TCU pulls off another dramatic comeback with win over No. 17 Kansas State
For a second straight week, TCU found itself down three possessions against a ranked opponent at home.
And for the second straight week the Horned Frogs pulled off another comeback to defeat a ranked opponent.
No. 8 TCU overcame a 28-10 first-half hole to beat No. 17 Kansas State 38-28 on homecoming. It was a significant victory for a number of reasons. The win puts TCU at the top of the Big 12 standings all alone as the Horned Frogs moved to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12.
It was also the first win against the Wildcats in four years and it was the fourth straight ranked opponent that the Horned Frogs have defeated in coach Sonny Dykes’ first season.
“They got off to a great start and had us on our heels in the first half. It seems to be what’s happened the last two weeks and our guys came out in the second half and played well. I really loved our effort, the intensity those guys played with to shut them out in the second half,” Dykes said.
Against a defense that was only allowing 17 points per game, the firepower of TCU’s stars was too much. Kendre Miller and Quentin Johnston scored back-to-back touchdowns to put TCU ahead 38-28 in the fourth quarter.
A path to the Big 12 championship game is clearer than ever after downing the pesky Wildcats.
Here’s how the comeback unfolded:
Duggan has last laugh
Like most on the roster, Duggan hadn’t defeated Kansas State in his time in Fort Worth. Duggan had failed to pass for 200 yards in three games, but finally cleared that plateau against the Wildcats as he led another dramatic comeback. After Kansas State missed a field goal, Duggan floated a 55-yard bomb to Quentin Johnston to put TCU ahead 31-28 late in the third quarter.
Duggan was efficient and showed his toughness again as he drew two roughing the passer penalties in the second half. He was sacked four times and hit countless others, but it didn’t limit his effectiveness as he passed for 280 yards and three touchdowns.
“Every win is special, we understood what type of team K-State was. They’re well-coached, they’re disciplined and play hard and a really good team,” Duggan said. “We know we struggled against them for the last three years and we needed to come out and play well against them.”
Miller time
Kendre Miller continues to produce and show why he’s one of the best running backs in the country, even if he’s not included in the conversations by some in the national media landscape. After sparking the touchdown drive at the end of the first half, Miller did it again out of the break.
With the Horned Frogs facing a 3rd-and-17 after getting in K-State territory, Miller picked up a first down on a screen pass as he refused to be tackled. After he helped move the offense inside the Wildcats 10, Miller finished the drive off with a powerful touchdown run on a gutsy fourth down call. After trailing 28-10, Miller was a major reason why the Horned Frogs were able to make it 28-24.
“He’s just somebody we can rely on. He gets us tough yards every single week. Gets hit at the line of scrimmage, keeps his feet churning and plays with great pad level. A lot of times tonight he got hit two or three yards behind the line and ended up getting six or seven yards,” Dykes said.
Miller had another clutch run on third-and-goal from the nine. The offensive line opened a wide hole for him and he powered through for a touchdown to put the Horned Frogs ahead 38-28 with 12:14 remaining in the game.
He finished with 153 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. It was the fourth 100-yard game for Miller in his last five outings.
“The O-line, taking practice serious and treating it like it’s the first game and not getting complacent because we’re winning,” Miller said of what’s been the key for him lately.
Defense clutch again
Whatever Joe Gillespie has told his defense at halftime the last two weeks has worked wonders. After allowing the Wildcats to pile up 300-plus yards in the first two quarters, the Horned Frogs defense buckled down in the second. It helped that Kansas State backup Will Howard went down with an injury early in the third quarter, but the Horned Frogs still made plays when needed.
Bud Clark picked off third string quarterback Rubley on his first drop back. While it didn’t result in points, on the next K-State possession Johnny Hodges soared over the offensive line to stuff Rubley on a quarterback sneak on fourth down. With the Wildcats giving the offense a short field, TCU took advantage with a touchdown to go up 38-28.
“People started getting comfortable, there was nothing that they were doing that was special,” Hodges said of the slow start. “They’re a great team, but we were shooting ourselves in the foot. The lights were a little bright at the beginning and it was kind of a tidal wave effect.”
When Howard returned to the game, he almost threw an interception and missed a touchdown that would’ve cut the lead to 3. The Wildcats settled for a field goal and missed. It was K-State’s second missed field goal of the night. The defense allowed too many conversions on third and long and let another backup have too much success. But once again the unit made enough plays down the stretch to complement the offense.
Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson’s interception of Howard with 3:53 remaining iced the game. Kansas State had just 87 yards in the second half.
“We came out in the second half, made some adjustments and everyone calmed down a bit and we started to play the brand of football we like to play,” Hodges said.
No Martinez, no problem?
Wildcats quarterback Adrian Martinez only played a possession against TCU as he exited the game with an apparent injury. You would think that would make things easier for the Horned Frogs, but if the Kansas game showed us anything it’s to not underestimate a backup quarterback.
Will Howard entered the game and immediately led a three-play scoring drive that tied it up at 7. On his next possession Howard completed a 37-yard strike to Malik Knowles on 3rd-and-16 that set up a one yard touchdown that moved Kansas State ahead 14-10 to start the second quarter. Howard led four scoring drives in the first half as he passed for 185 yards and added 30 more on the ground.
“It made a difference, with Martinez we knew how good he was with his legs. When Howard came in he started throwing some great passes,” Hodges said. “It took a little while for us to get comfortable.”
Howard exited with an injury of his own in the second half before returning in the fourth quarter.
Keeping pace in the first half
TCU started with a bang on offense against one of the top defenses in the country. On the Horned Frogs opening drive, the offensive line gave Duggan plenty of time to find Derius Davis for a 65-yard touchdown to put TCU ahead 7-0. The Horned Frogs would add a field goal on their second possession as they were having their way early against the Wildcats.
But as K-State kept rolling with Howard under center, the offense was stuck in neutral as the Wildcats built their lead up to 28-10. The running game was stymied and Duggan was sacked twice as TCU had three possessions in a row that ended with a punt or a failed fourth down.
The offense found itself late as Miller sparked the entire team with a 48-yard run from TCU’s own 9. A few plays later Duggan found a wide open Jared Wiley for a much needed touchdown with just 20 seconds before halftime.
This story was originally published October 22, 2022 at 10:32 PM.
