FORT WORTH, Texas _ TCU lost players to ejection and injury. The defense gave up big plays and didn't register a sack until the fourth quarter. The offense went three-and-out almost half the time. The special teams had a field goal blocked. And the list goes on.
All of it paved the way for Kansas State to leave with a 21-14 victory over TCU on Saturday afternoon at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
TCU dropped to 1-2 on the season a week after knocking off then-No. 9 Texas. Kansas State, meanwhile, is now 3-1 and will likely enter the Top 25 rankings.
The Wildcats also took a 5-4 edge in the series since TCU joined the Big 12 in 2012.
K-State true freshman Will Howard made his first college start at QB with senior Skylar Thompson sidelined with an injury. Howard flashed early with an 80-yard run during a field-goal drive by the Wildcats, but that was his most impressive play of the day.
Howard finished 8 of 19 passing for 117 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. He also had a game-high 86 yards rushing with one TD on 13 carries. Howard's longest pass play was a 45-yard pass to running back Deuce Vaughn during a TD drive in the first half.
For TCU, though, this game came down to offensive struggles. The Frogs went three-and-out five times and also turned it over on the third play of another offensive drive.
TCU coach Gary Patterson wasn't ready to break down his offensive efforts afterward, saying: "I won't know until I watch the film."
K-State couldn't have scripted a better third quarter defensively. TCU's first offensive series of the half came following an interception by the defense. Safety Josh Foster delivered the game's first takeaway _ and the first giveaway by K-State this season.
But the Frogs' offense responded with a three-and-out.
TCU quarterback Max Duggan then missed the next two series recovering from an injury. Backup QB Matthew Downing struggled, leading another three-and-out drive and then throwing an interception that K-State returned for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter.
Duggan returned, but TCU's next two drives were a turnover on downs and a three-and-out. TCU eventually showed life late in the fourth quarter. Duggan scored on a fourth-and-goal from the K-State 3 to make it a 21-14 game with 3 minutes, 39 seconds left.
K-State had a chance to close out the game on the next drive, but Howard tripped short of a first down on a third-and-1 from the TCU 48. The Frogs got the ball back on their own 4 with 1:05 left.
TCU didn't have any late magic even though it had multiple Hail Mary attempts following a roughing-the-passer penalty by K-State on what should have been the final play of the game. The Frogs' final play came with an untimed down from the Wildcats' 39 as Duggan's heave fell incomplete.
Duggan finished 19 of 31 passing for 154 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
TCU didn't get off to a promising start with K-State taking a 14-7 lead by halftime. Patterson said the team needed to start the game with more energy.
Among the issues for the Frogs included giving up a couple big plays, including an 80-yard QB run by Howard during a Wildcats field-goal drive and a 45-yard passing play from Howard to Vaughn during a TD drive.
TCU's offense had two three-and-out drives in the opening half, as well as having a field-goal attempt blocked. Those stood out more than a 10-play TD drive in which the Frogs scored on a 7-yard TD run by Darwin Barlow.
Additionally, TCU lost a number of players early on. Sophomore safety Ar'Darius Washington was ejected for a targeting hit on Vaughn in the first quarter. Starting center Esteban Avila sustained an injury, and so did starting cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. Avila and Hodges-Tomlinson did not return.
Those were all significant blows, particularly Washington. He is regarded as one of the top safeties in the country and was the Big 12's defensive freshman of the year last season. Washington had eight tackles in the first two games this season, including five against Texas last week.
Foster replaced Washington in the lineup.
TCU is off next week before facing Oklahoma on Oct. 24 in Fort Worth.
