TCU Wins Alamo Bowl
SAN ANTONIO — Without its starting quarterback, No. 11 TCU pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in bowl history.
Backup quarterback Bram Kohlhausen threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns in place of suspended Trevone Boykin and the Horned Frogs rallied from a 31-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 15 Oregon 47-41 in triple overtime on Saturday night in the Alamo Bowl.
The Horned Frogs matched the biggest comeback in bowl history. Texas Tech also overcame a 31-point deficit against Minnesota in the 2006 Insight Bowl.
“I told them we had an opportunity in the second half to show them what our program is all about,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said. “It’s just been one of those teams. They’ve never really quit. They’ve kept creating opportunities and doing what they do. Really proud of them.”
Boykin was suspended after being arrested following a bar fight Thursday morning. Kohlhausen completed 28 of 45 passes and ran for two touchdowns in addition to his two touchdown passes as TCU finished with 545 yards of offense.
“This is one I’ll tell my grandkids about,” Kohlhausen said. “This is a night I thought would never happen. Honestly, I dedicate it to Trevone. He’s the one who showed me how to play like I did tonight.”
Kohlhausen’s second touchdown run — an 8-yarder in the third overtime — provided the Horned Frogs (11-2) with the winning points.
“They made one more play than we did,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said. “Just too bad to finish considering
how much these guys improved, how much they fought and how hard they worked. To end this way is tough.”
The Ducks (9-4) lost starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. to a head injury in the second quarter but built a 31-point halftime lead before TCU outscored Oregon 31-0 in the second half at the Alamodome.
Adams completed 13 of 19 passes for 197 yards to help Oregon take a 28-0 lead before he was injured with just under five minutes left in the first half.
Oregon built the biggest halftime lead in the history of the Alamo Bowl at 31-0.
After Kohlhausen’s go-ahead run, his pass on a two-point conversion was incomplete. TCU stopped Oregon on its final drive to seal the victory.
Kicker Aidan Schneider put Oregon ahead 41-38 with a 44-yard field goal to start the second overtime. TCU kicker Jaden Oberkrom made a 46-yard kick to tie the score.
TCU tied the score at 31 heading into overtime and then Kohlhausen threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Porter.
Oregon running back Royce Freeman answered with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the score at 38.
TCU first got on the scoreboard early in the third quarter when Oberkrom kicked a 24-yard field goal to cut Oregon’s lead to 31-3.
Kohlhausen found Jaelan Austin for a 26-yard touchdown pass and then Kohlhausen ran 2 yards for a touchdown as TCU got within 31-17 after three quarters.
Oberkrom added a 34-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to cut Oregon’s lead to 31-20.
Running back Aaron Green had a 2-yard touchdown run with 3:32 left in the game and TCU added a two-point conversion to get within 31-28.
Oberkrom kicked a 22-yard field goal with 19 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
Wide receiver Darren Carrington had seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown for the Ducks. Freeman ran for 130 yards and three scores as Oregon had 419 yards of offense.
Green ran for 101 yards on 25 carries for TCU and wide receiver Shaun Nixon had nine catches for 71 yards.
Oregon set a school record for most points in the first quarter of a bowl game and tied the Alamo Bowl record with 21 points in the opening quarter.
Oregon went three-and-out on its first drive but then scored first when Adams threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Carrington in the first quarter.
Freeman scored on a 4-yard run on Oregon’s next drive and then added a 5-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter as Oregon went up 21-0.
The Ducks stretched the lead to 28-0 early in the second quarter when running back Tony Brooks-James scored on a 5-yard run. Schneider booted a career-long 47 yard field goal as Oregon took a 31-0 lead at halftime.
Adams was 13 of 19 for 197 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game when he took a hard hit with 4:52 left in the first quarter. He was replaced by backup quarterback Jeff Lockie, who was 3 of 4 for 16 yards in the first half.
Freeman ran 13 times for 72 yards and two scores as Oregon had 376 yards of total offense in the half. Carrington had seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Kohlhausen was 9 of 19 for 96 yards in the first half. KeVontae Turpin had three catches for 62 yards.
