Estimated read time: 16-17 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Final
Score: (4) TCU 55, (14) Utah 28
FORT WORTH, TEXAS -- In a dominating performance, No. 4 TCU showed that it belonged in the BCS, knocking off No. 14 Utah 55-28 in front of a record crowd at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
TCU set the tone early, blocking a punt, forcing a fumble on a kickoff return and returning an interception for a touchdown en route to a 24 point 2nd quarter. The hole was too big for the Utes to overcome as they lose by their largest margin since a 36-3 loss to Boise State in 2005.
Key Stats
- 1st Downs: Utah - 11, TCU - 32
- 3rd down efficiency: Utah - 4-15, TCU - 7-13
- Total Yards: Utah - 284, TCU - 549
- Penalties: Utah - 14-110, TCU - 5-45
- Jordan Wynn (Utah): 16/32 219 yards 1 TD, 1 INT
- Andy Dalton (TCU): 17/29 207 yards 1 TD, 1 INT
Both BYU and Utah fans will now be cheering on TCU as they carry the MWC's BCS hopes.
Next up for Utah: San Diego State
Next up for TCU: at Wyoming
Time Remaining: 2:35 Fourth Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 55, (14) Utah 28
Against TCU's first string defense (why are they still in the game?), Wynn completes a pass to Kendrick Moeai for a 37 yard gain right over the middle of the field. The next play, Shaky Smithson takes the direct snap 10 yards for a touchdown.
Time Remaining: 5:06 Fourth Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 55, (14) Utah 21
TCU pouring it on here, keeping their first team offense in the game with less than six minutes left. Patterson electing to go for style points than trying to show some class. Matthew Tucker rushes in for another TCU touchdown to put TCU up 55-21. This is the most points given up by a Utah team since 1990.
Time Remaining: 12:50 Fourth Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 48, (14) Utah 21
Ed Wesley rushes to the right for a 16 yard touchdown. Whoever the Frogs are using at running back are simply outrunning the Utah defense. TCU is averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
Time Remaining: 1:03 Third Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 41, (14) Utah 21
Utah drives 63 yards in 10 plays, converting a third and three and a fourth and three for first downs to keep the drive alive. Eddie Wide capped the drive off with a 1 yard TD run to cut the TCU lead to 20, 41-21. Jordan Wynn scrambled for a 15 yard gain down to the one yard line to set up the touchdown. Wynn showed some great footwork on the play to avoid three TCU tackles.
Time Remaining: 5:30 Third Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 41, (14) Utah 14
First down for the Utes on a 2 yard run by Shaky Smithson, but the drive stalls on the next series of downs. TCU will have it first and 10 on their own 29 after the punt.
Time Remaining: 7:53 Third Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 41, (14) Utah 14
Opening possession of the half = three and out for the Utes.
TCU marches 39 yards in 11 plays, chewing up over five minutes of clock and getting three on the board with a 42 yard field goal by Ross Evans.
Halftime
Score: (4) TCU 38, (14) Utah 14
TCU has dominated this game from kickoff to the half, scoring at will and shutting down Utah's offense. If not for three big passing plays by Jordan Wynn, this game could be a lot worse.
Jordan Wynn connected with DeVonte Christopher for a gain of 31 yards that set up a 10 yard touchdown run by Shaky Smithson. The other two big plays were both to David Reed, the last of which went for 50 yards and a touchdown.
TCU forced a fumble on Utah's first kickoff return, they have blocked a punt and have an interception return for a touchdown.
Utah has 10 penalties for 93 yards, while TCU has only been flagged twice for only 10 yards.
Update on the Keys to the Game for Utah
- 100 yards for Eddie - Fail. Eddie Wide has only 19 yards on 9 carries.
- Pressure Dalton - Fail. TCU QB Andy Dalton has already thrown for 188 yards on 15-23 passing, rarely feeling any pressure from Utah's defense.
Update on the Keys to the Game for TCU
- Stay focused - Check. TCU has dominated this game so far, moving the ball at will.
- Special teams play - Check. Jeremy Kerley's 38 yard punt return in the 2nd quarter set up an Antoine Hicks touchdown that put the Frogs up 28-7.
