WACO, Texas — Griffin Kell’s 40-yard game-winning field goal as time expired lifted TCU over Baylor, 29-28, on Saturday to keep the Horned Frogs’ College Football Playoff hopes alive.
It was a dramatic finish in a game that the Horned Frogs trailed by eight points with 9:47 left. They scored nine points in the final 2:07 to improve to 11-0 overall and 9-0 in the Big 12.
After TCU took a 20-14 lead, the Bears scored the next two touchdowns including a one-yard touchdown by Richard Reese that gave the Bears a 28-20 lead with 9:47 to play.
The Horned Frogs had a chance to tie the game with 2:07 left after quarterback Max Duggan marched the offense down the field and Emari Demercado capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown touchdown run. On the two-point conversion, Duggan faked a jet sweep to Taye Barber and came back to an open Demercado who had a clear lane to score.
The usually sure-handed running back dropped the pass and TCU trailed 28-26 with just 2:07 remaining. The Horned Frogs were forced to go for the two-point conversion because earlier in the game Kell missed an extra point, snapping his personal streak of 77 consecutive successful points.
Using their three timeouts, the Horned Frogs held Baylor on downs on the ensuing possession. Thus, the Bears punted to the Horned Frogs to set up the late-game heroics.
With 1:34 to play. Duggan led the offense down the field with big completions to Savion Williams and Taye Barber. His 12-yard gain on a quarterback draw helped set up Kell’s game-winning field goal. On the game’s final play, a fourth down and the clock ticking down, the TCU special teams ran onto the field and perfectly executed the game-winning field goal.
The poetic nature of the wacky sport is the reason fans love college football. TCU almost found itself on the wrong side of this poem.
After TCU ended Baylor’s playoff hopes last year in a 30-28 upset last year, the Bears almost returned the favor in Waco.
Griffin Kell’s kick changed the story. For the history books.
Henderson, Barber step up
TCU played without electric kick returner and receiver Derius Davis because of a hand injury. Davis is the team’s third-leading receiver and tied with Quentin Johnston for the most receiving touchdowns this season. Then Johnston exited the game early in the second half with an ankle injury.
Running back Kendre Miller was also lost in the second half because of injury.
That’s a lot of production to replace, but the Horned Frogs were able to thanks to Gunnar Henderson and Barber.
Henderson gave TCU its first lead of the game on a two-play sequence late in the third quarter. First Duggan zipped a pass to him on a seam route for 20 yards. The Horned Frogs went hurry up after the completion and Duggan pump faked to a receiver setting up for a screen only to turn and find a wide open Henderson for a 26-yard touchdown that made it 20-14 with 6:35 left in the third quarter.
Henderson finished with 52 yards while Barber had a team-high 108 yards including a crucial catch on the final game-winning drive.
Situational struggle
Despite the offensive showcase Baylor displayed in the first half, the Bears couldn’t establish an insurmountable lead thanks to the TCU defense. The Bears had chance to go up 14-0 after forcing a three-and-out on the Horned Frogs’ first drive.
Once Baylor hit the TCU 23-yard line, the Bears didn’t gain another yard. In fact they lost five thanks to a false start penalty. Baylor ended up missing a 46-yard field goal and a few plays later Duggan tied at 7-7 with his first rushing touchdown since Oklahoma State.
The Horned Frogs squandered a chance to take a lead before halftime as the offense was forced to punt inside the Baylor 40. The Bears drove all the way to the red zone, but Blake Shapen’s pass into the end zone was picked off by TCU as the Horned Frogs forced a turnover in their 10th straight games.
Smoke ‘N Mirrors
After only allowing 199 yards last week against Texas, the TCU defense allowed more than 300 in the first half against Baylor. The Horned Frogs defense prides itself on flying to the football and the Bears took advantage of that by using a plethora of misdirection to attack the edges of the TCU defense.
Here’s one example. After TCU tied it at 14, on the first play of Baylor’s next possession the Bears picked up nine yards. How? Because one of their offensive lineman started pulling to his left, planted a pivot foot and turned back to pull to his right where he was able to seal a TCU linebacker for the gain. In the blink of an eye, that play went from being your standard power play to a counter. You understand why TCU’s defense was off balance in the first half?
Baylor struck first with a 11-play drive that featured nine run plays. The Bears retook a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter by running a jet sweep to tight end Kelsey Johnson for a short touchdown. The Bears outgained TCU by 100 yards and controlled time of possession, but found themselves tied at halftime.
