TCU overcomes slow start, has chances late thanks to defense. But Oklahoma holds on.
TCU didn’t have a late miracle in it Saturday night.
No. 8 Oklahoma escaped with a 28-24 victory at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, sealing the game with a late first-down run by Jalen Hurts.
“We lost by four points against a very, very, very good team,” senior right tackle David Bolisomi said. “Every loss is tough. It just hurts that we were right there. It’s time to get back to the drawing board.”
It’s a borderline miracle TCU made it as close as it did.
The Sooners jumped out to a 21-0 lead and dominated by most accounts. They outgained TCU in total yards 511-204, went 7 of 13 on third down compared to TCU’s 1 of 9 and kept the ball for close to 40 minutes.
The 511 yards of offense, including 366 yards rushing, were the most TCU has given up this season.
Somehow, the Horned Frogs stayed within striking distance with a couple timely takeaways and even had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter.
“Our group has to learn, and I told them before the ball game, they didn’t know they could play with Oklahoma,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said. “After a quarter, then, they figured out that they could. That’s what TCU is — it’s a group that can play with anybody. We’ve always been able to do that.
“But the bottom line to it is — you can’t spot a team like that 21 points and win a ball game. Simple as that.”
Yes, TCU could never overcome the early hole, but OU struggled to put it away.
The Sooners were about to put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter, driving down to the TCU 7 with a 28-17 lead.
But that’s when senior safety Vernon Scott made a play to keep TCU in it, returning an interception by Hurts 98 yards for a TD. Scott made the game-sealing play at Texas Tech last week, forcing a late fumble.
His pick-six pulled the Frogs to within 28-24.
On the next drive, Oklahoma again appeared on the verge of sealing the game. Hurts broke loose on a long run, taking it 32 yards to the TCU 7. But TCU freshman safety Nook Bradford managed to steal the ball away from Hurts on the tackle.
“Nook made a great play,” Patterson said. “I don’t even know how he did that the last one. Holy smokes.”
TCU’s offense took over but went 3-and-out and punted.
Again, OU had a chance to put the game away. The Sooners drove into Frogs’ territory and went for a fourth and 1 from the TCU 41.
Once again, though, TCU’s defense made a play when linebacker Wyatt Harris stopped OU’s Rhamondre Stevenson short of the first-down marker.
TCU had a final chance, taking over with 3:16 left. Facing a fourth and 6 from the OU 40, quarterback Max Duggan threw an interception to Brendan Radley-Hiles.
“Every time we step on the field on offense, there’s no doubt in my mind that we have a chance to put seven up,” Bolisomi said. “Every single time regardless of the situation. When we were down 21-0 when we stepped on the field, I had the same confidence that I did when we were down by four points and it was the last drive.”
OU’s offense picked up a first down on a hard run by Hurts on a third and 1 — a play that stood upon review even though it appeared he may have been stopped short — and ran out the clock to seal the victory afterward.
Patterson didn’t agree with the call afterward, but said it wasn’t the “difference maker.”
For OU (10-1, 7-1 Big 12), it kept dreams of reaching the College Football Playoff alive. For TCU (5-6, 3-5), it now faces a must-win situation to become bowl eligible against West Virginia on Friday.
Hurts finished 11 of 21 passing for 145 yards with two TDs and one interception. He also rushed for 173 yards and two TDs.
Duggan, meanwhile, finished 7 of 21 passing for 65 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. He led the Frogs with 92 yards rushing and one TD.
The 204 total yards by TCU were a season-low, more than 100 yards fewer than the previous low against Baylor (308).
But give TCU credit for battling back after a forgettable start. At one point, OU led 21-0 and had outgained TCU in total yards 213-3.
On the first series of the game, the Frogs had a couple of false start penalties and didn’t have a chance on a third-and-20 play. That forced a 3-and-out and punt as Oklahoma took over on its own 48.
The Sooners capitalized with the short field. They converted a third and 3 early in the drive, and later made a fourth and 2 from the TCU 30. A few plays later, Hurts powered his way into the end zone to cap a 10-play, 52-yard drive.
TCU went backward again on its second drive, and, before you knew it, OU had a 14-0 lead.
Another 3-and-out by TCU’s offense gave OU another chance to extend its lead. And it did.
The Sooners marched 81 yards in 10 plays, scoring on a back-shoulder fade from Hurts to CeeDee Lamb with 12:56 left in the second quarter for a 21-0 lead.
But the Frogs didn’t fold, scoring 17 straight after that.
TCU got on the board on its fifth drive. Duggan had a 62-yard run, which set up a short TD run by Sewo Olonilua.
TCU kept the momentum going when sophomore safety Trevon Moehrig stripped the ball loose from OU receiver Jadon Haselwood. Frogs safety Vernon Scott recovered, and the offense turned that into a 24-yard field goal by Jonathan Song.
The Frogs had a chance for more, though, with a first and goal from the OU 8. The best chance came on third down, but tight end Artayvious Lynn dropped a TD.
Still, TCU gladly took a 21-10 deficit into the locker rooms at half.
The Frogs kept the momentum early in the second half. The Sooners turned the ball over on downs on their first drive when Hurts lost his footing for a 9-yard loss on fourth and 3 from the TCU 42.
TCU capitalized, scoring six plays later on a tough 11-yard run by Duggan. Duggan willed his way the final 5 yards with multiple OU defenders trying to bring him down to make it a one-possession game, 21-17, at the 10:15 mark of the third quarter.
But Hurts and OU answered with what proved to be the game-deciding TD drive. Much like Duggan willing his way into the end zone just moments before, Hurts did the same on an 8-yard TD run.
Sooners coach Lincoln Riley improved to 4-0 against Patterson and TCU. This marked the closest game, though, as OU won the first three by a combined score of 131-64.
“TCU, 22 years ago, this would be a moral victory,” Patterson said. “We didn’t come here to play well. We came here to win. That’s where we are as a program. We may be 5-6 right now, but that makes no difference to me.
“The bottom line is — we came here to win. We’ve lost now, out of the 6 losses, five of them have a touchdown or less, so we just gotta keep playing.”
TCU closes its regular-season against West Virginia on Friday. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
This story was originally published November 23, 2019 at 10:42 PM.
