TCU football wins their seventh overall game of the year, defeating the Arizona Wildcats 49-28 on senior night.
Emotions ran high as TCU wide receiver Jack Bech surpassed 1,000 yards for the season, becoming the sixth player in program history to accomplish the feat. TCU honored the seniors and their families as they ran out of the tunnel.
“I don’t think words can explain it,” Bech said. “Coach giving us this opportunity. It’s a wonderful life.”
Recording a 6-4 overall record and 4-3 in the conference, TCU entered the matchup with the expectation to win against the Wildcats, who held a 2-5 record in the Big 12.
The Horned Frog last faced the Wildcats on Sep. 27, 2003, but now look to annual meetings as Arizona joins the Big 12 Conference.
Electing to receive, the Wildcats opened the game with a pick, intercepted by TCU’s Bud Clark. TCU’s rush game was clean and quick, marching up the field efficiently. In just four plays, the Frogs made it to the end zone at the 12:52 mark, followed by a good kick by true freshman Kyle Lemmerman to make it 7-0.
Following an Arizona turnover, the Frogs scored again with 2:10 left in the first quarter for 14-0. Quickly in response, the Wildcats shot up the field, finishing with a short right pass to Chris Hunter for 17 yards and a touchdown.
The first quarter ended 14-7, TCU.
Unable to convert in the opening of the second quarter, TCU’s Ethan Craw punted to the Arizona 19-yard line.
The Wildcats managed to carve up to the 35 before the Frogs’ high-powered defense forced a field goal attempt. Wildcat kicker Tyler Loop kicked a 53-yard goal to make the board 14-10. Later at the two minute mark, Loop attempted another good field goal over 43 yards to sit just one point behind the Frogs at 14-13.
“We were on our heels a little bit,” head coach Sonny Dykes said. “They were stringing together some drives and [Tetairoa] McMillan is just a really, really good player.”
Following a sack for a loss of 15 and a penalty for intentional grounding, the Frogs sat at the 44-yard line on third-and-25. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover’s connection with wide receiver JP Richardson landed them on the 20 after a 24-yard completed pass. On fourth-and-one, TCU converted for a touchdown with 13 seconds left in the first half.
“My job is to catch the ball,” Richardson said. “Every time it’s in the air, I mean, it’s mine.”
Entering the tunnel for halftime, TCU led 21-13.
The teams went head to head for total yards as TCU recorded 194 and Arizona 192. TCU’s Eric McAlister led the purple with 64 receiving yards while Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan tallied 76. The Frogs outperformed the Wildcats in the first half for rush yards, 46 to 5.
Out of the tunnel, TCU pushed through Arizona to reach the end zone at the 10:13 mark for another touchdown. Staying consistent, Lemmerman’s point-after attempt was good to create a 15-point lead, 28-13.
Unable to stop the bleeding, the Wildcats allowed TCU to make it back up the field for another touchdown at 7:51 to make the board 35-13.
The score held through the end of the third quarter.
To open the fourth, Hunter caught a three-yard touchdown pass with a two-point conversion to shorten the gap to 35-21. To keep the pace of the game, the purple responded at 10:23 with a rushing touchdown from running back Cam Cook to reestablish the advantage to 42-21.
TCU’s Jeremy Payne kept the momentum with another Frogs’ touchdown at 5:25. After sending in multiple bench players on the field, Horned Frog quarterback Ken Seals fumbled, leading to an Arizona recovery and touchdown with less than two minutes remaining.
TCU’s Savion Williams led the rushing yards with 80 for himself and, on the receiving side, JP Richardson finished with 107 yards.
Up next, TCU closes the regular season on an away game against Cincinnati on Nov. 30.
