College Football Around the Region Recap, Week 12: TCU survives frantic finish at Baylor while Texas Tech wins with defense on the road

Mandatory Credit: Photo by LM Otero/AP/Shutterstock (13630531ad) Place kicker Griffin Kell (39) celebrates with Jordy Sandy (31) and other teammates after hitting a field goal in the final seconds of an NCAA college football game against Bayor in Waco, Texas, . TCU won 29-28 TCU Baylor Football, Waco, United States – 19 Nov 2022

College Football Around the Region Recap, Week 12: TCU survives frantic finish at Baylor while Texas Tech wins with defense on the road

No. 4 TCU HORNED FROGS (11-0, 8-0 Big 12) at BAYLOR BEARS (6-5, 4-4 Big 12)

This Week: TCU 29, Baylor 28

Next Week: TCU: vs Iowa State, Baylor: at Texas

TCU started Saturday at No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, 10-0 and hoping to complete an undefeated season with just three more wins. Just one year ago, Baylor found themselves in a similar situation – with just one loss, and dreams of the College Football Playoff before a deflating loss on the road at TCU. With a chance to get their revenge, fans showed up in droves at McLane Stadium in Waco. Baylor got off to a fast start, pushing the ball downfield with nine run plays on their opening drive, the last of which was Qualan Jones’ 10-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead. After Baylor missed a field goal on their next drive with an opportunity to extend the lead, TCU drove downfield and tied the game on Max Duggan’s 7-yard run late in the first quarter. Baylor’s early offensive success continued early in the second though, as a touchdown drive gave them right back the lead – this time capped off by tight end Kelsey Johnson’s run into the corner of the end zone from two yards away. TCU quickly tied the game just five plays later on Kendre Miller’s five-yard rushing score, 14-14 with still nine minutes left in the first half. After picking up a defensive stop to force a punt, the Bears drove downfield over the first half’s final two minutes – but Blake Shapen’s throw to the end zone was intercepted by TCU safety Bud Clark, preserving a tie at the break.

After the third quarter got underway with four straight empty possessions, TCU found paydirt with a 26-yard pass from Max Duggan to Gunnar Henderson 20-14 lead at the 5:29 mark in the quarter. Baylor responded with a scoring drive of their own, finding the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter. Tight end Kelsey Johnson, who ran in a score in the first half, this time caught a 12-yard score for a 21-20 lead. After a TCU fumble gave Baylor back the ball in Frogs’ territory moments later, Baylor quickly extended the lead to 28-20 on Richard Reese’s touchdown run with just under 10 minutes to go in the game. Needing desperately to score, TCU’s offense delivered when it needed to with an 11-play, 90-yard drive – but after Emari Demercado’s three-yard touchdown run, TCU’s two point conversion attempt failed and left them down 28-26 with just over two minutes to play. The Horned Frogs would get the ball back for one last gasp after using all three timeouts and stopping Baylor, hoping to set up a game-winning drive. TCU drove all the way down inside the Baylor 30-yard line, but needed to scramble desperately with the clock running under 10 seconds without a timeout to get kicker Griffin Kell onto the field. Kell, who missed an extra point earlier in the game, drilled the 40-yard game winner as the clock ran out to move TCU to 11-0 and leave McLane Stadium in a state of complete shock. The 29-28 Horned Frogs victory means TCU is just two wins away from a College Football Playoff berth, needing to defeat Iowa State and Kansas State over the next two weeks.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (6-5, 4-4 Big 12)

This Week: Won, 14-10 at Iowa State

Next Week: vs. Oklahoma 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders were met by wind chill temperatures in the single digits as they began their matchup with the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, and each team’s offense started just as cold. Outside of a lost fumble by Texas Tech and a missed field goal by Iowa State, the two offenses combined for four punts before the first quarter even ended. Despite the lack of scoring in the early going, Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough’s first incompletion didn’t come until the second quarter. Tech finally found paydirt early in the second quarter after a 14-play, 96-yard drive finished with Donovan Smith’s short plunge into the end zone. Iowa State finally made some headway on their next drive but settled for a 36-yard field goal with 6:38 to go in the first half. The defenses continued to dominate through the rest of the second and third quarters, drive after drive ending in either a punt or a turnover on downs. Iowa State finally broke through early in the fourth, as quarterback Hunter Dekkers connected with Easton Dean for a 24-yard touchdown and a Cyclones lead. Suddenly playing from behind, Texas Tech put together an impressive drive of their own. After 13 plays and 77 yards, quarterback Tyler Shough connected with Baylor Kupp on a four-yard score to put Tech back ahead 14-10. The Red Raiders’ defense picked up a big stop with just under three minutes to play, giving them back the football with a chance to put the game away. Texas Tech picked up the first down they needed and ran out the clock to preserve the low-scoring win on the Iowa tundra.

The win moves Texas Tech to 6-5, making them bowl-eligible in head coach Joey McGuire’s first season at the helm. The Red Raiders will host the Oklahoma Sooners next week, hoping for a 7-5 finish to the regular season.

BEST OF THE REST AROUND TEXAS

(All games played Saturday unless otherwise specified)

FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISION

No. 21 Tulane 59, SMU 24 (Thursday)

UTSA 41, Rice 7

UTEP 40, Florida International 6

Texas State 16, Arkansas State 13

FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION

Southern Utah 17, Sam Houston 7

Incarnate Word 66, Northwestern State 7

Tarleton State 49, Houston Christian 7

Tennessee State 22, Texas A&M Commerce 16

Stephen F. Austin 24, Abilene Christian 21

McNeese 24, Lamar 20

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