Top 10 Moments of the 2020 TCU Football Season: Part 1

The 2020 TCU football season was a tale of two halves in many ways. From a mediocre 1-3 start, players entering the transfer portal and starters suffering season-ending injuries to finishing 6-4 overall with multiple ranked victories and several underclassmen stepping up on offense and defense, TCU has generated positive momentum entering the offseason.

2021 has officially arrived and it’s time to reflect on some of the good moments from an unprecedented college football season, one that ended with a cancellation of the Texas Bowl matchup against Arkansas. Here are five of the best plays and performances from the 2020 TCU football season including one honorable mention.

Honorable Mention — La’Kendrick Van Zandt’s fumble return touchdown vs. Iowa State

This deserves to be recognized because of how silly this play was. Brock Purdy, one of the best quarterbacks not only in the Big 12, but in all of college football, made an incredibly strange decision to toss this football backwards and right into the hands of TCU safety La’Kendrick Van Zandt, who waltzed in for perhaps the easiest touchdown of his career. Proof that suffocating defensive pressure can bewilder even the best quarterbacks.

10. Carter Ware catches his first career touchdown pass vs. Kansas

Primarily used as a blocking tight end, Ware successfully maneuvered behind the Jayhawk defense and caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Max Duggan. While the play wasn’t anything special, the reception certainly was, as it was Ware’s first as a Horned Frog. The redshirt junior now has five catches for 49 yards over the last two seasons and could see an increased role in 2021 with Pro Wells declaring for the NFL Draft.

9. Zach Evans records his first collegiate touchdown vs. Baylor

The Horned Frogs dismantled the Bears in their 2020 matchup, totaling 30 points and four touchdowns in the first half including three offensive touchdowns. One of those was a 30-yard rushing score from five-star freshman Zach Evans, the first of his college career and hopefully the first of many for Horned Frog fans. Despite starting the season low on the depth chart, Evans showed why he was one of the top overall prospects in the 2020 class.

8. Kendre Miller gallops for an 89-yard touchdown vs. Louisiana Tech

Much of the attention on the TCU running backs during fall camp was on four-stars Darwin Barlow, Daimarqua Foster and the five-star Evans. But another freshman stole the show and became a fixture of the Horned Frog backfield. That was Kendre Miller, who rushed for 388 yards and averaged over 7 yards per carry this fall. His best performance came against the Bulldogs, who he gashed for a season-best 136 yards including this near endzone-to-endzone rushing score. This was the longest rushing score for any TCU player this season.

7. C.J. Ceasar II and Dee Winters score defensive touchdowns vs. Kansas

Defensive touchdowns are rare in college football, but scoring twice on defense in one quarter is even more rare. That happened in the fourth quarter when TCU routed the Jayhawks 59-23, with the cornerback Ceasar returning a Miles Kendrick interception 30 yards to the endzone before the linebacker Winters scooped a fumble up for a 2 yard touchdown. It was the first collegiate touchdown for both players.

6. Ochaun Mathis dominates for three sacks vs. Texas Tech

Gary Patterson made comments to the media before TCU’s 34-18 win over the Red Raiders that redshirt sophomore defensive end Ochaun Mathis was ready to breakout. Mathis proved his head coach correct, slashing through the Texas Tech offensive line and compiling a career-high three sacks in the victory. Mathis finished with nine sacks, tied for fifth-most in college football, including eight sacks over his final five games of 2020.