Time Remaining: 0:15 Second Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 38, (14) Utah 14
Penalty total: 9 for Utah totaling 75 yards, TCU 0 for 0 yards. 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty against the Utes gives the Frogs another gift. TCU now faces a 4th and 1 from the Utah 42 yard line. TCU calls off the dogs and elects to punt, and the Utes will be pinned deep at their own 2 yard line.
Utah picks up 9, but falls just short of the first and are forced to punt. TCU will have the ball on the Utah 43 yard line after the punt by Sellwood.
After a big completion to Jimmy Young, 15 extra yards are tacked on for a illegal helmet to helmet contact on Robert Johnson. It looked like a clean hit to me. TCU finally picks up their first penalty of the game, a 5 yard false start. Ross Evans makes a 30 yard field goal attempt to put the Frogs up 38-14.
Time Remaining: 5:35 Second Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 35, (14) Utah 14
TCU trying to throw salt on the wounded Utes ends up costing them as Dalton is intercepted by Brandon Burton in the end zone for a touchback. Why are they throwing the ball up 28 points?
David Reed comes up with an awesome one handed reception on a pass by Jordan Wynn that goes for 38 yards, almost doubling the total yards for the Utes up until this point. Wynn goes deep to Reed again the next play, this time for 50 yards and a touchdown, scratching into this TCU blowout 35-14.
Time Remaining: 11:40 Second Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 35, (14) Utah 7
Utah is already up to six penalties in this game, and we are still early in the 2nd quarter. TCU has 0. Short handoff to Jeremy Kerley gives TCU a 21-7 lead. TCU's hurry up offense has caught Utah offsides twice and the Utes have also been called for two illegal defensive substitution penalties. After the touchdown, the total net yards: TCU 166, Utah 51.
Again forced into a third and long, the Utes are unable to convert. David Reed had a chance to make an excellent catch, but Raphael Priest breaks up the pass at the last second. Jeremy Kerley returns Sellwood's punt 38 yards deep into Utah territory.
The next play, Dalton connects with Jimmy Young for a gain of 28 right over the middle. Two plays later, Antoine Hicks takes the sweep to the left for the touchdown. There is your Vegas spread, 28-7.
TCU is going for BCS style points now, as Tank Carder intercepts a Jordan Wynn pass and walks into the end zone to put TCU up 35-7.
Time Remaining: 1:00 First Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 14, (14) Utah 7
TCU answers with a nice drive of their own, going 80 yards in 6 plays, aided by 20 yards in penalties. Dalton connects with Ryan Christian who raced down the right sideline from 16 yards out to put TCU up 14-7. Utah's defense does not look like it has the speed to keep up with this TCU offense.
Jerry Hughes sacks Jordan Wynn on 3rd and 7, and the Utes go three and out. Momentum is all TCU right now. To add insult to injury, Sellwood's punt is blocked, and TCU has the ball on the Utah 23 yard line.
Time Remaining: 4:48 First Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 7, (14) Utah 7
Utah is able to pick up a first down on their 2nd possession as Wynn connected with Jereme Brooks for 7 yards, but the Horned Frog defense forces a third and long and Utah is forced to punt. Excellent punt coverage as Jeremy Kerley is bottled up a loss of 1 yard after the punt. TCU will start their third possession on their own 22 yard line.
Utah's defense comes up with a stand, forcing a TCU three and out. Anson Kelton's punt only goes 14 yards, and the Utes have great field position on the TCU 43 yard line.
Jordan Wynn shows why is in this position, spinning away from the pass rush, and throwing a 31 yard pass to DeVonte Christopher. That was on 3rd and 8. The next play, Shaky Smithson takes the direct snap ten yards out for the touchdown to tie this game at 7.
Time Remaining: 9:52 First Quarter
Score: (4) TCU 7, (14) Utah 0
Utah won the coin toss and will defer to the 2nd half. TCU will start the game their own 13 following great kickoff coverage by the Utes. A defensive holding call on Joe Dale gives the Frogs a gift first down. TCU goes to the air on 3rd and 3, and Dalton completes a short out route pass to Ryan Christian for a big 10 yard gain and first down. Andy Dalton looks in control of this game so far, as he scrambles for a 12 yard gain on what appeared to be a stop for the Utes. 2 plays later, Matthew Tucker takes the handoff 41 yards down the right side of the field for the score to put TCU up 7-0.
