Ask the Fans: Top 10 Takedown

The TCU Horned Frogs picked up a big time Top-20 win on the road under the College GameDay national spotlight in Lawrence against the Jayhawks last week, but the path ahead does not relent. Next on the schedule, the Frogs welcome #8 Oklahoma State to Fort Worth in a battle of unbeaten Big 12 contenders. Some of TCU’s all-time greatest games have come when Top 10 teams visit Fort Worth. Which Top 10 victory at Amon G. Carter is your favorite (so far)?

• 2008: #9 BYU 7 - TCU 32 - The Frogs entered the game unranked, despite its only loss being on the road to eventual Heisman winner Sam Bradford’s Sooners. BYU’s QB Max Hall entered the game as a Heisman contender, but left as a grease stain as TCU forced six turnovers for a romping victory
• 2014: #4 Oklahoma 33 - #25 TCU 37 - The game that let us know the 2014 season and Trevone Boykin era could be special. Paul Dawson with a huge pick six and the TCU D stuffs Semaje Perine on 4th and short.
• 2014: #7 Kansas State 20 - #6 TCU 41 - A “Black Out” night game over a Top-10 opponent in November with Big 12 supremacy and a continued Playoff push on the line. Trevone Boykin and Aaron Green sliced through the Wildcat defense like warm butter.
• 2015: #7 Baylor 21 - #19 TCU 28 - A year’s worth of vitriol was all released when Ty Summers made the 4th down stop of noted bad guy Devin Chafin in 2OT after many hours of pouring freezing rain and lightning delays, sending noted bad guy Art Briles out with a loss in the last game he’d coach against the Frogs.

It’s impossible to think about the upcoming game against a highly ranked Oklahoma State Cowboy squad without bringing up the 2017 game in Stillwater, where the Frogs took down the #6 Pokes. That OK State team featured the high-flying offensive trio of QB Mason Rudolph, RB Justice Hill, and WR James Washington. It was suggested that offense would be unstoppable...TCU’s defense suggested otherwise. That game featured four Cowboy turnovers, two of the which are among the most fun, most hilarious turnovers forced by a TCU defense. Were either the turnovers that most made you chuckle with delight?

• 2020 vs. Iowa State: Brock Purdy throws the worst interception of all time, returned for a TD by La’Kendrick Van Zandt. If the announcers are screaming in disbelief “Whoa! What is he doing!?” it’s probably hilarious.
• 2020 vs. Texas: Keaontay Ingram fumbles at the goal line, attempting go-ahead score. Ingram was met at the line of scrimmage by Dee Winters, Garrett Wallow knocks the ball out, and Corey Bethley recovered to give TCU another win over the Longhorns, assuring another year would pass without Texas being Back.
• 2017 at OK State: Ben Banogu strip sack of Mason Rudolph. Rudolph is the Bad Guy in every teen football movie and Banogu is the unknown New Kid trying to show that he belongs. This sack and forced fumble is when the Bad Guy receives his comeuppance at the hands of the New Kid and New Kid becomes a Top 50 NFL Draft pick. Fun fact: this fumble was also recovered by Corey Bethley
• 2017 at OK State: Trick play interception. Late in the game, TCU was up 13, but OSU had a first down in the red zone and looked ready to make a game of this one, as its ballyhooed offense had started to get going. Then big galaxy brain turned on for the Pokes and they decided they’d have WR Jalen McCleskey throw a pass instead of their All Conference QB. He floated a pass into the waiting arms of Nick Orr to more-or-less seal the victory for the Frogs.

(Honorable Mention: the play that truly sealed that 2017 contest was an Innis Gaines thump on Rudolph on 4th & 1 that was sent the ball tumbling into the air, snagged by LJ Collier, allowing TCU to run out the clock on a 13-point victory.

Quentin Johnston was a man on a mission last week in Lawrence, turning in a career day to lead the Frogs to a major road win, putting him among the greats at TCU. Was his 14 reception, 206 yard and game-winning TD the best performance by a TCU receiver?

• 2022 at Kansas: Quentin Johnston. It was a great day on a national stag. While one could argue his 2021 game vs. OU is even better, that came in a loss and we’re riding the high from his insane output in Lawrence.
• 2017 Alamo Bowl: Jalen Reagor. As a true freshman Reagor was already a standout, but he broke out in his efforts bringing the Frogs to another come-from-behind Alamo victory, with 5 receptions for 169 yards and a TD.
• 2015 at Texas Tech: Josh Doctson. Doctson did not make the most memorable catch from this game, but his performance was out of this world. Looking at Doctson’s TCU career, almost every one of his games could qualify as the greatest TCU WR performance, there is no overstating how incredible Doctson was as a Horned Frog. This game was pure uncut raw straight to the bloodstream Docston; his highlight video from this game is 15 minutes long. He’s a master and this may have been his masterpiece.
• 2011 at Boise State: Josh Boyce. Boyce also had his share of star turns in purple, but his performance taking doing #5 Boise on the blue turf is an all-timer. Not only did he have TD grabs of 74, 69, and 2 yards, but he converted the go-ahead 2-point conversion with a minute left in the game that ended up giving the Frogs the 1-point victory.

(Honorable Mention: Jimmy Young’s 5 for 226 and 3 TDs vs. Wyoming in 2008. I know no one would pick this, but in-person Dalton & Young looked like Montana & Rice. It was as dominant an individual performance as one could have, even if the old Amon Carter was only half full and I’m not sure this game was even on TV)