TCU wins thrilled without Trevone Boykin
Give the TCU Horned Frogs credit for their performance on Saturday afternoon at the Alamo Bowl against the Oregon Ducks. With star quarterback Trevone Boykin on the sideline after being arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly punching a person within a San Antonio bar, and then hitting a police officer, TCU was given little chance to beat the perennial PAC-12 contenders.
Yet, the Horned Frogs came out and played a terrific football game, winning 47-41 in triple overtime. The most amazing part of the contest? TCU was trailing 31-0 at halftime before rallying back in one of the most impressive comebacks in college football history.
The Horned Frogs rode the arm of backup quarterback Bram Kohlhausen, who completed 28-of-45 passes for 51 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. While those numbers are not insane by TCU standards, they are certainly impressive when you consider the situation surrounding the youngster.
In the third quarter, the Horned Frogs struck with a field goal to open the second half on a 10-play drive. After forcing a three-and-out, TCU went 11 plays in 4:47, capped off by a 26-yard touchdown to Jaelan Austin. On the ensuing kickoff, Oregon fumbled and the Horned Frogs recovered. It was the turning point in the game.
Starting at the 16-yard line, TCU scored on an eventual 4th and 2, with Kohlhausen running it in to make the game 31-17 heading into the fourth quarter. After another Ducks punt and a Horned Frogs field goal, Oregon was once again forced into a three-and-out. TCU took over on its own 9-yard line and went 91 yards in seven plays, scoring on a 2-yard run by Aaron Green with 3:32 remaining.
After another three-and-out by one of the most maligned defenses in the country, the Horned Frogs kicked a game-tying 22-yard field goal with three seconds left.
All of this led to a trio of overtime, where the Horned Frogs would win on another Kohlhausen running score, this time from eight yards out. Oregon would get the ball needing a touchdown, but could not go more than two yards.
For TCU, this is one of those games that makes the whole season feel worth it. Head coach Gary Patterson and Co. had lofty dreams of winning the national championship and fell short, but to finish the season in this fashion, despite all the adversity, says something about the direction of the group and this program moving forward.
The Horned Frogs should be proud of what they accomplished, even if the Alamo Bowl is typically nothing to write home about. The contest might serve – and should serve – as a springboard going into 2016, for a team that is loaded with offensive talent and has one of the best minds in the nation on the sideline.
