TCU Horned Frogs vs BYU Cougars Football Recap

TCU 38, BYU 28

It was a much-more competitive effort from BYU than it has given TCU in any of their three previous matchups. BYU’s 28 points was the most the Cougars have scored against TCU since 2006, but in the end, the song remained the same. Two BYU punting blunders gave TCU short fields, and BYU added a third turnover in TCU’s endzone. The Horned Frogs improved to 6-2 on the year with a 38-28 victory over BYU in Cowboys Stadium on Friday Night.

TCU took the game’s opening drive quickly in for a score, when Casey Pachall hit Skye Dawson for a 48-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the game. When BYU was forced to punt on its first possession, upback Walter Kahaiali’I moved into his blocking position too soon, and the snap caromed off his shoulder. Punter Riley Stephenson could not handle the snap, and booted the ball off the turf and out of bounds—an illegal touching penalty. The Horned Frogs took over at BYU’s eight-yard line, and two plays later, TCU was up 14-0 just five minutes into the game.

But unlike in the last three years of the Horned Frogs’ convincing wins over BYU, the Cougars fought back. After getting on the board with a 42-yard field goal, BYU scored again on its next possession when Riley Nelson hit Michael Alisa on a 22-yard throw that made the game 14-10. The teams would trade punts in the second quarter until Stephenson mis-hit a BYU punt from deep in Cougar territory, giving the Horned Frogs a 37-yard field. After Ed Wesley ran for 28 yards, running quarterback specialist Matt Brown converted his second touchdown of the game.

Down 21-10, the Cougars would move to answer quickly, as a long Cody Hoffman kick return set the Cougars up at TCU’s 40, then moved inside TCU’s 10-yard line two plays later. It was at this point that Riley Nelson began to do too much for BYU. Nelson escaped a sack, then while backpedaling threw over the middle into the endzone. The ball was tipped up and intercepted at the back line by Kenny Cain, and the Cougars came up empty. TCU would add another score before the half when Pachall hit a wide-open Josh Boyce for a 33-yard score, giving the Frogs a 28-10 halftime lead.

BYU took the ball to midfield to start the second half, then stalled, and punter Stephenson dropped the fourth-down snap and was tackled at the 38. Waymon James scored four plays later and TCU seemed to be running away 35-10. But the Cougars hit on a 44-yard field goal, then J.D. Falslev returned a TCU punt 67 yards for a touchdown. Falslev gave BYU one last breath, as BYU ended the third quarter down 35-20 with the ball at midfield. The Cougars moved to TCU’s 17-yard line with an opportunity to make it a one-score game, but Nelson’s inability to learn to play for another down bit BYU again. Nelson tried to throw while being dragged down for a sack, the ball went laterally for a fumble, and TCU recovered.

Although TCU was outgained 354-283 and held 150 yards below its yardage average, the Frogs struck at every opportunity BYU gave them, while taking care of the ball themselves. In TCU’s four-straight wins over BYU, it has committed just one turnover while forcing 11. TCU’s trio of Wesley, James, and Matthew Tucker combined for 129 rushing yards, while Casey Pachall added 147 yards on 13-23 passing. The Horned Frogs travel to take on Wyoming (5-2) next week in an early battle for first place in the Mountain West. BYU lived and died by Riley Nelson, who threw for 215 yards and ran for 84 more—but also threw two interceptions and had the costly lateral fumble. The Cougars, now 6-3, bye this week before playing Idaho.

> Find a great selection of TCU Horned Frogs apparel & merchandise online as well as the MWC Football Scoreboard!

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer