How UCF overcame a 21-point deficit to beat TCU in Big 12 opener
Despite leading by three possessions most of the second half, the Horned Frogs were shocked in a 35-34 Big 12 Conference opening defeat to UCF Saturday night at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
When the Horned Frogs took a 31-13 lead late in the third quarter, many TCU fans began clearing out of Amon G. Carter Stadium. With the way TCU was playing on both sides of the ball, it was understandable, but in typical college football fashion, there was plenty of drama left to unfold.
“We got up 31-13 and they just hung in there and kept chipping away,” coach Sonny Dykes said after the defeat. “We had a hard time getting off the field defensively and had a three-and-out right there at the midpoint of the fourth quarter.
I think we kind of wore down on defense.” With 3:23 remaining in the game, the Knights had turned a 18-point deficit into a 34-28 nail biter and UCF had an opportunity to take the lead for good after forcing a three-and-out against TCU’s offense. It was a major crossroads for TCU’s new defense which had played well in the first half, but punished by UCF’s run game in the second half.
With 60 seconds remaining the Knights had marched to the TCU 31 and had TCU’s defense reeling. After converting a third-and-long pass to Kobe Hudson, KJ Jefferson went right back to Hudson for a 20-yard touchdown with 36 seconds remaining for the game-tying touchdown. Then UCF kicker Colton Boomer booted the game-deciding extra point for the 35-34 win.
The Horned Frogs had blocked three Boomer kicks — two field goals and one extra point — earlier in the game. After the TCU defense failed to hold the lead, Josh Hoover had one last chance to help TCU avoid disaster. Hoover quickly worked TCU down the field, getting down to the UCF 40. Hoover had one more play to get the Horned Frogs closer, but his pass to JP Richardson fell incomplete.
Freshman kicker Kyle Lemmerman was forced to a kick a potential 58-yard field goal. Lemmerman had the right amount of power, but couldn’t put it through as the ball sailed wide right and TCU let a winnable game slip away. “We had a chance right there at the end, but that’s a 58-yarder,” Dykes said. “Kyle hit it really well, certainly can’t blame him at all. We had opportunity after opportunity to put the game away. We had a false start inside the 1-yard on third-and-1, you can’t make those kind of mistakes and win a football game.”