TCU Whips Kansas State

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FORT WORTH — TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin was too comfortable in the pocket, which was deadly for the Kansas State defense.

On his only touchdown pass Saturday night, Boykin danced to his left, then darted to his right, as his Horned Frogs line kept the K-State defense at bay. One TCU receiver raised his hand under the goal post as he cleared a cornerback. But Boykin preferred David Porter for the 10-yard touchdown to give TCU an early 14-0 lead.

But perhaps the best play in No. 6 TCU’s 41-20 win over No. 7 Kansas State was the one Boykin made early in the third quarter when he didn’t feel so comfortable looking for a receiver.

From the K-State 19, Boykin bolted from the pocket as the middle of the field opened. Two Wildcats defenders tried to keep Boykin out of the end zone, with one lowering his shoulder, readying for a pop.

Boykin flipped over them, landing on his backside in the purple-colored end zone. He raced off the field, confident his team was going to coast the rest of the game.

“I have a great deal of respect for him,” Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said of Boykin. “I’ve always thought he’s been a great player and you guys talked like he’s all of a sudden come on the forefront. He’s been here. He’s a very talented young guy.”

TCU’s dominant performance delighted the crowd of 48,012 fans at Amon Carter Stadium. The Frogs (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) stayed in the chase for one of four spots in the inaugural college football playoff. They will

likely move up at least one spot thanks to Texas A&M’s upset of third-ranked Auburn earlier in the day.

Kansas State likely fell out of contention for the final four. Coming into Saturday, the Wildcats (7-2, 5-1) had been the only Big 12 team still undefeated in conference action. They left Fort Worth in a three-way tie with TCU and Baylor for first place in the Big 12.

Despite all of Boykin’s aerial theatrics, the reason why TCU was able to dominate Kansas State was its running game, and Boykin played a critical role. The Frogs were without starting tailback B.J. Catalon, who injured his upper torso in the Horned Frogs’ previous game against West Virginia.

Aaron Green, Catalon’s replacement, rushed for 171 yards on 23 carries. Boykin ran for a career-high 123. Before they faced TCU, the Wildcats’ defense ranked ninth nationally against the run, allowing only 101 yards per game.

TCU runners left K-State defenders in their dust.

Boykin rushed for three touchdowns. His final score — a rush of 23-yards — gave TCU 41 points with 8:39 remaining in the game.

“We always take what they give us,” said TCU coach Gary Patterson. “They were playing over the top, which is what they do a great job of when you play this kind of offense. You have to run the football if you want to do the things you need to do. We knew it wasn’t going to be one of those battles where they were going to give us big plays because they don’t give anybody big plays. We were happy with it.”

Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters, who has struggled with a shoulder injury, completed 20 of 37 for a season-high 291 yards. But the Wildcats’ offense relies on its running game to pound defenses. The Frogs limited Kansas State to 34 yards on 19 carries.

TCU blew open the game in the second half, out-scoring K-State 28-7 before the Wildcats got a touchdown with second-string quarterback Joe Hubener.

It was the Frogs rushing game that gave K-State the most problems. TCU’s 334 were the most allowed by the Wildcats this season.

“They mixed it up,” said K-State linebacker Will Davis. “They attacked us in ways that we hadn’t been attacked before, and they’re a good football team. We knew going into the game that they had athletes, and they played better than we did.”

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