The old adage is that victory can be snatched from the jaws of defeat.
Friday evening, however, the TCU football team did the exact opposite. The Horned Frogs, desperate for a signature win to keep their bowl hopes alive, blew an eight-point lead late in the fourth quarter and committed an egregious special teams mistake to fall 29-28 against No. 22 Arizona. TCU, rather than deliver in the clutch, took defeat from the jaws of victory. Now, the Horned Frogs stand at 4-5 and 2-4 in the Big 12 with three
games left.
TCU’s meltdown started with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive by the Wildcats that erased nearly five minutes off the block and brought Arizona within two points. The Horned Frogs got a much-needed stop on the 2-point conversion attempt, but just moments later, wide receiver Ed Small made the game’s worst blunder in a game filled with special teams errors by the TCU side. Muffing a short kick by the Wildcats, Small gave possession back to Arizona, which booted a go-ahead 37-yard field goal to take a lead with 38 seconds left.
A week after rushing for a last-minute touchdown in TCU’s win over Kansas, Jaden Craig had another chance to play hero for the Horned Frogs. However, much like he did against North Carolina, UCF and West Virginia, Craig turned the ball over in the most inopportune fashion. His first pass of the team’s final drive went over the head of his receiver and directly into the arms of cornerback Tyrese Boss, sealing Arizona’s win and TCU’s defeat.
The Horned Frogs squandered standout performances from Kari Ashley (14 catches, 95 yards) and Jordan Dwyer (nine catches, 86 yards and one touchdown), who carried TCU’s offense once again. Amante Martin (eight runs, 35 yards) showed brief flashes, but the Horned Frogs once again failed to run the football effectively, finishing with just 49 yards on 21 attempts (2.3 yards per carry). Craig was sacked three times and Arizona made six TFLs.
Kyle Lemmermann accounted for the first special teams miscue, badly missing a 37-yard attempt in the first quarter. He also had an 50-yard attempt in the third quarter blocked, dropping his field-goal conversion rate this season to 33.3% (1 for 3) and 67.9.% (19 for 28) in his three-year career with the Horned Frogs. Hudson Hooper’s pick-six was the defensive highlight for TCU, which allowed its highest point total in a game this season.
Two games removed from firing offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator AJ Ricker, TCU has failed to make noticeable strides on that side of the ball. The defense showed rare vulnerability, as Arizona’s Noah Fifita threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns and the Wildcats outgained the Horned Frogs 441-281 for the game. The Horned Frogs must win two of their last three games to earn bowl eligibility. TCU will face Kansas State and No. 2 Utah at home before closing the season out at Texas Tech later this month.
