How the unbeaten TCU Horned Frogs beat Texas Longhorns 17-10 to claim Big 12 regular-season title

Star-Telegram sports editor Dave Ammenheuser’s live blog from the TCU-Texas Big 12 game.

The TCU Horned Frogs beat Texas 17-10 on Saturday night to improve to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the Big 12, securing their No. 4 position in the College Football Playoff rankings and also securing a spot in the Big 12 conference championship game.

The Horned Frogs are three wins away from earning a berth into the national semifinals.

Scoring

2Q: TCU // G. Kell, 34-yard field goal. TCU 3-0

3Q: TCU // Miller, 75-yard run (Kell kick). TCU 10-0

3Q: TEX // Auburn, 22-yard field goal. TCU 10-3

4Q: TCU // Johnston, 31-pass from Duggan (Kell kick). TCU 17-3

4Q: TEX // Barron, 48-yard fumble return (Auburn kick). TCU 17-10

Final statistics

PASSING

TCU: Duggan 19-29 124 yards, 1 TD

TEX: Ewers 17-39 171 yards, 1 INT

RUSHING

TCU: Miller 21-138 1 TD, Demercado 11-65, Barber 1(-2), Duggan 10-(-41)

TEX: Robinson 12-29, Johnson 5-14, Ewers 5-(-15)

RECEIVING

TCU: Davis 4-(-6), Johnston 3-66 1 TD, Barber 3-9, Demercado 2-6, Wiley 1-10, Miller 1-10, Battle 1-0, Hudson 1-8, Spivey 1-6, Williams 1-5, Duggan 1-1.

TEX: Sanders 7-61, Whittington 6-78, Worthy 4-32.

Fourth quarter notes

TCU 13th possession: Starts at TEX 25 with 4:25 left. The Horned Frogs pick up several key first downs as they run out the clock.

TCU 12th possession: Starts at TEX 38. Max Duggan fumbles with 4:25 remaining and Texas’ Jahadae Barron picks up the ball and returns it for a touchdown. Auburn’s extra point pulls Texas within 17-10 with 4:25 left.

Texas 12th possession: Starts at TEX 25 with 6:09 left. After picking up a first down immediately, next four plays lose seven yards., Ball turns over on downs to TCU at TEX 38 with 4:46 left.

TCU 11th possession: Starts at TCU 10 with 9:40 left. After picking up a first down, drive stalls. Punt to TEX 25 with 6:09 left.

Texas 11th possession: Begins at TCU 48 after a big kickoff return. The Longhorns move quickly down the field and get to the 5-yard line on first down. However, a fumbled snap and three incomplete passes stops the drive. TCU takes over at the TCU 10 with 9:40 remaining.

TCU 10th possession continues: Third-and-4 at TCU 26. A roughing-punter penalty extends the drive that ends with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Max Duggan to Quentin Johnston. A 9-play, 80-yard drive. Griffin Kell’s extra pint gives TCU a 17-3 lead with 12:36 left in the game.

Third quarter notes

TCU 10th possession: Starts at TCU 20. Two running plays moves ball to TCU 26 as quarter ends.

TEX 10th possession: Starts at TCU 25. The Longhorns respond with a 12-play, 71-yard drive that ends with a Bert Auburn 22-yard field goal. TCU leads 7-3 with 58 seconds remaining in the quarter.

TCU 9th possession: Starts at TCU 7. Finally, a big play. Kendre Miller breaks loose on a 75-yard touhdown run, capping a 4-play, 93-yard drive. Griffin Kell’s extra point gives TCU a 10-0 lead with 5:08 remaining in the quarter.

TEX 9th possession: Starts at TEX 19. Longhorns pick up first down, but drive ends at TEX 46. Punt to TCU 7. 6:58 left in the quarter.

TCU 8th possession: Starts at TCU 31 with 12:25 left in the quarter. Horned Frogs pick up a first down, but then go backward again on the fifth Texas sack of the game. Punt to TEX 19.

TEX 8th possession: Starts at TEX 21. Longhorns get a first down, but drive stops at TEX 28. Punt to TCU 31.

Halftime stats

What a crazy half it was. Who would’ve thought that there would only be 3 points in the half?

