How TCU beat Baylor 29-28 on final play to remain unbeaten

Star-Telegram sports editor Dave Ammenheuser’s live blog from the TCU-Baylor Big 12 battle.

TCU wins the game on final play as Griffin Kell kicks 40-yard field goal on the final play for a 29-28 win over Baylor. Incredible finish for the Horned Frogs who remain unbeaten, 11-0 overall, 8-0 in the Big 12.

Fourth quarter notes

TCU 12th possession: Starts at TCU 31. 1:34 left. First down, incomplete pass to Emari Demercado. Second down, pass completion to Taye Barber at the 50. First down at 50, pass complete to Savion Williams at the BU 41. Second down, Max Duggan runs for no gain. Third down at BU 41, Max Duggan runs 12 yards to the BU 29. First down, Demacardo runs to the 26. Second down, ball is spiked. Third down, DeMacardo runs for 3 yards. On last play, Griffin Kell runs on to the field and kicks a game-winning 40-yard field goal. TCU wins 29-28.

[Wild scramble on final play as TCU special teams runs onto field in final seconds; Kell, who had missed extra point earlier, kicks the game winner. Unbelievable finish!]

Baylor 11th possession: Starts at BU 18 with 2:03 left. Craig Williams runs for 2. Timeout TCU (1/3). 1:59 left; Jones loses 2 yards. Third-and-10 at BU 18. Timeout TCU (2/3). 1:54 left. Shapen runs for 8 yards. Fourth-and-2 at BU 26. Timeout TCU (3/3). 1:44 left. Baylor punts to TCU 29, return to TCU 31.

TCU 11th possession: Starts at BU 10. Horned Frogs put together a 11-play scoring drive, finishing it with a Emari Demercado 3-yard run to pull within 28-26. However, the two-point, potential game-tying conversion pass from Max Duggan to Demercado falls incomplete. Baylor leads 28-26 with 2:07 left.

BU 10th possession: Starts at BU 33. Pick up 7 yards on three downs, punts to TCU 10. 6:48 left.

TCU 10th possession: Starts at TCU 25. Drive stalls again. Punt to BU 33. [Horned Frogs are doing little on offense. Quentin Johnston, who turned his ankle in the third quarter, is deseprately missing from the offense.]

BU 9th possession: Starts at BU 16. On third-and-long, Blake Shapen connects with Monaray Baldwin for a 74 yards and a first down at TCU 11. Two plays later, the Bears score on a 1-yard Richard Reese touchdown. Extra point and Baylor leads 28-20 and TCU’s unbeaten streak is in serious jeopardy with 9:47 left.

TCU 9th possession: Starts at TCU 25. Drive stalls after one first down. Punt to the BU 16.

BU 8th possession continues: On first play of the fourth quarter, Blake Shapen connects with Kelsey Johnson on a 12-yard touchdown pass to push Baylor ahead (with extra point) 21-20 with 14:54 left.

Third quarter notes

BU 8th possession: Starts at BU 23. Bears driving inside TCU red zone as clock expires on third quarter.

TCU 8th possession: Starts at TCU 49. Horned Frogs get into the end zone quickly as Max Duggan connects with Gunnar Henderson on back-to-back pass plays, 20 yards, then 26 yards for a touchdown. Griffin Kell’s extra point hits cross bar. Horned Frogs lead 20-14 with 5:34 left in the quarter [Kell had made 77 straight extra points before the miss.]

BU 7th possession: Starts at BU 10. Three-and-out by Bears. Punt from BU 18 to TCU 37; Tae Barber returns ball to TCU 49 with 6:35 remaining.

TCU 7th possession: Starts at TCU 30 with 10:29 left in the quarter. On 2nd-and-5 from TCU 45, Max Duggan pass intercepted by Baylor’s Devin Neal at the BU 10. 8:40 left in quarter. [Just the third Duggan interception this season; this was not a wise pass into double-coverage on Quentin Johnston.]

BU 6th possession: Starts at TCU 16, 11:25 left in quarter. Quick three-and-out, loses 3 yards. Punt (plus personal penalty on TCU on blindside block) turns ball over to the TCU 30.

