TCU, a 15 1/2 point pre-game underdog, shocked Boise State Saturday by taking advantage of rare Bronco mistakes in a dramatic 36-35 win in Bronco Stadium.
Horned Frog quarterback Casey Pachall, who threw for 473 yards and five touchdowns, launched three long bombs in the first half on talented but inexperienced Boise State cornerbacks that all went for scores to gain the upper hand at halftime. Then, with 1:02 left in the game, TCU was successful on a two-point conversion from Pachall to Josh Boyce to gain the win, dashing late-season Bronco hopes for a second consecutive year.
Pachall hooked up with Boyce (#82 in photo) for long-distance scores of 74 and 69 yards when the talented TCU receiver got by backup Bronco cornerbacks forced to start due to injuries. Brandon Carter was also the beneficiary of another Pachall bomb of 75 yards that went for six. Boyce finished with five receptions for 163 yards and three scores while Carter hauled in four for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
After Boise State scored first on an incredible grab by freshman sensation Matt Miller on a 22-yard pass from All-America quarterback Kellen Moore, TCU came back with two scores of their own. Pachall delivered a perfect strike to Boyce in stride that stunned the Bronco crowd on a 74-yard pass play midway through the first quarter. Then, after an exchange of punts and a Bronco fumble in the second quarter, Pachall unleashed a touchdown on an almost identical play for 75 yards to Carter. D.J. Harper, who started in place of the injured Doug Martin, then shot through the TCU interior for a 17-yard run on Boise State's next possession that tied the game.
But then lightning struck for the third time as Boyce broke free again in the secondary for the 69-yard touchdown. The extra point missed but Coach Gary Patterson's team headed to the locker room with a 20-14 lead. It was the first time that the Broncos had trailed at intermission all season.
The senior-laden Boise State defensive line that would hold TCU to just 33 rushing yards on 26 carries for the game at the same time had been unable to dirsupt the fireworks of Pachall's passing attack. But on the first play of scrimmage in the second half, Tyrone Crawford belted Pachall with a hard hit, igniting an already loud Bronco crowd. The ball popped loose into the hands of Crawford, who raced 32 yards into the north end zone. Dan Goodale's kick was good and the Broncos led 21-20. The Bronco defense held once again, allowing Moore and his offense time to do what they do best--put the ball in the end zone. Harper capped a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a three-yard run and Boise State was up 28-20.
But the defending Rose Bowl Champion Horned Frogs came right back with an impressive 81-yard drive of their own that featured a 35-yard Pachall to Waymon James pass and moved TCU to the Boise State two-yard line. Pachall lofted a beautiful fade pass to Boyce, then ran it in on a two-point conversion to tie the score with 2:01 remaining in the quarter.
Still, with the winningest quarterback in NCAA history on your side, Boise State had a proven leader, and the record-breaking Moore delivered again, uncorking a 54-yard bomb to true freshman Dallas Burroughs for the go-ahead score on the first play of the final stanza. It was Burroughs' first career touchdown and it gave the Broncos a 35-28 lead. The Bronco defense stiffened once again, with Lee Hightower picking off a Pachall pass on the Boise State 10. An exchange of punts gave Coach Chris Petersen's team the ball with 5:44 left in the game. Four plays later, however, Harper was hit hard going through the interior of the TCU defense and reserve Drew Wright, who had been impressive in late duty all season long, entered the game. Wright moved the Broncos to the TCU 34 yard-line on two impressive runs. Nursing a seven-point lead, Boise State had the ball with 2:32 left. One more first down would just about cinch the victory.
Bronco coaches went with Wright for a third straight carry, but this time the ball popped out and the opportunistic TCU defense was all over it. Pachall, who finished 24-37 for the game, was brilliant again in leading his team down the field. Pachall, who took over this season for another of the NCAA's winningest quarterbacks (Andy Dalton, who is now starting as a rookie in the NFL), consistently found receivers as the Bronco line was unable to apply pressure. Like a good boxer peppering his opponent with late-round jabs, Pachall was 5-7 on the drive. With a first down at the Boise State 25, Pachall spotted an open Carter at the five, who waltzed into the end zone.
Rather than tie the score, Patterson elected to go for two. The crowd noise was deafening. Patterson's move proved to be a stroke of genius as Pachall rolled out, then fired a bullet just past Quaylon Ewing-Burton and into the waiting hands of Boyce.
