Football: TCU comeback falls short in 29-26 loss to Texas

A tremendous comeback from the TCU football team fell just short on Saturday, with the No. 7 ranked Texas Longhorns escaping Fort Worth with a 29-26 victory over the Horned Frogs. TCU (4-6, 2-5 Big 12) outscored Texas 20-3 in the fourth quarter, with quarterback Josh Hoover firing a pair of touchdown passes as the Horned Frogs nearly stole a win from the Longhorns. Faced with a third-and-12 down from deep within their own territory, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers launched a deep ball to wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who beat TCU cornerback Avery Helm off the line and hauled in the pass to secure the Texas win.

Savion Williams shined for the Horned Frog offense, finishing with 11 catches for 162 yards and one touchdown to lead the TCU receiving corps. Emani Bailey rushed for 98 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries, while Hoover completed 24-of-36 passes for 302 yards in the loss. The Longhorns controlled the first half, outscoring the Horned Frogs 19-0 during the second quarter and taking a 26-6 lead at halftime. Jonathon Brooks proved to be a difficult cover, with the Texas running back totaling 104 yards and two touchdowns on the ground before exiting the game late in the second half with an injury. In his first game back from an AC joint injury, Ewers completed 22-of-33 passes for 317 yards and one touchdown with one interception, which TCU safety Millard Bradford proceeded to fumble right back to Texas.

A 73-yard catch-and-run by Brooks set up a short touchdown run to give Texas a 7-0 lead during the first quarter. TCU hung tough early on, however, with Griffin Kell booting a pair of field goals including a 56-yarder that brought the Horned Frogs within one point. The TCU defense held Texas to just three points in the second half, but a costly turnover on downs inside the Texas red zone early in the second half prevented the Horned Frogs from doing more damage in the third quarter, where both teams were scoreless. Jamoi Hodge finished with 11 total tackles to lead the TCU defense, while safety Abe Camara added eight tackles.

Mark Perry and Shadrach Banks each recorded seven tackles on defense, with tight end Jared Wiley adding six catches for 65 yards including a 46-yard catch on a wheel route to ignite the Horned Frog offense late in the fourth quarter. TCU’s fourth-quarter touchdowns included a 5-yarder to J.P. Richardson on fourth down and a 14-yarder to Williams. TCU has two games remaining in the regular season, with the Horned Frogs scheduled to face Baylor at home this coming weekend before concluding the regular season against Oklahoma in Norman. TCU must win both games in order to reach 6-6 and clinch bowl eligibility.