Rapid Reaction: TCU 31, Oklahoma State 24

The monument to Jalen Reagor — a statue may not do him justice — should start construction in January.

Reagor scored two touchdowns, put up 212 combined yards (121 rushing, 91 passing) and dominated in every facet of the game in a 31-24 TCU win over Oklahoma State at Amon G. Carter Stadium in the final contest of the regular season. The Frogs improved to 6-6 on the year and are now eligible for a bowl, something Gary Patterson has stressed in the past is always a positive for the program.

Grayson Muehlstein started at quarterback for the first time in his five-year career with TCU. The redshirt senior fumbled on the second play of the game, but the Horned Frog defense was able to limit Oklahoma State to a field goal. After that, Muehlstein was average, throwing for 125 yards and a touchdown on 13-22 passing. He showed toughness on the ground and ran for 47 hard-fought yards, including a third-down conversion or two.

TCU was held scoreless until the 5:16 mark of the second quarter, when Muehlstein found Reagor on a six-yard score that gave the Frogs a 7-3 lead.

TCU’s other player wearing No. 1 scored the next touchdown. Jawuan Johnson, a senior transfer linebacker, recovered a backwards pass from OSU quarterback Taylor Cornelius and ran it back for a touchdown on the first play of the second half. The Frogs led 14-3, and that set the stage for Reagor’s greatest feat of the night.

That was an 83-yard run, and it showed the versatility that Reagor had on display Saturday. He took snaps as a wildcat quarterback, returned kicks and punts, and lined up at running back alongside his normal duties at wide receiver. Not a soul in the Carter could stop him.

Oklahoma State crept back into the game after a few missed opportunities from TCU. The Cowboys cut it to 24-10 with 4:37 left in the third quarter and made it 24-17 with 10:04 left in the game.

Reagor electrified again on a screen pass and got the Frogs in OSU territory. On 3rd and 5 from the 40, John Stephens, Jr. drew a pass interference penalty on a deep route and gave TCU a new set of downs. Then a perfectly, beautifully drawn-up route freed up Derius Davis in the end zone and Muehlstein found him for a 24-yard touchdown that put TCU up 31-17 with 6:33 left.

The Cowboys drove down with ease and scored, though, as Cornelius picked apart the defense and wound up running it in on his own for the score with 5:07 left to cut the TCU lead to 31-24.

Reagor took the first play of the TCU drive 11 yards on a run, but was clearly cramping afterward and headed to the sideline. Muehlstein didn’t mind, though — the quarterback scrambled 17 yards on second and 18 to set up a third and one.

TCU decided to run a reverse, and lost five yards. Yeah, I don’t know either.

The Frogs got a boost from Adam Nunez, who hit the first good punt of the night for TCU and pinned the Pokes back at their own four-yard line with 2:44 left in the game. On third and 10, Oklahoma State picked on Jeff Gladney, and Gladney made them pay. The junior had locked down Cowboy receiver Tylan Wallace all game, and he swatted away a long pass to save a touchdown and force OSU to go for it on fourth and 10 from its own four with 2:07 left, which they did not convert.

Muehlstein kneeled three times and Song missed a field goal with 10 seconds left. The Cowboys had a chance, a slim one, but TCU held strong and won.