Still, with 1:02 left and the quarterback who had led Boise State to many last-minute touchdowns in his stellar career, you had to like the Broncos' chances, especially when the ensuing kickoff landed out of bounds giving Boise State the ball at his own 40. In dramatic fashion, Moore and the Broncos advanced the ball to the TCU 25. Boise State was assisted with a questionable pass interference call with 44 seconds left on a fourth-down pass. A clutch 10-yard catch by Tyler Shoemaker (5 catches for 69 yards) put Boise State in striking range. After a spike gave Boise State a second-down with 21 seconds left, Moore took the snap and ran to the middle of the field. The remaining seconds ticked off the clock until a Bronco timeout with one second left. That set up little-used kicker Goodale for a 39-yard field goal try. Unfortunately for Boise State, the result was the same as in the last Bronco loss (to Nevada 11 games ago)--a kick wide right.
And TCU celebrated wildly. The victory not only enabled the Horned Frogs to have first place in the Mountain West Conference to themselves, but TCU re-entered the Top 25 for the first time since a disappointing loss to rival SMU earlier in the year. The team from Fort Worth, Texas set a MWC record with its 12th consecutive road win and has now won 22 straight conference games. Boise State, meanwhile, was no longer in charge of its own destiny, not for the Mountain West Conference championship and certainly not for a BCS Bowl. In order to land one of the coveted bowl berths, it would take more chaos than was necessary to get an appearance in the national championship game. Such is the nature of the college football bowl situation and exactly why Boise State's impending move to the Big East Conference couldn't happen soon enough.
Just nine games into what the national media decreed would be a down year with the costly loss of Titus Young and Austin Pettis to the National Football League, Miller eclipsed Pettis's freshman receiving record with a sensational game. Miller consistently found holes in the TCU secondary and set a career-high with nine catches for 73 yards. On several occasions, the Horned Frogs were guilty of defensive holding and pass interference against Miller on plays in which he would have piled up more numbers.
Harper was remarkable filling in for Martin with 125 yards rushing on 24 carries. It was bittersweet for Harper, who twice has come back from season-ending injuries. With his gutsy effort, Harper moved past former Bronco greats Fred Goode (1,581 rushing yards) and K.C. Adams (1,275) for 16th all-time in career rushing at Boise State with 1,588. Harper now stands ninth on the career rushing touchdown list with 23, passing legendary back Terry Zahner (1977-1980) and D.J's 2011 total of 490 yards is the 14th-highest ever for the second-leading rusher (to Martin).
Moore finished 28-38 for 320 yards, setting yet another school record with his 15th career game of 300 or more passing yards. That eclipsed Ryan Dinwiddie's mark set at the end of his fabulous Bronco career in 2003. Moore's two TD passes gave him 20 this season, which is tied for fifth all-time. He now is also #6 on the single-season list for completions with 220.
For Bronco players, coaches and fans, it was heartbreak again. But if there's one thing that has characterized the Boise State program over the last 12 seasons, it has been the ability to bounce back with resiliency. And start another winning streak.
After losing one of the most thrilling college football games of the year, it's gut-check time again for the program next week against San Diego State.
Horned Frog quarterback Casey Pachall, who threw for 473 yards and five touchdowns, launched three long bombs in the first half on talented but inexperienced Boise State cornerbacks that all went for scores to gain the upper hand at halftime. Then, with 1:02 left in the game, TCU was successful on a two-point conversion from Pachall to Josh Boyce to gain the win, dashing late-season Bronco hopes for a second consecutive year.
Pachall hooked up with Boyce (#82 in photo) for long-distance scores of 74 and 69 yards when the talented TCU receiver got by backup Bronco cornerbacks forced to start due to injuries. Brandon Carter was also the beneficiary of another Pachall bomb of 75 yards that went for six. Boyce finished with five receptions for 163 yards and three scores while Carter hauled in four for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
But then lightning struck for the third time as Boyce broke free again in the secondary for the 69-yard touchdown. The extra point missed but Coach Gary Patterson's team headed to the locker room with a 20-14 lead. It was the first time that the Broncos had trailed at intermission all season.
The senior-laden Boise State defensive line that would hold TCU to just 33 rushing yards on 26 carries for the game at the same time had been unable to dirsupt the fireworks of Pachall's passing attack. But on the first play of scrimmage in the second half, Tyrone Crawford belted Pachall with a hard hit, igniting an already loud Bronco crowd. The ball popped loose into the hands of Crawford, who raced 32 yards into the north end zone. Dan Goodale's kick was good and the Broncos led 21-20. The Bronco defense held once again, allowing Moore and his offense time to do what they do best--put the ball in the end zone. Harper capped a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a three-yard run and Boise State was up 28-20.
But the defending Rose Bowl Champion Horned Frogs came right back with an impressive 81-yard drive of their own that featured a 35-yard Pachall to Waymon James pass and moved TCU to the Boise State two-yard line. Pachall lofted a beautiful fade pass to Boyce, then ran it in on a two-point conversion to tie the score with 2:01 remaining in the quarter.
Still, with the winningest quarterback in NCAA history on your side, Boise State had a proven leader, and the record-breaking Moore delivered again, uncorking a 54-yard bomb to true freshman Dallas Burroughs for the go-ahead score on the first play of the final stanza. It was Burroughs' first career touchdown and it gave the Broncos a 35-28 lead. The Bronco defense stiffened once again, with Lee Hightower picking off a Pachall pass on the Boise State 10. An exchange of punts gave Coach Chris Petersen's team the ball with 5:44 left in the game. Four plays later, however, Harper was hit hard going through the interior of the TCU defense and reserve Drew Wright, who had been impressive in late duty all season long, entered the game. Wright moved the Broncos to the TCU 34 yard-line on two impressive runs. Nursing a seven-point lead, Boise State had the ball with 2:32 left. One more first down would just about cinch the victory.
Bronco coaches went with Wright for a third straight carry, but this time the ball popped out and the opportunistic TCU defense was all over it. Pachall, who finished 24-37 for the game, was brilliant again in leading his team down the field. Pachall, who took over this season for another of the NCAA's winningest quarterbacks (Andy Dalton, who is now starting as a rookie in the NFL), consistently found receivers as the Bronco line was unable to apply pressure. Like a good boxer peppering his opponent with late-round jabs, Pachall was 5-7 on the drive. With a first down at the Boise State 25, Pachall spotted an open Carter at the five, who waltzed into the end zone.
Rather than tie the score, Patterson elected to go for two. The crowd noise was deafening. Patterson's move proved to be a stroke of genius as Pachall rolled out, then fired a bullet just past Quaylon Ewing-Burton and into the waiting hands of Boyce.
Still, with 1:02 left and the quarterback who had led Boise State to many last-minute touchdowns in his stellar career, you had to like the Broncos' chances, especially when the ensuing kickoff landed out of bounds giving Boise State the ball at his own 40. In dramatic fashion, Moore and the Broncos advanced the ball to the TCU 25. Boise State was assisted with a questionable pass interference call with 44 seconds left on a fourth-down pass. A clutch 10-yard catch by Tyler Shoemaker (5 catches for 69 yards) put Boise State in striking range. After a spike gave Boise State a second-down with 21 seconds left, Moore took the snap and ran to the middle of the field. The remaining seconds ticked off the clock until a Bronco timeout with one second left. That set up little-used kicker Goodale for a 39-yard field goal try. Unfortunately for Boise State, the result was the same as in the last Bronco loss (to Nevada 11 games ago)--a kick wide right.
And TCU celebrated wildly. The victory not only enabled the Horned Frogs to have first place in the Mountain West Conference to themselves, but TCU re-entered the Top 25 for the first time since a disappointing loss to rival SMU earlier in the year. The team from Fort Worth, Texas set a MWC record with its 12th consecutive road win and has now won 22 straight conference games. Boise State, meanwhile, was no longer in charge of its own destiny, not for the Mountain West Conference championship and certainly not for a BCS Bowl. In order to land one of the coveted bowl berths, it would take more chaos than was necessary to get an appearance in the national championship game. Such is the nature of the college football bowl situation and exactly why Boise State's impending move to the Big East Conference couldn't happen soon enough.
Just nine games into what the national media decreed would be a down year with the costly loss of Titus Young and Austin Pettis to the National Football League, Miller eclipsed Pettis's freshman receiving record with a sensational game. Miller consistently found holes in the TCU secondary and set a career-high with nine catches for 73 yards. On several occasions, the Horned Frogs were guilty of defensive holding and pass interference against Miller on plays in which he would have piled up more numbers.
Moore finished 28-38 for 320 yards, setting yet another school record with his 15th career game of 300 or more passing yards. That eclipsed Ryan Dinwiddie's mark set at the end of his fabulous Bronco career in 2003. Moore's two TD passes gave him 20 this season, which is tied for fifth all-time. He now is also #6 on the single-season list for completions with 220.
For Bronco players, coaches and fans, it was heartbreak again. But if there's one thing that has characterized the Boise State program over the last 12 seasons, it has been the ability to bounce back with resiliency. And start another winning streak.
After losing one of the most thrilling college football games of the year, it's gut-check time again for the program next week against San Diego State.
Hicks had the fumble that led to the Boise defensive TD. He was hit in the backfield by that dirtbag Hout. Pachall fumbled the next series, but TCU recovered.
ReplyDeleteGreat writing! This takes a LOT of time putting together!!!
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