TCU fans gather on campus, Crockett Row to cheer on Horned Frogs in loss to Georgia

Chris Kamo stayed at Schollmaier Arena until the clock ran out on TCU’s chances for a college football national championship.

Kamo was one of almost 5,000 fans who packed the arena on TCU’s Fort Worth campus to watch a live broadcast of the game from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and cheer on their hometown team despite a 65-7 loss to Georgia.

“I’m not surprised, but not disappointed,” Kamo said.

The Fort Worth resident said TCU has a lot to be proud of. Going from not being ranked nationally to making it to the national championship game is huge, he said. As for next season, Kamo is hopeful.

“They’ll make it again,” he said. “This was a learning experience.”

Adam O’Day and Daniel Sanchez are University of North Texas students, but made the trip from Denton to support the Horned Frogs.

Sanchez is from Fort Worth and was rooting for his hometown team.

“I kind of figured Georgia would roll over [TCU],” he said. “Was optimistic it would be close.”

O’Day agreed that he was hoping for a tight matchup.

“I thought it would be a one-score game,” he said. “That’s a little better to watch.”

Hundreds more fans gathered at bars and restaurants near campus and a block party on Crockett Row in the West 7th District to watch the game. The crowds began thinning out around halftime, when Georgia was up 38-7.

Just after the Frogs’ loss, Tina Rodriguez, Kory Ebel and Jordan Brehm sat at their table at Buffalo Bros on University Drive finishing off the rest of their meals.

Ebel said TCU had a good run. Rodriguez, who’s lived here 11 years and is relatively new to following football, considers herself a local now. TCU making it all the way to the national championship playoff gave her a sense of hometown pride. “It’s always the underdogs,” she said.

Brehm, on the other hand, had all bets on Georgia, despite TCU being a “phenomenal” team.

Some spectators hugged as the game drew to a close. Another said there’s always next year.

On Crockett Row, TCU graduate Adam Berry said, “There’s still a story here. It’s just one of heartbreak and pride. ... Either way, it’s good to see what this competition looks like. You can’t get better if you don’t know what better looks like.”

“I’m really proud of where they made it and hope they’re proud, too,” fan Luke Munoz said. “It would have been nice to not get just so slaughtered out there.”

TCU watch party

Barbara and Cletis Cabbil Sr., both educators in the Crowley school district, headed to TCU’s campus after school to attend the watch party. The couple said they live in Fort Worth and wanted to celebrate the special occasion.

Instead of watching at home, the Cabbils wanted to watch the championship game surrounded by die-hard Horned Frogs fans. Barbara summed it up best: “We wanted to be here for the spirit of TCU and Fort Worth.”

TCU estimated the crowd in the arena at about 4,760 people around 8 p.m.

Arlington band Pentatonix got a few cheers from the TCU crowd before the group sang the national anthem.

The electricity in the air was palpable as Georgia kicked off to TCU. Fans waved purple and white towels as fast as fan blades. Signs saying “Frogs vs Dawgs” were passed out to fans as they entered the arena.

As Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett ran in the first touchdown, the TCU crowd went silent.

TCU fans put their hands to their heads as Derius Davis fumbled. It wasn’t the start fans were hoping for.

After the Georgia touchdown and TCU fumble, the Frogs limited the Dawgs to a field goal, bringing some electricity back to the arena. A few fans stood up and fist pumped after a third down stop.

Fans got to their feet as TCU scored for the first time, with quarterback Max Duggan completing a long pass and then running in the touchdown.

TCU fans had their rally flags at the ready as Georgia scored its second touchdown of the night.

In the second quarter, conversation raged as Bennett ran in another TD, putting Georgia up 24-7. The first two quarters were an emotional roller coaster for Frogs fans.

Fans waited with bated breath to see if TCU could stop another Georgia touchdown just before halftime, followed by blank stares and crossed arms from many after Georgia scored its third rushing TD of the night. Georgia was up 31-7 with 1:19 left in the first half.

After a second Duggan interception, a few TCU fans were on their feet. Some began to leave Schollmaier Arena but a sizable crowd still remained to watch. Georgia brought the score up to 38-7 with seconds left in the first half.

As the third quarter began, the ESPN broadcast showed a fan at the game with a Hypnotoad sign, and the TCU crowd started hollering. It was short lived as Georgia scored another touchdown not 30 seconds later. The Bulldogs were up 45-7 with a little over 10 minutes left in the third.

With about 2 minutes left in the third quarter, Georgia had raised the score to 52-7.

More fans began to clear out of the arena, with less than half the original crowd left in their seats.

Another Georgia touchdown put the Dawgs up 59-7 with 9 minutes to go. TCU fans were making the trek out of the arena in droves.

Off campus

At Buffalo Bros at 3015 S. University Drive, the crowd erupted in cheers when Lee Corso put on his TCU hat as ESPN sportscasters made their predictions for the night’s winner.

Corso tossed aside his Bulldog head in favor of the white and purple TCU ball cap.

At Dutch’s Hamburgers, a lively crowd of viewers groaned as Georgia scored the first touchdown of the game. It was hard to find any set of eyes that wasn’t glued to a flatscreen, and many may have lost their voices by the end of the night after yelling at the TV.

Fans jumped up out of their seats to high five and celebrate as TCU scored its first and only touchdown of the game.

Jon’s Grille had been slammed since 3 p.m., its general manager Rocky Martin said. The restaurant opened in September and has been following TCU Football’s journey to the national championship as it began its own journey in business. Jon’s was serving purple margaritas in honor of TCU.

Crowds at some of the restaurants just off campus started to trickle out at halftime, but those staying behind said TCU is a second half team.

Karen McKenzie, who went to TCU when she said it was a miracle the football team existed (they often went 0-10), had faith the Frogs might pull through in the second half despite being down 7-38. She says TCU Football is building on a foundation that took years to cultivate.

As Georgia continued to score, the crowd at area restaurants had thinned out to normal weeknight levels.

One TCU fan at Buffalo Bros had her own bulldog, Bo, who she said tags along with her everywhere.

Crockett Row

Crockett Row’s free block party was scheduled to continue through 2 a.m., though the crowd there also thinned dramatically after halftime.

Two outdoor 25-foot TV screens were set up near the intersection of Crockett and Currie streets, alongside food trucks and other food and beverage stations in the Crockett Corral.

Guests also could watch the game while enjoying food and drink specials from various locations including Concrete Cowboy, The Social House and the Movie Tavern Take Five Lounge.

Fans packed the streets and the bars and restaurants for the first part of the night.

The floor inside Concrete Cowboy and tables at Social House and Mash’d were filled with fans cheering, chanting, and booing mentions of Georgia.

Early in the night, police officers walked through the rapidly swelling crowd of spectators, sending dozens of people to put alcohol away in their cars or apartments because of a still-new city ordinance banning open containers in the West 7th District.

At halftime, a swath of the crowd began its exodus. Those sticking around were still in high spirits as live music resumed and clubs turned up the volume with people dancing and singing along.