TCU Shocks 12th Ranked Baylor

The 2021 TCU football season appeared hopeless following a brutal stretch where the team lost five out of six games that led to the parting of ways with head coach Gary Patterson on October 31. Patterson had coached at the school for over twenty years and brought the program out from irrelevance to a household name for college football fans.    

The following Saturday, the TCU players recruited by coach Patterson delivered an inspiring performance to honor their former coach and upset the 12th ranked Baylor Bears 30-28 in Fort Worth.     

The Bears were heading in the opposite direction of TCU, having won their last three games and only having one loss on the season.     

The result was even more unexpected because TCU was without starting quarterback Max Duggan and star running back Zach Evans due to injuries.    

Chandler Morris shined in Duggan’s place and racked up 531 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. The redshirt freshman completed 29 of 41 passes for 461 yards and two touchdowns through the air, including completions to ten different receivers. On the ground, Morris added 70 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.     

Morris is a transfer from Oklahoma University and the son of former SMU and Arkansas head coach Chad Morris.   

Receiver Quentin Johnston was the next best player for the Horned Frogs as he caught five passes for 142 yards and a touchdown.    

On the defensive side of the ball, the Horned Frogs gave up plenty of yards, but they did make plays at very crucial moments. Baylor’s Abram Smith finished with 125 rushing yards on 18 carries, and quarterback Gerry Bohanon threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions.     

The second interception sealed the Bear’s fate. With 1:03 remaining in the game, Baylor had driven into TCU territory. The Bears were looking to pick up a few more yards to make the game-winning field goal attempt easier for their kicker, but their hopes were dashed when Shadrach Banks stepped in front of a Bohannon pass for the interception to seal the game.    

Interim head coach Jerry Kill is now 1-0 as the Horned Frogs record improved to 4-5 on the season, including 2-4 in the Big 12 conference. Their chances at a bowl game are considerably higher now than they were going into the weekend. Six victories are needed to make a bowl game.    

The Bears record now drops to 7-2, and they will undoubtedly suffer a significant drop in the rankings following the unexpected loss. Their chances at making the Big 12 title game are also severely hurt with this loss as they are now 4-2 in conference play.    

Both teams face tough matchups this Saturday. TCU will travel to Stillwater to play the one-loss Oklahoma State Cowboys, while Baylor hosts the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners.