Preview: TCU Football Book

On the cover

FRONT COVER: TCU head coach Sonny Dykes holds up the Fiesta Bowl trophy after defeating Michigan at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Dec. 31, 2022.

AMANDA MCCOY / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

BACK COVER PHOTO CREDITS:

(TOP ROW, FROM LEFT) MADELEINE COOK / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM; MADELEINE COOK / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM; AMANDA MCCOY / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM; (SECOND ROW, FROM LEFT) BOB BOOTH / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM; MADELEINE COOK / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM; MADELEINE COOK / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM; MADELEINE COOK / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM; (BOTTOM ROW, FROM LEFT) AMANDA MCCOY / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM; AMANDA MCCOY / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

Copyright © 2023 by McClatchy Publishing

All Rights Reserved • ISBN: 978-1-63846-053-4

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner or the publisher.

Published by Pediment Publishing, a division of The Pediment Group, Inc. • www.pediment.com

Printed in Canada.

This book is an unofficial account of the TCU Horned Frogs men’s football season and is not endorsed by TCU or the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

RIGHT: TCU running back Emari Demarcado tosses the ball after scoring a touchdown against SMU on Sept. 24, 2022, at Gerald Ford Stadium. MADELEINE COOK / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

PRESEASON

Sonny Dykes has two QB options, but he’s still looking for a starter 7

Player-first approach key for how Sonny Dykes wants to shape TCU

No. 7 TCU survives scare in Morgantown with 41–31 win over West Virginia 61

For the playoff selection committee, TCU’s win against Texas Tech won’t be enough 65

TCU’s method to beat Texas shows Frogs can win in the postseason 71

How Max Duggan’s Heisman moment set up TCU’s bazooka field goal to escape Baylor 77

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

Max Duggan belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of TCU legends

119

TCU’s Flying T and Hypnotoad a tale of two creators: A TCU football player, and Disney 122 Big plays, big stops vault TCU over Michigan, into national championship game 125

Notable moments from TCU’s 38–13 win at Colorado

No. 4 TCU dominates Iowa State to finish regular season perfect at 12–0 85

No. 3 TCU falls to No. 10 Kansas State in overtime thriller 93

TCU’s 2022 dream season will change the school, and finish in national title game 137

It happened. TCU’s crazy Fiesta Bowl win has the Horned Frogs in the national championship 141

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

How TCU pulled off the most improbable playoff run in history 99 TCU did it again; making the College Football Playoff it ‘advances the ball’ 105

AWARDS WEEK

Max Duggan the first TCU player to win the award named for the TCU QB, Davey O’Brien 111

Inside Max Duggan’s week-long Heisman odyssey: ‘This red-headed Targaryen was on fire’

115

Despite horrific final score, TCU belonged in the national title game against Georgia 145

TCU got close to the mountaintop, but realized how much further it has to go 149

Even after historic loss to Georgia, no team won the 2022 college season like TCU 155

2022 Horned Frogs team roster 158 Acknowledgements 160

No. 7 TCU survives scare in Morgantown with 41–31 win over West Virginia

BY STEVEN JOHNSON · OCT. 29, 2022

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Another losing streak to a Big 12 opponent ended as TCU snapped a four-game losing streak to West Virginia on Saturday with a 41–31 win over the Mountaineers.

The Horned Frogs had dropped their last three games in Morgantown, but emerged victorious thanks to another masterful secondhalf defensive performance. After surrendering 21 points in the first half, TCU allowed just 10 in the second as Dylan Horton led a tenacious pass rush.

“We’ve got to play better. West Virginia was ready to play today, they had a good plan, they played hard. You have to give them a lot of credit, I thought their guys really took it to us early in the game,” head coach Sonny Dykes said. “We’ve got to do a better job of starting games and settling in more quickly.”

The offense started fast but sputtered in the second half, largely due to their own mistakes. TCU started the fourth quarter at the WVU 1-yard line, but settled for a field goal after the Mountaineers blew up a reverse to Quentin Johnston on third-and-goal.

