TCU vs Louisiana: Halftime Report

TCU leads the Ragin' Cajuns at the half 27-0 in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl.

TCU's Eric McAlister with touchdown pass from Josh Hoover in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl. / TCU Football X

1st Half Highlights:

It was an excellent half for the Horned Frogs, especially Josh Hoover, who surpassed TCU legends Max Duggan and Trevone Boykin to claim the number one spot in school history for passing yards in a single season. Remarkably, the Frogs achieved this without their two star receivers, Savion Williams and Jack Bech, who were sidelined due to injury.

TCU’s final game of the season began with a dominant opening drive, capped by a touchdown to DJ Rogers, making the score 7-0. Josh Hoover orchestrated the offense flawlessly, distributing passes to Eric McAlister, Jordyn Bailey, and J.P. Richardson. Trent Battle’s strong carries in the beginning also helped open up the passing game, while tight end Drake Dabney set the tone early with key contributions. Louisiana opened up their first drive with a few good plays, including a big-time throw from Ben Wooldridge to Jacob Bernard. However, the Frogs held them to a 54-yard field goal attempt that they missed just right.

Josh Hoover and his unstoppable receivers fueled TCU’s second drive. Nate Palmer chipped in with a couple of solid runs, earning a first down. However, K.C. Osai stepped up to hold the Frogs for three straight plays. On fourth down, Hoover danced away from pressure and delivered a perfect touchdown pass to Eric McAlister, pushing the lead to 14-0. The Frogs' defense once again stepped up, forcing Louisiana to punt in their next drive.

The Frogs had a few strong plays but were finally slowed by Louisiana’s defense. A huge sack by Antoine Baylis forced Kyle Lemmerman to step in and nail a 45-yard field goal, extending the lead to 17-0. Zylan Perry provided a spark for the Ragin Cajuns with a few solid runs, but a series of penalties derailed their momentum, forcing another punt.

Josh Hoover delivered another sharp performance, completing 5 of 6 passes with excellent connections to Drake Dabney and Eric McAlister. However, the Frogs were stalled in the red zone, leading to another Kyle Lemmerman field goal to extend the lead to 20-0. TCU’s defense continued its dominance, forcing Louisiana into yet another three-and-out. The Horned Frogs' defensive line has been outstanding throughout the game.

For the first time in the game, the Frogs were stopped on offense, bringing out Ethan Craw for his first punt. However, the defense quickly turned the tide as Abe Camara jumped in to deflect Wooldridge’s pass, and Cam Smith capitalized with an interception, giving the ball right back to TCU.

TCU faced a tough stand, being stopped on three straight plays, but once again opted to go for it on fourth-and-two. Josh Hoover delivered a perfectly executed screen pass to J.P. Richardson for a 20-yard gain, setting the single-season passing yards record in TCU history. Hoover capped the drive with a touchdown, extending the lead to 27-0.

The Ragin’ Cajuns regained possession but were forced into a quick three-and-out, handing the ball back to TCU with 20 seconds remaining. However, the Frogs were unable to capitalize. Despite this, TCU played a near-flawless half.

Halftime Score: TCU- 27, Louisiana- 0

Scoring Summary	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	Total
TCU	14	13	27
Louisiana	0	0	0

Halftime Stats:

Team Stats	TCU	Louisiana
Total Yards	269	68
Passing Yards	218	21
Rushing Yards	44	47
1st Downs	14	3
3rd Down Efficiency	5-10	1-6
4th Down Efficiency	2-2	0-0
Turnovers	0	1
Sacks	1	1
Penalties	1-10	3-25

Key Players of the First Half:

• Josh Hoover: 17/25 218 yds, 3 td
• Eric McAlister: 8 Rec for 87 yds, 1 td
• Drake Dabney: 3 Rec for 73 yds
• J.P. Richardson: 4 Rec for 47 yds, 1 td
• D.J. Rogers: 1 Rec 3 yds, 1d
• Cam Smith: 1 INT

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