WACO, Texas — Things didn't seem to be trending in TCU's favor going into Saturday's game.
Coach Gary Patterson wasn't pleased with how the team had practiced going into it. The Frogs were playing their first game since losing early-season standouts Noah Daniels and Wes Harris. Oh, and just before the game, news broke that they'd be without defensive tackle Corey Bethley, the team's active leader in games started.
None of that mattered, though. TCU put together a dominant first half, and then avoided a second-half meltdown, in a 33-23 victory over Baylor at McLane Stadium. TCU improved to 2-3, while Baylor dropped to 1-3.
"Hey, we got a win, that's the most important thing," TCU quarterback Max Duggan said. "We will watch film, see what we need to get better at, but the only thing that matters is we got a win, not how we do it.
"A win can do a lot. It brings such a sigh of relief to a team that's put in a lot of work. Beating a team like Baylor feels really good."
TCU looked flawless in the opening half. The offense moved the ball with relative ease, building a 30-0 lead early on. The defense had one takeaway and forced three-and-outs on five of nine drives. The special teams scored a touchdown on a 67-yard punt return by Derius Davis.
At halftime, TCU had more than twice as many total yards as Baylor (192-80), and a rout appeared imminent. But Baylor made it interesting in the second half, although it never got to within one possession of the lead.
In the end, TCU made the plays it needed to in order to win.
"It's easier to play with a lead than it is from behind," Patterson said. "It's fun. I like how the offense and defense played. You've got to be a tribe. Tribes do everything for the benefit of the whole group. I thought they did a good job of that today."
Especially late in the game.
The defense forced a turnover on downs with Baylor driving in TCU territory with a chance to make it a one-possession game with 6 minutes, 24 seconds left. Then the offense ran the clock out with timely first downs, including two first-down runs by Duggan and a fourth-and-1 run by Emari Demercado to end the game.
"Max did a good job, we got the fourth down," Patterson said. "As many people were on me after Oklahoma, we went for it on fourth two times today. ... Fourth downs are gut."
Duggan finished 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards with one touchdown. He also had 25 yards rushing on nine carries. Running back Darwin Barlow had 117 yards rushing on 16 carries with one TD, while freshman Zach Evans finished with 81 yards on seven carries with one TD.
As a team, TCU finished with 247 yards rushing on 44 carries.
TCU took control of the game early.
The Frogs' second offensive series was a crisp, five-play 73-yard TD drive. Duggan was 4 for 4 for 70 yards on the drive and then Barlow scored on a 3-yard run.
Baylor struggled out of the gates, going three-and-out its opening two possessions. The latter three-and-out turned into a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown by Davis.
"I just get back there, watched the punt off the punter's foot and I'm thankful for my blockers," Davis said. "They allowed me to spring. I got to the corner, made one guy miss, and the rest is history."
TCU's defense kept the pressure on, getting a takeaway on the next possession. Frogs safety La'Kendrick Van Zandt made a terrific play to get a foot in bounds on an interception of Bears quarterback Charlie Brewer at the TCU 40.
Four plays later, the Frogs had a 20-0 lead, scoring on a 13-yard shovel pass from Duggan to Taye Barber.
And that was just in the first quarter.
TCU extended its lead to 27-0 early in the second quarter on a 30-yard TD run by freshman Evans, and made it 30-0 on a 33-yard field goal by Griffin Kell.
The 30 points in the first half were more than West Virginia (a 27-20 double-overtime victory) and Texas (a 27-16 victory) scored on Baylor the previous two games.
Baylor got on the board just before halftime, capitalizing on a fumbled hand-off exchange between Duggan and Evans. The Bears took over on the Frogs' 35 and needed five plays to score.
They converted a third-and-15 with a 39-yard pass from Brewer to R.J. Sneed — the longest play completed by Baylor this season. That set up a 1-yard TD pass from Brewer to tight end Ben Sims to make it 30-7 going into the locker rooms.
The Bears opened the second half with two three-and-out drives, losing 26 yards combined, and appeared destined for a blowout loss.
But TCU couldn't put the game away. The Frogs turned it over on downs after going for it on a fourth-and-1 from the Bears' 31 with 6:35 left in the third quarter.
Baylor responded with a touchdown drive, capped with Brewer's second TD pass to Sims to make it a 33-14 game with 2:59 left in the third quarter.
TCU went three-and-out on its next two drives, while Baylor had a field goal and a touchdown to pull within 33-23 with 10:25 left. Baylor, which had minus-22 yards rushing at one point in the second half, scored the TD on a 32-yard run by Craig Williams.
But that was as close as Baylor would get. TCU snapped its two-game losing streak.
"It feels good," junior defensive tackle Terrell Cooper said. "I ain't going to lie to you, it feels great. Too great."
TCU (2-3) is set to face Texas Tech next Saturday in Fort Worth. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