Utah's David Reed fumbles the kickoff return, and TCU will now have the ball on the Utah 16 yard line. Wow. Utah's defense is able to keep the Frogs out of the end zone and Ross Evans misses a 26 yard field goal attempt wide left, keeping the score TCU 7, Utah 0. Missed scoring opportunity for TCU.
- 100 yards for Eddie - Jordan Wynn will be starting his first road game tonight against a very fast, physical TCU defense. If Utah can get things moving effectively on the ground it will take some of the pressure off the young QB.
- Pressure Dalton - TCU quarterback Andy Dalton has yet to throw a touchdown pass against the Utes, while the Utes have picked him off 6 times in their two meetings. A lot of that is due to the pressure that the Utes have been able to put on him. They will need to put that same pressure on him tonight to ground TCU's high powered offense.
Keys to the Game for TCU
- Stay focused - New uniforms, College Gameday, BCS implications... all set up for the Frogs to possibly overlook the game at hand with all of the hype.
- Special teams play - You could argue that special teams lost the game for TCU last year against the Utes. Kicker Ross Evans will be looking to put together a better game, while Jeremy Kerley will be ready to break a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown.
Key Match-up
TCU's rush offense (#6 NCAA, 242.1 YPG) vs. Utah's rush defense (#51 NCAA, 129.8 YPG)
My Prediction
College Gameday. BCS bowl game aspirations. MWC Title hopes. All are at stake when the Utes take on the No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. It is eerily similar how close the 2008 Utes match up with the 2009 Horned Frogs coming into this game. TCU is coming into the game undefeated, featuring one of the nation's best defenses and an offense that seems to be gaining momentum throughout the season, averaging 44 points per game over their last 4 games. TCU will be debuting new uniforms tonight, and with a win they will solidify their position in the BCS Standings. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? The Utes will be the underdog this year, with some Vegas lines putting the TCU as high as 20 point favorites.
Freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn will have his hands full against an aggressive TCU pass rush, led by DE Jerry Hughes. Utah will be relying on running backs Eddie Wide and Sausan Shakerin to help Wynn move the offense and slow down TCU's pass rush.
TCU will be led by Andy Dalton, who has thrown for ten touchdowns and 0 interceptions over the last 4 games. The rushing attack is balanced, with Joseph Turner and Ed Wesley spitting the load, combining for 12 touchdowns and over 1000 yards on the season.
In order for the Utes to have a chance, their defense will need to create short field opportunities off of turnovers and help put the Utes in good field position. If not, it could turn in to a long day for Utah.
All in all, I can't go against Coach Whittingham in big games, and even if the Utes lose, I see this being a close one.
MY PREDICTION: Utah 23, TCU 20. Let me know what you think. Post your predictions/questions in the comment board.
- The first loss of Kyle Whittingham's head coaching career was at the hands of TCU—a 23-20 overtime verdict to the Horned Frogs in Ft. Worth on Sept. 15, 2005.
- Junior Eddie Wide set a school record with his sixth consecutive 100-yard rushing game last week against New Mexico. The previous mark of five consecutive games was held by three others over the school's 116-year football history.
- Utah is ranked fourth in the nation (first in the conference) in opponent third down conversions with a 27.8% success rate (37-of-133 attempts)
- The Utes rank in the top 20 in the nation in four other major defensive categories: 12th in pass efficiency defense (99.7), 13th in pass defense (169.6), 15th (tied) in scoring defense (16.4) and 18th in total defense (299.3)
- The Utes are also tied for 23rd in opponent first downs (151).
- The Utes are 7-0 all-time in games when both they and their opponent are ranked in the Associated Press poll.
- Utah has won 22 of its last 23 games and 29 of its last 31 games.
TCU Miscellaneous Stats
- At 9-0, TCU is off to its best start since 2003, when it won its opening 10 games.
- The Frogs are 9-0 for only the second time since their 1938 national championship season and the sixth time in their history (2003, 1938, 1935, 1929, 1920).
- Dating back to last season, TCU has won 11 in a row and holds the nation's third-longest current winning streak (Florida 19, Texas 13).
- TCU has outscored its opponents 178-25 in its last four games while allowing just two touchdowns.
- TCU is 60-1 when allowing 17 points or less under head coach Gary Patterson. Its lone loss was last year's 13-10 setback at Utah.
