TCU Wins With Last-Second Kick
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — No. 10 TCU didn’t produce its typical offensive fireworks, at least not until crunch time.
Quarterback Trevone Boykin threw a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Kolby Listenbee to set up Jaden Oberkrom’s final-play kick and TCU rallied from 13 points down in the second half to beat No. 20 West Virginia 31-30 on Saturday.
A series that produced overtime games the past two seasons delivered another dramatic ending as Oberkrom came on with 4 seconds left for the game-winning 37-yarder.
“I actually prefer the other hash, the right hash … but from 37 yards, it wasn’t that bad,” Oberkrom said. “When I hit it, I knew I hit it solid.”
The Horned Frogs (7-1, 4-1 Big 12), who were No. 7 in the first set of College Football Playoff rankings, needed every second to remain alive for one of the semifinal spots.
After throwing seven touchdowns last week and jumping into the Heisman conversation, Boykin had only eight completions through three quarters. He finished 12 of 30 for 166 yards but led TCU to 10 points in the final 7:33.
“As soon as (Boykin) mentioned the Heisman this week, we had to get to work,” said TCU coach Gary Patterson. “That was the very best defensive team we played all year. Every time we checked, they switched up coverages.”
On Boykin’s biggest throw, Listenbee ran behind a busted coverage before
being tackled at the West Virginia 33.
“We had 10 guys playing one defense and one guy not,” said Mountaineers defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. “It’s disappointing to get all the way to that point in the game and blow a coverage.
“It sucks. It hurts. I feel bad for those kids in the locker room. It’s hurting them.”
West Virginia (6-3, 4-2) held the nation’s highest-scoring offense well below its 50.4-point average and TCU generated a season-low 385 yards. Yet the Frogs made enough plays late to overcome a seven-point first half.
Running back B.J. Catalon rushed for 105 yards and two scores, including a 6-yard touchdown that pulled TCU within 30-28.
TCU’s next drive ended on a fourth-and-3 incompletion at the West Virginia 43 with 3:46 remaining. After a West Virginia three-and-out, TCU got the ball again with 2:07 to play.
Clint Trickett, the Big 12’s highest-rated passer, threw for a season-low 162 yards as neither passing attack matched its billing. He finished 15 of 26 and threw a touchdown pass but was intercepted twice as WVU committed a season-worst five turnovers.
The Mountaineers were especially poor on their final three possessions — all three-and-outs that netted minus-7 yards.
“I take responsibility for what happened offensively — it was bad,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. “It’s not acceptable. It’s not going to win football games.”
West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White, whose streak of seven consecutive 100-yard games ended last week, endured another quiet performance with three catches for 28 yards.
Boykin’s 2-yard touchdown, set up by a West Virginia fumbled snap at its 27, put TCU ahead 14-13 in the third quarter. But running back Dreamius Smith’s 50-yard run re-energized the crowd before his 5-yard score gave WVU the lead again.
West Virginia cornerback Terrell Chestnut stripped TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson and returned the fumble 35 yards for a 27-14 lead, before Catalon answered with a 23-yards touchdown run.
Trickett fired a 23-yard touchdown to wide receiver Mario Alford on the opening drive before Josh Lambert hit field goals from 21 and 44 yards to put West Virginia up 13-0.
Wide reciever Deante Gray countered by taking a Boykin screen pass 47 yards for a touchdown, but TCU’s first-half offense was otherwise abysmal. The Frogs produced zero points on possessions that started at West Virginia’s 21-, 23- and 43-yard lines after turnovers.
TCU had five punts and an interception among its seven drives in the half.