Leading 31–24, TCU had another chance to create separation in the fourth. On two carries Kendre Miller picked up 29 yards and got the offense into field goal range. Facing a second-and-1, he didn’t get another touch as the Horned Frogs had to settle for another field goal. Dykes said Miller was dealing with a hand injury that limited his touches.

A touchdown pass by JT Daniels to Reese Smith cut TCU’s lead to 34–31 with just over four minutes remaining. After recovering an onside kick, it appeared TCU was in prime position to milk the clock. But the Horned Frogs attempted three straight passes with the third resulting in Max Duggan’s second interception of the year.

“Stalling out in the second half like that, I think it was more about what we were doing. There were a couple things we just busted on that just really impacted what happened in the second half,” Duggan said.

In the end, the Mountaineers could not threaten. The Horned Frogs got the ball back and Duggan connected with Savion Williams for a 29-yard touchdown pass to ice the game

with 20 seconds left.

Duggan finished the day 16-of-28 for 341 yards and threw three touchdowns.

Other things to know about the win:

Gillespie a master motivator

TCU defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie must have some of the best halftime speeches because once again the Horned Frogs defense looked completely different in the second half compared to the first. After being carved up in the first half TCU buckled down as they began to get after JT Daniels.

“(Gillespie) is real calm at halftime, he’ll just talk to us and say ‘We know what we’re doing, just tackle and communicate, communicate, communicate.’ And that’s what we did,” safety Bud Clark said.

Horton picked up his first sack to end a potential WVU scoring drive. Jamoi Hodge added another in the fourth quarter to get the offense the ball back. Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson had excellent coverage on a fourth-and-goal attempt and kept the Mountaineers out of the endzone.

West Virginia managed just 71 yards in the

41–31 SCORE

8–0 RECORD

OPPOSITE: TCU running back Emani Bailey (9) runs the ball for a touchdown during the second quarter against West Virginia at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, Oct. 29, 2022. BEN QUEEN / USA TODAY SPORTS

Inside Max Duggan’s week-long Heisman odyssey: ‘This red-headed Targaryen was on fire’

BY STEVEN JOHNSON · DEC. 11, 2022

NEW YORK — As he walked the streets of Manhattan, TCU quarterback Max Duggan experienced a new level of stardom.

Tourists and New Yorkers recognized him on the street and wished him and TCU luck. He even heard a “Go Frogs” chant from one of the pedestrians.

His mother Deb and other family with him were pleasantly surprised at the interactions. How could they not remember Duggan’s efforts a week earlier in the Big 12 championship game? On that day, he lay face down in the turf of AT&T Stadium, physically and emotionally hurting as the Horned Frogs came within an inch of a Big 12 title.

By Saturday, he was clad in a gray plaid suit that covered a large scab on his elbow from the battle against Kansas State. He wore a lavender dress shirt and purple tie to match, with a TCU pin on his lapel. About 500 people poured into the luxurious Appel Room at the Jazz at Lincoln Center for the annual announcement of the Heisman Trophy, which goes to the top college football player.

He didn’t win the award; University of Southern California’s Caleb Williams did. But coming in second in the Heisman race is nothing compared with where he was a week earlier, when he was fighting through tears in an apology to Fort Worth and the TCU fanbase for not completing a perfect 13–0 season and capturing the Big 12 championship.

There’s no need to apologize this time, as Duggan honored the school he loves by serving as the ultimate ambassador for TCU during a week that was supposed to be about him. And despite falling to Kansas State, TCU was chosen to be the first Texas team to head to the College Football Playoff.

Duggan admits the loss still sticks with him, but the agony has been replaced by a joy during a whirlwind week that took him from Fort Worth to New Jersey to Baltimore to New York.

Not in Iowa anymore

The senior quarterback from Iowa had never been to New York City before. Or Baltimore, or Philadelphia. He also had never experienced this level of stardom as he’ll lead TCU to its

unlikely appearance in the playoffs at the end of the month.

