TCU rallies past Kansas with late touchdown on Saturday

FORT WORTH (Interstat) — Jaden Craig scored on a 17-yard run with 1:11 remaining and hit Jordan Dwyer on the two-point conversion that lifted Texas Christian to a 22-16 victory over Kansas in a Football Bowl Subdivision game Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Attendance was 32,549. The Horned Frogs improved to 4-4. The visiting Jayhawks fell to 3-5.

Kansas opened the scoring with Martin Connington’s 34-yard field goal with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter after he missed a 26-yard attempt with 8:40 left in the period. Connington added a 42-yard field goal with 6:25 remaining in the second quarter, and Cole Ballard found Cam Pickett for a 29-yard touchdown pass with 4:18 left in the second. Connington’s 27-yard field goal with 4:59 remaining in the fourth quarter put Kansas ahead 16-14. TCU scored when Max Carroll intercepted Ballard at the TCU 40 and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown with 4:38 remaining in the third quarter. Ace Theus scored on a 28-yard run with 26 seconds left in the third. In the fourth, Jamel Johnson intercepted Ballard at the TCU 6 and returned it 94 yards for an apparent touchdown with 7:32 remaining, but the play was nullified by a TCU pass interference penalty at 7:11. Craig then scored on a 17-yard run with 1:11 remaining, and Dwyer caught the two-point conversion.

Ballard, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback from Westfield, Ind., completed 20 of 35 passes for 285 yards and one touchdown and ran 13 times for 36 yards. Craig, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound quarterback, completed 13 of 29 passes for 141 yards and ran 15 times for 87 yards and one touchdown.

Kansas receiver Nahzae Cox, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior, had five catches for 145 yards. Cam Pickett, a 6-foot-0, 194-pound receiver, had 10 receptions for 113 yards and one touchdown. Keaton Kubecka, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound receiver, ran three times for 58 yards. Dylan Edwards, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound running back, carried 20 times for 42 yards and caught one pass for 8 yards. Chase Belcher ran seven times for 18 yards. Carson Bruhn had two receptions for 9 yards. Bryson Hayes and Tate Nagy each had one catch for 5 yards, and Nagy had two punt returns for 9 yards. Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman ran once for 7 yards and made one tackle. Chase Jenkins ran twice for 5 yards.

TCU receiver Jordan Dwyer, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound receiver, had six receptions for 46 yards. Kari Ashley ran once for 3 yards and caught three passes for 50 yards. Ed Small, a 6-foot-0, 205-pound receiver, had two receptions for 34 yards and three punt returns for 2 yards. Ace Theus ran twice for 30 yards and scored one touchdown and had two kick returns for 34 yards. Amante Martin ran seven times for 15 yards. Jon Denman ran three times for 10 yards. Ka’Morreun Pimpton had one reception for 10 yards. Jacobe Hayes had one reception for 1 yard. Mason Peterson had two kick returns for 30 yards, and Major Everhart had one kick return for 6 yards. John Hoyet Chance, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound punter, punted eight times for 348 yards.

TCU’s defense was led by Jamel Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound safety, with 10 tackles. Hudson Hooper, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker, made nine tackles. Max Carroll, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker, had eight tackles, one interception and one touchdown. Kylin Jackson, a 6-foot-3, 196-pound safety, had seven tackles and two quarterback hurries. Vernon Glover Jr., a 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback, and Jordan Lester, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety, each made six tackles. Paul Oyewale had five tackles. Ansel Din-Mbuh had four tackles. Teon Parks and Kalen Carroll each had three tackles. Markis Deal, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound defensive lineman, John Schobel and Kaden McFadden each had two tackles, with Schobel adding one quarterback hurry. Koron Hayward, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound linebacker, had two tackles, one sack and two quarterback hurries. Devyn Hidrogo had one tackle and one quarterback hurry. Sam Haley, Zach Chapman, Kelten Mickell and Dillon Arkansas each had one tackle.

Kansas’s defense got seven tackles, half a sack and one quarterback hurry from Trey Lathan, a 6-foot-1, 218-pound linebacker. Jalen Todd had five tackles and one quarterback hurry. Christian Pritchett, Corey Gordon, Taylor Davis and Austin Alexander each made four tackles.

Kansas’s previous results this season include a 25-24 home win over Baylor, a 35-24 loss at Kansas State, a 41-24 loss at Utah, a 55-0 home win over Middle Tennessee, a 24-17 home loss to Arizona State, a 38-21 home loss to Missouri and a 51-6 home win over Long Island. TCU’s previous results include a 24-20 home loss to West Virginia, a 17-6 win at Baylor, a 17-10 home loss to BYU, a 21-13 loss at UCF, a 31-7 home win over Arkansas State, a 63-7 home win over Grambling and a 15-10 home loss to North Carolina. Kansas next hosts UCF, visits West Virginia, hosts BYU and visits Oklahoma State. TCU next visits Arizona, hosts Kansas State, hosts Utah and visits Texas Tech.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Texas Christian 43, Kansas 25. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Texas Christian with an 84.6 percent probability to win. Texas Christian had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -6.5. The total score of 38 went over the over/under line of 45.5.