TCU Defeats Iowa State
Texas Christian coach Gary Patterson said after Saturday night’s Big 12 game at Iowa State that his team owned the worst first-quarter defense in college football.
As for the last three quarters, that was another story.
After coughing up 21 points and 206 yards in the first quarter, the third-ranked Horned Frogs pitched a shutout in the last 45 minutes as they improved to 7-0 with a 45-21 victory over the Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
Quarterback Trevone Boykin rolled up 510 total yards and accounted for five touchdowns for TCU, which improved to 4-0 in the conference. Wide receiver Josh Doctson caught 10 passes for 190 yards and two scores despite missing some first half-snaps with a hip injury.
But it was the defense that shaped the Horned Frogs’ domination of the last three quarters. After being shredded in the first quarter and then losing strong safety Denzel Johnson on a targeting foul that drew an ejection in the second quarter, TCU clamped down.
“We didn’t do anything we haven’t done in the past,” Patterson said of the defense. “I think because of our size, we have to move more. Whatever it takes to win ballgames.”
The Horned Frogs came up with two key turnovers, forcing a fumble at their
18-yard line midway through the second quarter to end an Iowa State drive that chewed up nearly seven minutes.
In the third quarter, after running back Kyle Hicks’ 13-yard touchdown run upped TCU’s advantage to 31-21, the Cyclones pushed the ball to the Horned Frogs’ 39. But cornerback Nick Orr sacked quarterback Sam Richardson, forcing a fumble that TCU end Josh Carraway recovered at the 42.
“When you finally get stops and your offense can score, you give yourself a chance,” Patterson said.
Boykin alone can give TCU a puncher’s chance even if its defense isn’t stopping a soul. Continuing his assault on the school’s record books, Boykin connected on 27 of 32 passes for 436 yards and four scores while adding 74 yards and a touchdown on 13 rushes.
His 3-yard scoring run 24 seconds into the fourth quarter gave the Horned Frogs a 38-21 lead, and Doctson took Boykin’s short slant over the middle for a 42-yard touchdown with 8:45 remaining to cap the scoring.
With Boykin continually converting under pressure, the Horned Frogs cashed in 9 of 12 third-down situations on their way to 621 total yards and 30 first downs.
“He was certainly showing off his legs tonight,” Iowa State coach Paul Rhodes said. “You’ve got to be ready for it.”
Wide receiver Kolby Listenbee added 101 yards and a touchdown on six catches for TCU, which improved to 4-0 in the Big 12 and now gets a week off before hosting West Virginia on Oct. 29.
Richardson completed 22 of 36 passes for 251 yards. Wide receiver Allen Lazard hauled in five receptions for 147 yards, 74 coming on a first-quarter touchdown pass from backup quarterback Joel Lanning.
But the Cyclones (2-4, 1-2) simply couldn’t keep pace with the high-scoring Horned Frogs for four quarters.
