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After sluggish TCU finds its footing, Patterson does some playoff stumping

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — No. 10 TCU didn’t produce its typical offensive fireworks, at least not until crunch time.

Trevone Boykin’s 40-yard pass to Kolby Listenbee set up Jaden Oberkrom’s game-winning kick as TCU rallied from 13 points down in the second half to beat No. 20 West Virginia 31-30.

Ranked No. 7 in the first set of College Football Playoff rankings, the Frogs  (7-1, 4-1 Big 12), needed every second to remain alive for one of the semifinal spots. Coach Gary Patterson didn’t think the close call should hurt his team’s positioning.

TCU coach Gary Patterson celebrates the 31-30 win at West Virginia.

“At their house, to come back and beat WVU, if the committee didn’t think that was enough substance, then they’re not watching the right film—because we just did it not playing very well,” he said. “That’s a team that played Alabama well and you just go on down the list.

“We just went on the road against a team that beat No. 4 Baylor 41-27, and we beat them at their house. If that’s not a good enough win for the committee, then I can’t help them. But I’ll be 7-1 whether they like it or they don’t.”

A series that produced overtime games the past two seasons delivered another dramatic ending as Oberkrom kicked a 37-yarder on the final play.

“I actually prefer the other hash, the right hash … but from 37 yards, it wasn’t that bad,” Oberkrom said. When I hit it, I knew I hit it solid.”

After throwing seven touchdowns last week and jumping into the Heisman conversation, Boykin had only eight completions through three quarters. He finished 12-of-30 for 166 yards but led TCU to 10 points in the final 7:33.

“As soon as (Boykin) mentioned the Heisman this week, we had to get to work,” said TCU coach Gary Patterson. “That was the very best defensive team we played all year. Every time we checked, they switched up coverages.”

On Boykin’s biggest throw, Listenbee ran behind a busted coverage before being tackled at the West Virginia 33.

“We had 10 guys playing one defense and one guy not,” said Mountaineers’ defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. “It’s disappointing to get all the way to that point in the game and blow a coverage.”

West Virginia (6-3, 4-2) held the nation’s highest-scoring offense well below its 50.4-point average and TCU generated a season-low 385 yards. Yet the Frogs made enough plays late to overcome a seven-point first half.

B.J. Catalon ran for 105 yards and two scores, including a 6-yard touchdown that pulled TCU within 30-28.

The Frogs’ next drive ended on a fourth-and-3 incompletion at the West Virginia 43 with 3:46 remaining, but after a West Virginia three-and-out TCU got the ball again with 2:07 to play.

“We just went on the road against a team that beat No. 4 Baylor 41-27, and we beat them at their house. If that’s not a good enough win for the committee, then I can’t help them.” — TCU coach Gary Patterson

Boykin’s 2-yard touchdown, set up by a West Virginia fumbled snap at its 27, put TCU ahead 14-13 in the third quarter. But Dreamius Smith’s 50-yard run re-energized the crowd before his 5-yard score gave WVU the lead again.

Terrell Chestnut stripped TCU receiver Josh Doctson and returned the fumble 35 yards for a 27-14 lead, before Catalon answered with a 23-yard touchdown run.

West Virginia led 13-0 when Deante’ Gray took a Boykin screen pass 47 yards for a touchdown, but TCU’s first-half offense was otherwise abysmal. The Frogs produced zero points on possessions that started at West Virginia’s 21, 23 and 43 yard lines after turnovers.

TCU had five punts and an interception among its seven drives in the half, before opening the second half with back-to-back three-and-outs. It was a far cry from the 82-point barrage enacted upon Texas Tech last week.

“After the 82, I knew what was going to happen,” Patterson said. “I told (the players) that this week it wasn’t going to come easy, that it probably was going to be a defensive battle. Sometimes you’re just going to have those games.

“They were a good football team with a great crowd and a lot of energy—just exactly what you would expect.”





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