Duggan’s week started Wednesday, flying on TCU chancellor Victor Boschini’s private jet to Baltimore to accept the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. After the plane was diverted to New Jersey because of weather, Duggan and his group were picked up by John Unitas Jr., the son of the late Colts quarterback, and taken to his father’s statue at M&T Bank Stadium.

Duggan was presented with Unitas’ No. 19 jersey while taking in the statue of the Super Bowl champion and three-time NFL MVP.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Duggan said. “I’m lucky to be here.”

Duggan’s admiration of Unitas has a personal touch to it. His father and high school coach, Jim, had a Unitas trading card growing up and Duggan got the opportunity to show the card to Unitas Jr., highlighting the connection between their fathers.

It was that moment when it began sinking in how special this trip was, and it was only getting started.

“I realized where I was at and how lucky I

OPPOSITE: TCU quarterback Max Duggan speaks to the media during a press conference in the Astor Ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York before the 2022 Heisman Trophy award ceremony on Dec. 10, 2022. BRAD PENNER / USA TODAY SPORTS

Big plays, big stops vault TCU over Michigan, into national championship game

BY STEVEN JOHNSON · JAN. 1, 2023

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The TCU Horned Frogs will play for a national championship.

In one of the wildest games in college football history, No. 3 TCU upset No. 2 Michigan 51-45 in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. It was the highest scoring Fiesta Bowl game, and one of the most significant wins in program history. The Horned Frogs will be playing for their first national championship since 1938.

“Couldn’t be more proud of these guys sitting up here and the rest of our team,” coach Sonny Dykes said postgame. “What a hell of a football game. “

The Horned Frogs will face Georgia on Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. As the score tells you, it was yet another TCU game that featured drama you would think you’d only see in the movies.

Four touchdowns were scored in four minutes in the third quarter. TCU scored two defensive touchdowns and still rushed for more than 260 yards despite losing standout running back Kendre Miller to a first-half

injury. The Horned Frogs gave up points, but TCU’s defense came up clutch when it mattered.

With a 51-45 lead, the Horned Frogs needed one last stand. Michigan got the ball back with 52 seconds and no timeouts. With about 75 yards to go for the game-winning score, TCU didn’t allow a first down.

On fourth down Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy fumbled the snap, leading to a wild, sloppy final play that resulted in a loss of a yard.

The Horned Frogs are the first Big 12 team to win a playoff game.

“Having an opportunity to play for a national championship means so much to the guys in the locker room,” Max Duggan said. “It means so much to our coaching staff, our fans, our university.”

Johnston is WR1

If there was any doubt that Quentin Johnston should be the first receiver selected in the 2023 NFL Draft then it is surely gone after he lit up one of the best defenses in the country. Johnston was a big-play machine and made

one of the most crucial plays in the game.

The Wolverines had the momentum after they cut TCU’s lead to 41-38 at the start of the fourth quarter, but it was gone in a second. Max Duggan hit Johnston on a simple drag route and watched the star do what he’s done all season: Johnson made a defender miss and then outraced the Michigan defense for a 76yard touchdown. He finished the run with his arms outstretched, gliding into the end zone.

His touchdown was one of three chunk plays that went for 30 yards or more. He did it against the best corner pair TCU has seen all season with All Big Ten corner D.J. Turner and five-star freshman Will Johnson shadowing him most of the game. Johnston was voted Offensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl with six receptions for 163 yards.

He was motivated to make up for a fumble in the Horned Frogs loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship.

“I felt like I could’ve made bigger plays to help us win that game. The fumble wasn’t my best highlight,” Johnston said. “I kind of dwelled on it for a minute, but as soon as I

DEC. 31, 2022 MICHIGAN

W51–45 SCORE

13–1 RECORD

OPPOSITE: TCU linebacker Dee Winters (13) celebrates with teammates after running an interception in for a touchdown at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Dec. 31, 2022. AMANDA MCCOY / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

RIGHT: TCU linebacker Dee Winters celebrates a play during the first half. AMANDA MCCOY / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

OPPOSITE: TCU running back Kendre Miller (33) stiff arms Michigan defensive back Rod Moore (19). AMANDA MCCOY / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM