TCU Football: Horned Frogs Keep Playoff Hopes Alive in Thriller Over Baylor
TCU went into its final offensive possession without their top three weapons: Quentin Johnston, Kendre Miller and Derius Davis. It all rode on the shoulders of Max Duggan to put this team in field position and win the game. He did just that.
The Horned Frogs moved to 11-0 thanks to a 40-yard field goal off the foot of Griffin Kell stunning Baylor 29-28. It was not an easy win for TCU on the road against a Baylor team that was seeking vengeance from last year's matchup.
Baylor got off to a quick start running the ball effectively against this TCU defense. An 11-play, 76-yard touchdown drive capped off by a Qualan Jones 10-yard touchdown made it 7-0 Bears.
The teams were locked at 14 when Baylor had an opportunity to take the lead before the half. However, Blake Shapen threw a costly interception to Bud Clark to keep the game tied.
The Frogs took the lead when Duggan found a wide open Gunnar Henderson for a 26-yard score. Kell could not convert the PAT which changed the complexity of the game. Baylor took the lead 21-20 and would eventually extend its lead to 28-20.
TCU cut the lead to two after an Emari Demercado touchdown but the Frogs were unable to get the two-point conversion. The defense came up with a stop and Duggan drove the offense into field-goal range.
After a bizzare call on third down to run the ball, the field goal unit had to hurry onto the field to convert the game winner. All of TCU nation held their breath as the ball went in the air, but Griffin Kell prevailed.
Head Coach Sonny Dykes said, "We call it the Bazooka, we practice it every Thursday. We had faith that Griffin would be ready." It looked like they had practiced this moment because the players got set really fast and Kell delivered the most important kick of his career.
| Team Leaders | TCU | Baylor |
|---|---|---|
Passing | Max Duggan: 24/35 327 yds, 1 TD 1 INT | Blake Shapen: 21/30 269 yds, 1 TD 1 INT |
Rushing | Kendre Miller: 10 car, 41 yds 1 TD | Craig Williams: 19 car, 112 yds |
Receiving | Taye Barber: 5 rec 108 yds | Monaray Baldwin: 6 rec 123 yds |
Defense | Mark Perry: 7 tackles, 1 TFL | Devin Lemear: 9 tackles, 1 PD |
It was an incredibly hard-fought game from both sides. The TCU defense struggled against the run and Baylor did a good job of keeping TCU's offense off the field. They never struggled to move the ball down the field and all hope seemed lost. But like so many times this season, TCU refuses to go away and another comeback secures their 11th consecutive win.
The Frogs are 11-0 for the fourth time in its history. They will host one final home game against Iowa State next Saturday before playing in the Big 12 championship in Arlington. However, TCU's aspirations reach much higher and they moved one step closer to reaching the CFB playoff.
Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Killer Frogs message board community today!
Follow KillerFrogs on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest TCU news! Follow KillerFrogs on Facebook and Instagram as well. Download the KillerFrogs app on Google Play or in the Apple App Store.
