TCU vs. Wyoming Football 2009
Horned Frogs Rout Cowboys, Improve to 11-0
Freshman Matthew Tucker ran 11 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns as TCU remained undefeated with a 45-10 victory over the Cowboys in a Mountain West Conference football game Saturday, Nov. 21, at Laramie, Wyo.
Tucker scored on runs of 3 and 48 yards, and Joseph Turner also rushed for a pair of TDs for the Horned Frogs, who remained in contention for a BCS bowl berth. TCU (11-0 overall, 7-0 Mountain West) also kept alive its slim hopes of reaching the BCS national title game while clinching at least share a share of the Mountain West crown.
But TCU was in a fierce fight early on. Chris Prosinki's 98-yard return of an Ed Welsey fumble carried Wyoming (5-6, 3-4) into a 10-10 tie with six minutes remaining in the first half. The Horned Frogs, though, regained the lead when Greg McCoy ran back the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown.
A 45-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton to Jeremy Kerley extended the TCU lead to 24-10 with 2:44 left in the period, and the rout was on.
TCU's 11-0 start is its best since 1938, when a team quarterbacked by Heisman Trophy winner Davey O'Brien finished 11-0 and won the national championship. The current Horned Frogs have won 13 consecutive games, its last defeat being a 13-10 loss to Utah in 2008.
TCU Overcomes 4 Turnovers
Coach Gary Patterson's Frogs pride themselves on taking care of the ball, but on Saturday, they fumbled it away three times and Dalton threw an interception. TCU overcame that by rolling up 532 yards — including 355 rushing. They also didn't commit a single penalty.
Dalton ran 12 times for 88 yards, and completed 10 of 19 passes for 169 yards. Turner rushed eight times for 69 yards, scoring on a pair of 5-yard runs in the third quarter, and Kerley paced TCU receivers with four receptions for 88 yards.
Evan Ross kicked a 28-yard field goal for the Horned Frogs, who can close out a perfect regular season by winning at home Saturday, Nov. 28, vs. New Mexico (1-10).
Horned Frogs Defense Dominant Again
The TCU defense entered the game ranked fourth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision with an average of 244.9 yards per game. The Horned Frogs didn't hurt their rating, yielding only 178 yards — 84 rushing and 94 passing.
Linebacker Daryl Washington led TCU with 11 tackles. Reserve linebacker Kris Gardner had seven, and defensive end Wayne Daniels added six tackles, including the game's only sack.
Tank Carder also had six tackles, and the linebacker a fumble with one in the third quarter. Backup DB Greg McCoy added an interception later in the period.
Wyoming Punter Sparkles
Wyoming lost for the fourth time in five games, but coach Dave Christenson's Cowboys can still become bowl eligible with a victory on Friday, Nov. 27, at Colorado State.
But the Cowboys could do little against TCU, as their offense managed only an 18-yard field goal by Ian Watts. Quarterbacks Austyn Carta-Samuels, Robert Benjamin and Karsten Sween combined for only six completions in 19 attempts. Brandon Stewart was the top rusher with 18 carries for 45 yards, and Greg Bolling had two receptions for 31 yards.
Prosinksi, a junior safety, spearheaded the Wyoming defense with 13. Linebacker Weston Johnson added 12, safety Sahiel Gary had 10, and tackle Mike Nehaus forced two fumbles, recovering one. But the most productive Wyoming player might have been punter Austin McCoy, who averaged 49.7 yards on nine punts.
TCU Needs Top 3 Teams to Slip
To reach the BCS title game, TCU needs to win its regular-season finale vs. New Mexico, and hope two of the three teams ahead of it — Florida, Alabama, Texas — slip up badly.
The Horned Frogs could need those schools to lose twice in order to skip into to the No. 2 spot. They're guaranteed at least one defeat, since Florida and Alabama must play each other.
Florida (11-0) will face Florida State (6-5) at home on Saturday, Nov. 28, and then take on Alabama (11-0) in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 5 at Atlanta. Before meeting Florida, Alabama will play at Auburn (7-4) on Friday, Nov. 27.
Texas (11-0) will play at Texas A&M (6-5) on Thursday, Nov. 26, and will battle Nebraska (8-3) in the Big 12 Conference title game Dec. 5 in Arlington, Texas.
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles