs at the goal line and a pick six by Bud Clark quickly shifted the momentum in favor of the Frogs. A one yard touchdown by Max Duggan and TCU jumped out to a 14-0 lead.
An extremely controversial call came early in the second quarter when Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson was ruled short of the goal line after a heave by J.J. McCarthy. On the ensuing play, Kalel Munnings coughed up the football and was recovered by Bud Clark.
The Frogs went to the half with a 21-6 lead. The third quarter was an offensive slugfest. 44 combined points and both teams were trading punches. It was the end of the third quarter when Michigan gained a huge momentum swing. Mullings punched it in from one yard out to cut the TCU lead to 11 and a costly fumble by Emari Demercado set the Wolverines up perfectly.
A touchdown reduced the lead to three. However on the next possession on a massive third down, Quentin Johnston happened. The star wide receiver took the pass from Duggan 76 yards to the house and I think all Frog fans took a collective deep breath. That seemed to be the theme of this contest. For every punch that Michigan threw, TCU had an answer.
A touchdown by Michigan late narrowed the score to 51-45. The TCU offense chewed some clock but McCarthy had an opportunity to tie the game. The Frogs defense held and ended the game. Michigan's defense had been so strong all season long. It came as quite a shocker to see them get beat time and time again and especially on the ground.
The scoreboard may reflect that the TCU defense played poor. But, the play of Dylan Horton, Dee Winters and Bud Clark proved to be pivotal. McCarthy was uncomfortable a lot during this game and the defense created a lot of opportunities for the offense.
| Stat Leaders | TCU | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
Passing | Max Duggan: 14-29, 225 yds, 2 TD, 2 INTs | J.J. McCarthy: 20-34, 343 yds, 2 TD, 2 INTs |
Rushing | Emari Demercado: 17 car, 150 yds, 1 TD | Donovan Edwards: 23 car, 119 yds |
Receiving | Quentin Johnston: 6 rec, 163 yds, 1 TD | Ronnie Bell: 6 rec, 135 yds, 1 TD |
It was a historical win for TCU. It's their first national championship appearance since 1938. They await the winner of the Peach Bowl between Ohio State and Georgia to square off at So-Fi Stadium.
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