TCU puts up 55 impressive points, wins share of Big 12
More than 700 yards, 55 points scored, a pick-six, three points allowed.
And 11 victories.
The TCU Horned Frogs completed their résumé — for everyone to see — for the 2014 College Football Playoff with those numbers Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
They also added an entry: Big 12 Conference co-champions.
Trevone Boykin threw for 460 yards and four touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass, Aaron Green ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass, and Derrick Kindred returned an interception for a touchdown as TCU completed a soaring season with a 55-3 rout of Iowa State.
“We did everything we needed to do on our end to be one of those top four teams,” Boykin said. “At the end of the day, we’re Big 12 champs, and I’m excited about that.”
The next step could be a spot in the four-team playoff that will determine the national champion.
The Horned Frogs (11-1, 8-1) made a strong case. Already at No. 3 in the previous week’s selection committee rankings, they put together perhaps their strongest quarter of the season just when they needed it.
Kindred’s interception return was part of a 31-point burst in the third quarter that turned the game from a 17-3 headache against an aggressive Iowa State defense into a 48-3 runaway — enough to make a convincing case against the last-place team in the conference.
Then Boykin threw one more touchdown pass, to second-string receiver Ja’Juan Story, to add the final points on the first series of the fourth quarter, and that was that. Coach Gary Patterson pulled the first-string offense and took a knee starting with more than four minutes left.
But the 15 minutes of the third quarter were a tour de force.
“I wouldn’t say those 15 minutes, I’d say the whole season,” said Green, who took a short pass from Boykin 54 yards for a touchdown to open the third-quarter scoring. “I feel like we had a really good season. I know we’ve turned a lot of heads, and we’ve gotten a lot of attention across the nation. A lot of people don’t even know where TCU is. We’re trying to put TCU on the map. We’re not done yet.”
The Horned Frogs celebrated with championship shirts and hats on the field, climbing as many players as could fit onto a podium on the field.
They accepted the conference championship trophy — they share it with Baylor, a 38-27 winner over Kansas State — and Patterson barked with a wrecked voice into a microphone above a sea of fans and students: “Two things I want to say! No. 1, I love you! No. 2, TCU is Big 12 co-champions!”
The pursuit of the conference championship kept the Horned Frogs grounded even as they played their way higher and higher into playoff contention. Whether they claim a playoff spot Sunday or not, they took the time to think about going from 4-8 a year ago to 11-1 Saturday.
“The journey has been crazy for us,” said Boykin, whose four touchdown passes gave him 30, breaking Andy Dalton’s single-season school record of 27 in 2010.. “The last couple of years, from everything we’ve done and to end Senior Night for these seniors and to win a Big 12 championship, it’s something that I really just can’t explain. Words just can’t describe. I’m so proud and so excited for these guys. I’m going to miss the seniors, but as of right now, we know we still have one game left.”
There is no watch party planned for Sunday’s 11:45 a.m. announcement of the playoff field. A team meeting is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., but Patterson said that could change depending on events.
“You just got to have patience,” he said. “Like I’ve been saying, the committee is made up of a lot of good people, a lot of coaches that have won a lot of football games, who have a lot of knowledge of what goes on. So you’ve just got to watch and see how it goes.”
But Patterson and the Horned Frogs are clear in their position. They are worthy of a spot in the final four.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I think that?” Patterson said.
Green, who scored for the seventh time in eight games, said he would clearly be disappointed if the Frogs were left out.
“Definitely. I mean, I want this so bad. How many times in your lifetime can you say you’ve competed for a national championship?” he said. “I feel like we’ve earned that. I feel like our team is special. Hopefully the whole nation sees it.”
Why not? The numbers were there for everyone to see.
Carlos Mendez, 817-390-7760
This story was originally published December 6, 2014 at 2:40 PM with the headline "TCU puts up 55 impressive points, wins share of Big 12."