Somehow, a way, the TCU Horned Frogs saved their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Just when it seemed like they had been useless.
The Horned Frogs put their unblemished 10-0 document on the road towards the Baylor Bears. Baylor entered play on Saturday with a 6-4 document, coming off final week’s blowout loss to Kansas State. But after trailing by six within the third quarter, the house workforce put 14-unanswered factors on the board within the fourth to take a 28-20 lead.
That’s when TCU quarterback Max Duggan responded, as he led the Horned Frogs on an 11-play, 90-yard drive to place TCU in place to tie the sport. Duggan hit on a pair of huge throws on the motive force, together with a 22-yard completion to Savion Williams in addition to a 15-yard strike to Jared Wiley, and added a giant run of his personal, to get the Horned Frogs deep into Bears’ territory.
Running again Emari Demercado capped off the drive with this three-yard run to drag TCU inside two:
The Horned Frogs wanted a two-point conversion to tie the sport, so that they left their offense on the sector with simply over two minutes remaining. However, Duggar’s throw to Demercado within the flat was dropped, and the Bears maintained their two-point lead:
However, the TCU protection responded, forcing a three-and-out from the Bears. They would get the ball again on their very own 30-yard line, giving Duggar 1:34 to drag out the win.
Duggan’s first cross of the possession fell incomplete, as he tried to attach with Demercado once more on the appropriate facet. But on second down, he hit Barber on a deep in lower on the left facet to get the Horned Frogs to midfield. Then Duggar related with Williams on a fast throw to the appropriate, getting TCU all the way down to the 40-yard line.
On second down, Duggar was flushed from the pocket and scrambled to the left, and managed to struggle out of bounds, setting the Horned Frogs up with a third and 1. They would choose that up on a quarterback draft from Duggan, inching TCU nearer to subject objective vary.
But then, the Horned Frogs carried out some … curious clock administration. Facing a primary down on the Baylor 29-yard line, they had been inside subject objective vary for Griffin Kell, who entered this season having hit from 52-yards again in 2019. Still, you’ll assume that the Horned Frogs want to get even nearer for his or her kicker.
Instead, they began to run the soccer. They ran Demercado on first down, and after his three-yard acquire they wanted to spike the soccer to cease the clock, as they had been out of timeouts. Then on third down they ran the soccer once more, sending Demercado to the appropriate facet.
Now, dealing with fourth down, they might not cease the clock. That compelled the Horned Frogs right into a fire-drill state of affairs, as they needed to race their subject objective workforce onto the sector as time ticked away.
Somehow, amidst the chaos and the clock working down, Kell cut up the uprights to offer TCU the 29-28 victory:
Just as they practiced it. After the sport, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes was requested about how they approached the closing moments, and he outlined how the workforce practices that subject objective state of affairs each Thursday.
Right now, TCU followers are glad they do.
The victory retains the Horned Frogs’ championship goals alive. TCU closes out the common season subsequent Saturday at dwelling towards Iowa State, and can play within the Big 12 Championship recreation the next Saturday, having already clinched a berth within the convention title recreation.
The different factor this victory ensures?
More Hypnotoad: