Josh Hoover threw for 356 yards and three touchdowns as TCU picked up its first Big 12 win of the season 38-27 against Kansas Saturday afternoon in Kansas City, Mo.
The Horned Frogs playmakers were explosive as JP Richardson had an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown, Jack Bech had 10 receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns and Eric McAlister had four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Surrounded by red Kansas jerseys, Richardson broke free and cut back for the punt return touchdown that gave the Horned Frogs a lead they would not relinquish with 1:46 left in the third quarter.
Daniel Hishaw Jr. had 85 rushing yards and a touchdown and Devin Neal had 70 rushing yards and a touchdown for Kansas (1-4, 0-2 Big 12). Jalon Daniels was 15-for-34 for 179 passing yards with a passing touchdown and an interception.
The Kansas defense notched the first of three TCU (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) turnovers when Cobee Bryant forced a Cam Cook fumble that was recovered by Dylan Wudke on the game’s first possession.
Four plays later, Daniels connected with Luke Grimm who stood on his tiptoes to stay in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Kansas lead.
TCU needed just five plays to cover 92 yards as Hoover hit Bech for a 35-yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
The Jayhawks didn’t complete a pass on their next scoring drive, but Neal’s 1-yard touchdown run gave Kansas a 14-7 lead.
A 3-yard touchdown run by Cook tied the game 14-14 as the teams traded long scoring drives.
After a Tabor Allen field goal, Bech caught his second touchdown from seven yards while sandwiched between two Kansas defenders and TCU took a 21-17 lead into halftime.
On their first drive of the second half, the Jayhawks took a 24-21 lead on an 8-yard touchdown run by Hishaw before Richardson’s electric return made it 28-24.
A 41-yard field goal by Tabor Allen cut the TCU lead to 28-27 at 12:07 in the fourth quarter.
But McCalister hauled in a Hoover pass at the 50-yard line and broke three tackles on his way to a 59-yard touchdown and a 35-27 TCU lead. Kyle Lemmermann drilled a 29-yard field goal for TCU that provided a two-score lead and the final margin.
–Field Level Media