Texas has a 72-68 edge in net yards. Wow. Both teams often have that much in one drive. Some more interesting stats:

-- Texas has 11 tackles for loss

-- TCU has a commanding 19:52-10:08 edge on the clock

-- TCU is averaging 1.8 yards per play; Texas 2.7

-- TCU’s average field position is their own 45; Texas’ average is their own 20.

-- Max Duggan is 13 of 19 for 63 yards, while Q Ewers is 4 of 14 for 39 yards and an interception.

-- Neither of the big backs have done much. Miller has 37 ards on 11 carries for the Horned Frogs; Robinson has 23 yards on 7 carries for the Longhorns.

-- Quentin Johnston has a 29-yard catch for the Horned Frogs. It’s the biggest play of the first half.

Second quarter notes

TEX 7th possession: Starts at TEX 25. Longhorns advance ball to TEX 49, then punt ball to TCU 6 on final play of the half.

TCU 7th possession: Starts at TCU 27. Horned Frogs move ball to the TEX 16 where on fourth-and-3 with 1:25 left, they choose to have Griffin Kell kick a 34-yard field goal with 1:20 left in the half. 14 plays, 57 yards. TCU 3, Texas 0

TEX 6th possession: Starts at TEX 5 with 10:36 left in quarter. Another drive that stalls. Punt to TCU 3, returns to TCU 43. Penalty pushes ball back to TCU 27 with 8:05 left in the half.

TCU 6th possession: Starts at TEX 34. Again, drive goes nowhere., Loses 8 yards. Punt to TEX 5.

TEX 5th possession: Starts at TEX 10. On 2nd-and-2 at the TEX 18, Quinn Ewers’ pass is intercepted by Hodges-Tomlinson at the TCU 46 and returned to TEX 34.

TCU 5th possession: Starts at TEX 36 with 14:15 left in quarter. Drive stalls again. Punt to TEX 10.

TEX 4th possession continues: TEX second-and-1 at 29. Longhorns pick up their first 1st down, but drive stalls at TEX 25. Punt, plus personal foul for hands to the face penalty moves the ball to TEX 36.

First quarter notes

Quarter ends scoreless. Two teams have combined for a total of 39 yards and just 3 first downs. Texas has yet to get a first down; TCU has eight plays for negative yards. TCU has 37 passing yards and -13 rushing yards. Who would’ve thunk it?

TEX 4th possession: Starts on TEX 20. Roschon Johnson runs for 9 yards on final play of the first half.

TCU 4th possession: Starts at TEX 44. Horned Frogs miss opportunity to get on scoreboard when Griffin Kell misses 34-yard field goal. Big play in the 9-play drive was 29-yard completion from Max Duggan to Quentin Johnston on third-and-16.

TEX 3rd possession: Starts at TEX 1. Three-and-out again. At this point, the two teams have combined for 2 yards. Punt.

TCU 3rd possession: Starts at TEX 49. Personal foul gives TCU first down at TEX 40, but drive ends there. Punt to TEX 1.

TEX 2nd possession: Starts at TEX 20. Dylan Horton sacks Quinn Ewers on third down. Three-and-out. Punt to TEX 49. 9:29 to go in quarter.

TCU 2nd possession: Starts at TCU 34. QB Max Duggan sacked on third-and-seven. Another quick three-and-out. Punt to TEX 30. Penalty pushes it back 10 more yards.

TEX 1st possession: Starts at TCU 43. Horned Frogs stop fourth-and-2 run, turning ball over to TCU at TCU 34.

TCU 1st possession: Starts at TCU 12. Quick three-and-out and the Horned Frogs are punting. Punt to just the TCU 43.

TEXAS won toss and deferred. TCU will receive.

Pre-game reads

Mac Engel: Former coach Gary Patterson in difficult spot on Saturday

TCU relishes role as underdog in Austin

How Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is forming his own legacy at TCU

TCU takes advantage of upsets, moves to No. 4 in CFP rankings

How to watch & listen

When: Nov. 12, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: DKR Texas Memorial Stadium

TV: ABC

Radio: WBAP Radio with Riff Ram, Varsity and Tune-In apps

Line: Texas opens as a -7 point favorite

Last meeting: Texas defeated TCU 32-27 on Oct. 2, 2021.

Other Big 12 games

West Virginia 23, Oklahoma 20

Oklahoma State 20, Iowa State 14

Kansas State 31, Baylor 3

Texas Tech 43, Kansas 28

This story was originally published November 12, 2022 at 4:00 PM.