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

TCU’s football team has a tight practice schedule it goes through every day.

An intense warm-up period leads to a tempo period where the offense and defense go head-to-head. Then the Horned Frogs focus on special teams, field goal kicking in particular.

On Thursdays, TCU switches the special teams period to practice its bazooka package. What type of special teams situation would require such a unique name as bazooka?

How about when your special teams needs to be shot out of a cannon — or bazooka — to get on the field to kick a quick field goal with time running down like the Horned Frogs did in their dramatic 29-28 victory over Baylor Saturday?

With the clock ticking down and no timeouts, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes left people scratching their heads as the Horned Frogs ran the ball on third down to pick up a modest gain with Emari Demercado. Demercado hit the ground with 17 seconds left. The clock continued to tick as the Horned Frogs special teams raced onto the field for the final kick.

Griffin Kell got the kick off with three seconds remaining as TCU escaped an upset bid to the rival Bears. Kell’s heroic effort helped the Frogs improve to 11-0 and 8-0 in the Big 12. And a spot in the College Football Playoffs in sight.

While it may have left most of the nation confused, the sequence worked as designed by Dykes.

“We wanted to get the ball in the middle of the field, we felt like if we could get the ball in the middle of the field Griffin was going to be more comfortable,” Dykes said. “It was something we practiced so much that our guys feel pretty good about doing it that way.”

Kell felt pretty good about it, too. Kell’s missed extra point early in the second half left TCU in the precarious situation where it needed to hit the late field goal to survive.

The quick pace of the play helped take away any lingering nerves from the early blunder.

“You can go out there and not think too much,” Kell said. “I tell them to just put it anywhere and give me a chance.”

It was quarterback Max Duggan, and the rest of the offense, that gave Kell the chance to make up for the early miscue. Duggan’s name has fallen out of the Heisman conversation with two straight games under 200 yards passing, but the senior likely played his way back on it against the Bears.

Before turning to the bazooka field goal, TCU went back to the basics as the offense started the drive at their own 31-yard line with 1:34 remaining. There was never a doubt in Dykes mind that Duggan would get it done.

“High,” Dykes said when asked what level of confidence he had in his quarterback in that situation. “Max did what Max does. He made everyone around him believe they could get it done. That’s what he does.”

Duggan’s first pass to Demercado was incomplete, but on the next pass he completed a strike to Taye Barber for 19 yards of the receiver’s 108 yards. The next was a 9-yard completion to Savion Williams who initially bobbled it a bit, but reeled it in to keep it going.

The next play will go under the radar, but was just as crucial. Duggan had a rush for no gain on 2nd-and-1. Why was that so important? Because Duggan was able to dive and get out of bounds to stop the clock. On his next snap Duggan kept it on designed quarterback run to pick up 12 yards and move TCU to the Baylor 29.

Duggan attributed the speed and success of the offense to the calls by offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

“The great thing about the last drive is that we were throwing all of our day one concepts. We were throwing easy stuff that we practiced and could do with our eyes closed,” Duggan said.

The Horned Frogs have a natural confidence that comes in pressure situations. You would too if you pulled off some of comebacks TCU has. Going back to their bread and butter plays only boosted that.

“It was stuff you could believe in, that you’re confident in. You saw the guys go out and make plays,” Duggan said.

Different players had to step up with Derius Davis, Kendre Miller and Quentin Johnston missing significant portions of the game. Davis didn’t play at all, yet Duggan still found a way to produce 377 total yards with two touchdowns.

As he ran off the field, there was never a doubt that Kell would finish what he started.

“That last sequence was something we practiced so much, we’re so prepared for it,” Duggan said. “I knew he was confident, we were confident. We were trying to get into field goal range, inside the 35 to give him a shot.”

Kickers exist in an unique place on their rosters and with their fans. They usually practice off to the side, away from the rest of the team. They don’t look like the rest of their teammates which can lead to countless jokes.

A missed field goal or extra point can even lead the death threats. Just ask Boise State kicker Kyle Brotzman, who missed two kicks in a 2010 loss to Nevada that kept Boise State out of the Rose Bowl.

I’m not saying it would’ve come to that if Kell wasn’t able to make up for the missed extra point. But had TCU lost, it’s almost a guarantee that many would have blamed the kicker for an imperfect season and the missed chance of making the College Football Playoffs.

There certainly are a few TCU fans that would have preferred that Dykes went for the touchdown instead of trusting the foot on Kell. But for Kell, knowing that the entire roster had faith in that moment, gave him everything he needed to make the biggest kick of his life.

“It’s a blessing. That’s why this is a great group of guys,” Kell said. “Going out there knowing they all trust me and having them give me the confidence to go out and make the kicks, it helps a lot.”

Just as Duggan helped set up his redemption story, Kell’s kick could set Duggan up to be a finalist for a wide-open Heisman race.

Just ask ESPN analyst David Pollack.

“If Duggan takes his team down the field right here with 1:34 left, it will be a moment,” Pollack tweeted before the drive. “He is down his top back, and top two (wide receivers). It’s all falling on him!”

What did he have to say after the drive?

“Max Duggan officially #1 on my Heisman ballot. TCU football always finds a way,” Pollack said.

This time the Horned Frogs used their own version of a bazooka to get it down.