Last-second field goal lifts Baylor past TCU in Big 12 rivalry game
Baylor halted TCU’s two-game winning streak on Saturday night as the Bears’ Isaiah Hankins kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired for a 37-34 win.
“We gave up too many plays in the run game, we couldn’t get them stopped in the run game and we had to,” head coach Sonny Dykes said. “We couldn’t put enough pressure on the quarterback.”
Down 34-27, TCU tied the game when quarterback Josh Hoover connected with a wide open Jack Bech on a post route to tie the game at 34 with 1:55 remaining.
But Hoover and the offense scored too fast as the Bears took the ensuing kick off and moved down the field, setting up Hankins for the winning kick.
The Horned Frogs’ defense had an opportunity to force overtime, but the Bears converted a fourth-and-nine with 12 seconds remaining from the TCU 44. Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson connected with Michael Trigg for 15 yards to the TCU 29 for a first down. After a Bryson Washington 13-yard run, Hankins — who had missed an extra point earlier in the game —became the hero as his kick snapped TCU’s four-game winning streak in the state rivalry.
“You got to give them credit for going for it on fourth down to be able to kick the game winning field goal,” Dykes said. “That could’ve gone the other way. We had opportunities on fourth down to get off the field and we couldn’t do it.”
Aside from losing bragging rights, the loss also ends any dreams the Horned Frogs (5-4 overall, 3-3 in Big 12) had of making a late-season run to the Big 12 title game. The Bears are also 5-4, 3-3.
Defensive regression
TCU looked like its was turning the corner defensively in the wins against Utah and Texas Tech, but the Baylor game was a reminder that this unit still has a ways to go. The Bears maintained perfect balance with big plays in the running game while Robertson was surgical in finding open receivers.
In the fourth quarter, TCU’s defense had an opportunity to take control of the game after Sonny Dykes opted not to go for it on 4th-and-2 at the Baylor 46 with more than 10 minutes remaining. TCU didn’t get off a good punt and couldn’t Baylor deep in their own territory and the Bears would make TCU pay.
“I wished we would’ve gone for it now on second thought,” Dykes said. “I thought it was on our side of the 50, but maybe it wasn’t. I don’t know, it’s probably 50-50. If I had to do it over again, knowing the outcome of the game I would’ve gone for it, but I felt pretty good about punting them down and making them drive the length of the field and to their credit that’s what they did.”
The Bears used a 13-play, 81-yard drive to move down the field with relative ease as the Bears faced just one third and fourth down on the drive. Bryson Washington capped the drive with a 1-yard plunge that was his fourth touchdown of the night. Washington averaged almost eight yards per carry as the Bears rushed for more than 225 yards.
The Bears scored on each of their final four drives and had 499 yards, including 256 on the ground. Washington had 196 of those.
Savion does it all
Over the last two weeks, TCU added a new wrinkle to its offense with star receiver Savion Williams taking more snaps in the backfield. Williams, who played quarterback in high school, excelled against Utah and Texas Tech in the new role and he continued to find success against Baylor.
After an early blunder cost TCU a touchdown, Williams was determined to make up for it. With the game tied at 20, TCU leaned on Williams to retake control late in the third quarter. Williams sparked the drive with a 22-yard gain on a direct snap and then he had another strong run to get TCU to the Baylor 6-yard line. The Horned Frogs were facing a 4th-and-2 from the 6 and in the high pressure situation the coaching staff kept the ball in Williams’ hands.
He rolled to his right and did his best Tim Tebow impression as he threw a jump pass to Jack Bech in the endzone to put TCU back in front 27-20. Williams was the TCU offense as he led the Horned Frogs in rushing (eight carries for 57 yards) and receptions (eight for 92 yards).
Hoover’s half
After struggling with turnovers the last three games, Hoover bounced back with one of his best halves of the season against the Bears. Hoover was dialed in as he completed 14-of-20 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown in the first 30 minutes and he should’ve had more yards if not for a key drop.
Hoover avoided turnover-worthy plays while also maintaining his aggressiveness with shots down the field. One of his best throws of the night came late in the second half when he fit a pass in between three defenders to Jack Bech on a corner route. On the next play Hoover eluded the pass rush and completed a pass to Jeremy Payne and the freshman running back shrugged off multiple defenders before being brought down at the Baylor 1.
Hoover finished the drive and half off with a quarterback sneak as TCU took a 17-13 lead into halftime.
He finished the game with 333 passing yards, completing 25 of 34 passes as TCU squandered one of his best games of the season.
“I just played quarterback, I didn’t worry about turning the ball over,” Hoover said. “I went out there and trusted myself, trusted my training and the guys around me. I trusted the offense and just let it rip. Good things happen whenever I do that and good things happen when our offense does that.”
Catch and drop of the year
The first half featured two major plays by TCU receivers with one being a highlight of the season while the other was a low point. Let’s start with the good as Jordyn Bailey made one of the most impressive catches in college football this season. On TCU’s second drive of the night, the Horned Frogs had driven to the Baylor 8-yard line when Hoover found a wide open Bailey in the end zone.
The pass was a bit high and Bailey had to reach out with one arm to bring the ball into his body and he maintained control while hitting the ground to give TCU an early 7-0 midway through the first quarter. After Baylor tied the game, the Horned Frogs were poised to respond when Hoover found a wide open Williams running behind the Bears defense.
However, Williams bobbled the ball off his finger tips and couldn’t reel it in as a 81-yard touchdown slipped out of his hands. Five plays later, TCU allowed Baylor’s Washington to gash the defense for a 40-yard touchdown that put the Horned Frogs in a temporary 13-7 hole.
This story was originally published November 2, 2024 at 11:06 PM.
