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TCU fires back to defeat Stanford in Alamo Bowl: 3 takeaways

By Sarabeth Pollock

ORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Kenny Hill #7 of the TCU Horned Frogs looks for an open receiver against the Baylor Bears in the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Kenny Hill #7 of the TCU Horned Frogs looks for an open receiver against the Baylor Bears in the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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TCU claimed a thrilling 39-37 come-from-behind victory over Stanford in the 2017 Valero Alamo Bowl. Here are three big takeaways from the game.

The 2017 Valero Alamo Bowl was a tale of two halves. Judging by the first half, there was no question that the Stanford Cardinal were going to run away with the game after they finished the half leading 21-10. TCU rallied in the second half of the game and that’s where things got really interesting when the Horned Frogs claimed their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter, and ultimately they came away with a huge 39-37 win over Stanford.

Stanford scored twice in the first quarter thanks to a 15-yard carry from Bryce Love and K.J. Costello’s 18-yard pass to JJ Arcega-Whiteside. TCU got on the board with a 38-yard field goal from Cole Bunce. The Cardinal extended their lead in the second quarter when Costello connected with Arcega-Whiteside again for a touchdown. The Horned Frogs scored a touchdown on a Kenny Hill 6-yard run to make it 21-10 Stanford going into the half.

TCU bolted out of halftime with a Kenny Hill touchdown on a 27-yard pass from Desmon White. The extra point attempt was no good, bringing the score to 21-16. The Cardinal answered quickly with a Bryce Love 69-yard touchdown run, followed by another TCU touchdown from the Hill-White duo to make it 28-23. Stanford added a field goal at the end of the quarter to extend their lead to 31-23.

The fourth quarter was all TCU as Jalen Reagor scored on a 93-yard pass from Hill. The two-point conversion failed, making it 31-29 Stanford. A few minutes later, Desmon White ripped off a 76-yard punt return, giving the Horned Frogs their first lead of the game at 36-31 TCU. Costello connected with Arcega-Whiteside for a 4-yard touchdown but they missed the two-point conversion, giving them a one-point, 37-36 lead over TCU. The Horned Frogs scored a 33-yard Cole Bunce field goal to make it 39-37 with just over three minutes to play and that was all TCU needed for the win.

Here are 3 takeaways from TCU’s 39-37 victory over Stanford in the Alamo Bowl:

Don’t Discount The Horned Frogs

While Stanford was quick to score and managed to control the lead for most of the game, TCU came back late and was able to answer with big plays to keep victory within reach. TCU finished with 314 passing yards and 147 rushing yards, which is only possible because of that late-game rally and a huge interception to keep Stanford from scoring at the end of the game. Quarterback Kenny Hill had four touchdowns, including two passing TDs, one rushing TD and one receiving TD. Hill’s leadership was the fire that kept this fire burning, proving that there is every reason to fear the frog.

Bryce Love Deserves The Love

The Stanford running back has been posting impressive numbers all season, recording ten games with over 50 yards in the 2017 season. Enter the Alamo Bowl, and Bryce Love continues the streak. He finished the game with 145 yards on 26 carries and 2 touchdowns, including a 69-yard run to the house that extended Stanford’s lead in the third quarter. The running back left the game to tend to a bloody thumb, but after getting stitched up he was ready to return to the game with under three minutes to go.

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TCU Offensive Line

The only way for TCU to pull off this David vs Goliath come from behind victory over Stanford was the work of the Horned Frogs’ offensive line, which worked hard in the second half to wear down the Cardinal. Stanford had the game in the bag until TCU lit the fire and put pressure on the Cardinal. In the end, they wore Stanford down for the win.

With the win, TCU improves to 11-3 to close out the 2017 season.

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