TCU 6th possession: Starts at TCU 25. Drive stalls at the BU 49. Punt to TCU 16.

Key halftime stats

The score is tied, but Baylor has a big edge in most of the statitics.

The Bears have a 20:38-9:22 in time of possession.

The Bears have a 319-190 edge in total yards.

The Bears have a 153-32 edge in rushing yards.

The Bears have an 18-7 edge in first downs.

Max Duggan has completed 9 of 11 passes for 158 yards; Kendre Miller leads the Horned Frogs with 24 rushes on 7 carries.

Blake Shapen has completed 16 of 23 passes for 166 yards; Craig Williams has 11 carries for 74 yards for the Bears.

Second quarter notes

TCU 5th possession: Horned Frogs kneel at the 20. End of half. Tied 14-14 [Sluggiesh first half for TCU, especially on defense. Hard to believe game is tied 14-14. Baylor has dominated the clock. Early third-quarter play (TCU gets kick) will be really important.]

BU 5th possession: Starts at BU 13. With just 97 seconds left in the half, the Bears drive to the TCU 11 with 11 seconds left. Then Blake Shapen throws an interception in the end zone. Bud Clark picks it off for TCU with 4 seconds left in the half.

TCU 4th possession: Starts at TCU 39. Horned Frogs drive stalls at the BU 37. Punt to the BU 13. 1:37 left.

BU 4th possession: Begins at BU 24. Bears drive the field, but Horned Frogs stop a fourth-and-1 at the TCU xx. Ball turns over on downs, TCU ball at TCU 39. 3:05 left in the half.

TCU 3rd possession: Begins at the TCU 10, but it really doesn’t hold them. On first play, Max Duggan connects with Tae Baylor for an 82-yard pass to the BU 13. Four plays later, Kendre Miller scores on a 2-yard touchdown. Griffin Kell’s extra point ties the game 14-14 with 9:00 left in the half. [It’s the 12th straight game that Miler has scored a touchdown.]

BU 3rd possession: Resumes at TCU 35. Bears complete 9-play, 75-yard drive with a Kelsey Johnson 2-yard touchdown run. John Mayers extra pint gives Baylor a 14-7 lead with 12:05 left in the half. [Hard to believe that a big bulky tight end can score off the edge against Horned Frogs; the defense that shined last week has yet to show up this week.]

First quarter notes

BU 3rd possession: Starts at BU 25, drive to TCU 35 at the end of the quarter.

TCU 2nd possession: Starts at TCU 28. Horned Frogs tie the game 7-7, going 72 yards on 7 plays. Capped by Max Duggan’s 7-yard touchdown run. Griffin Kell’s extra point ties game 7-7 with 1:20 left in the quarter.

BU 2nd possession: Starts at BU 27. Bears march down field again, but this time drive stalls at TCU 28 as John Mayers misses 46-yard field goal (his first miss of the season) with 4:56 left in quarter. . [Horned Frogs dodge a bullet there, Bears were driving until a false start penalty backed them up. Mayers’ first miss comes at tough time for Bears]

TCU 1st possession: Horned Frogs start at TCU 25. TCU goes quick 3-and-out, gaining just five yards. Punt to the BU 27. 8:06 left in the quarter.

BU 1st possession: Bears start at BU 24 and march down the field. Qualan Jones caps an 11-play, 76-yard scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. John Mayers kicks the extra point and Baylor leads 7-0 with 9:15 left in the opening quarter. [That was way too easy; the TCU defense looked nothing like the one that held the Texas offense without a touchdown last week; the Baylor offense looked nothing like the offense that didn’t generate a touchdown last week]

TCU wins toss, defers to second half. Baylor to receive opening kickoff.

Pregame reads

Three reasons why TCU will beat or lose to Baylor

How the linebacker nobody wanted is shining at TCU

TCU remains No. 4 in College Football Playoff rankings

Everything to know about TCU’s unbeaten season

Watch and listen

When: Nov. 19, 2022 at 11 a.m.

Where: McLane Stadium

TV: FOX

Radio: WBAP Radio with Riff Ram, Varsity and Tune-In apps

Line: TCU -2.5

Last meeting: TCU defeated Baylor 30-28.