Jayhawks fall just short in upset bid at TCU

KU junior Fish Smithson (9) wraps up TCU's Aaron Green (22) for a loss in the Jayhawks' 23-17 loss to TCU on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Forth Worth, Texas ? With one of the nation’s elite quarterbacks, TCU senior Trevone Boykin, sidelined due to a first-half injury, Kansas University’s football team found itself competing with the No. 13 Horned Frogs on Saturday, at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

But after entering the second half tied and getting a chance to take the lead on their final possession, the Jayhawks fell, 23-17, extending their losing streak away from Lawrence to 38 games.

KU’s defense held the TCU offense without a touchdown until the fourth quarter, after the Jayhawks (0-10 overall, 0-7 Big 12) tied the game at 10 early in the second quarter on a three-yard score by senior running back Taylor Cox.

However, after a successful first half of offense, KU started stalling out in the second half. The Horned Frogs (9-1, 6-1) out-gained KU 164-18 in third-quarter yardage. Kansas didn’t pick up a single first down in the quarter.

Still, the KU offense revived just enough in the fourth to give the underdogs a shot. Freshman quarterback Ryan Willis hit Tyler Patrick for a 10-yard score with 6:19 to play, cutting TCU’s lead to 23-17.

Then KU’s defense, led all day by linebacker Marcquis Roberts, safety Fish Smithson, linebacker Joe Dineen and defensive end Ben Goodman, forced three TCU punts in the final minutes.

A Willis interception on KU’s next to last possession hurt the visitors’ chances, but the Jayhawks got the ball back with 1:54 to play, down six points.

The game ended with Kansas unable to go the 83 yards necessary to reach the end zone in the final 1:54. Willis, who has been slowed down with a pair of groin injuries, had two incompletions on KU’s final four plays and was sacked by Terrell Lathan to seal the Frogs’ victory.

Willis completed 20 of his 41 throws for 203 yards in defeat. Fellow freshman, receiver Steven Sims Jr., caught six balls for 55 yards.

Junior running back Ke’aun Kinner rushed for 80 yards on 17 carries.

But KU finished with 324 total yards, compared to TCU’s 487, and remained winless.

The Jayhawks return to Memorial Stadium next Saturday to face West Virginia.

— See what people were saying about the game during KUsports.com’s live coverage.

HOW THEY SCORED

First Quarter

9:45 — KaVontae Turpin 49 punt return. Jaden Oberkrom kick. A failed KU drive produced the Jayhawks’ second punt of the day and this time Turpin was able to get his hands on it. He caught it near midfield and raced right into KU territory. From there, the true freshman reversed fields, side-stepped a couple of KU defenders and cruised into the end zone to open the scoring. (TCU 7, KU 0).

5:05 — Jaden Oberkrom 42 field goal. The Horned Frogs converted two third-down tries en route to taking a two-score lead with a field goal that capped a 10-play, 55-yard drive that took 2:36. TCU QB Trevone Boykin hit wide receiver Kolby Listenbee with a 30-yard pass to set up the field goal. (TCU 10, KU 0).

2:34 — Matthew Wyman 42 field goal. Kansas cracked the scoreboard with an eight-play, 67-yard drive that took 2:22 and featured a 43-yard run from Ke’aun Kinner on the second play of the drive. Ryan Willis completed just one of three pass attempts on the drive. (TCU 10, KU 3).

Second Quarter

11:29 — Taylor Cox 3 run. Matthew Wyman kick. A KU sack ended TCU’s third drive and the Jayhawks responded with a 10-play, 70-drive that took 3:31 and tied the game. Ryan Willis hit Jeremiah Booker with a deep out for 18 yards on second-and-15 and also connected with Steven Sims and Bobby Hartzog on the drive. A pass interference call on TCU in the end zone set up the touchdown plunge. (TCU 10, KU 10).

Third Quarter

5:01 — Oberkrom 38 field goal. With third-string QB Foster Sawyer now in for the Horned Frogs, TCU turned to its ground game and up-tempo offense to march to the go-ahead field goal. Every yard gained on the drive came on the ground and the scoring march covered 54 yards in nine plays and 2:23. (TCU 13, KU 10).

Fourth Quarter

11:51 — Shaun Nixon 42 pass from Foster Sawyer. Oberkrom kick. After a huge fourth-down stop by the Kansas defense prevented more points by TCU, the Jayhawks’ offense went three-and-out and put the D right back on the field. Three plays later, Sawyer hit Nixon with an easy pass over the middle and the red-shirt freshman juked Fish Smithson and out-ran Joe Dineen on his way to TCU’s first offensive touchdown of the day. (TCU 20, KU 10).

9:51 — Oberkrom 36 field goal. On the very next series that followed TCU reclaiming control, Aaron Green exploded for a huge run up the middle to set up the Frogs’ third field goal of the afternoon. The drive spanned five plays, 51 yards and 1:32. (TCU 23, KU 10).

6:19 — Tyler Patrick 10 pass from Ryan Willis. Wyman kick. With the Horned Frogs threatening to run away with this one, the Kansas offense answered the bell at the precise moment it had to, marching 77 yards in 10 plays and 3:32 to pull within a single score. Willis’ TD pass to Patrick came on a crossing pass over the middle on fourth and five. Willis also connected with Bobby Hartzog Jr., for a 36-yard gain that set up the Jayhawks in the red zone. (TCU 23, KU 17).