No. 8 TCU stays perfect; Tech blows past Kansas
FORT WORTH — Kenny Hill avoided a defender in the backfield and lunged forward through two more for a 3-yard touchdown run with 2:53 left and No. 8 TCU remained the Big 12’s only undefeated team with a 31-24 victory over No. 23 West Virginia on Saturday.
“This team and the coaches trust me with the ball down there. That means a lot,” Hill said. “It gives you a lot of confidence.”
Hill also threw a 45yard touchdown pass and was on the receiving end of a 48-yard score for the Frogs (5-0, 2-0). His winning TD run came only five plays after an apparent interception was reversed on a replay review.
“I would bet that every game’s going to be like this,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said. “We want to win a championship. If you’re going to win a championship, as a general rule … you win about three or four of them that are ugly. You got to win the ugly ones sometimes.”
Will Grier threw for 366 yards and three TDs for West Virginia (3-2, 1-1), including two long catch-and-run scores in a span of about 2½ minutes late in the third quarter. It was tied at 24 after Grier hooked up with David Sills V on a 64-yard scoring play and then Ka’Raun White for a 76-yarder.
“It was a close game. Everything that happened in the first half, throw it away,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said, when asked his halftime message to his team. “If we outplay them in the second half, we’re probably going to win the game — and we didn’t.” TEXAS TECH 65, KANSAS 19
Desmond Nisby ran for 94 yards and four touchdowns, Justin Stockton had a career-best 161 yards and another score and the Red Raiders piled up 313 yards rushing in cruising to their 11th straight victory over the host Jayhawks.
“We needed to improve that area. Last week it really hurt us not being able to run the ball,” said Kingsbury, whose team bounced back from an agonizing 41-34 loss to No. 15 Oklahoma State.
“When they gave us an opportunity,” he added, “we were moving bodies.”
Nic Shimonek still threw for 233 yards and two scores, and Justus Parker picked off two passes and returned one for a score, to keep the Red Raiders (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) perfect in 10 tries in Lawrence, Kan.
“We knew it was very important to start fast,” Stockton said. “When the offense has a chance to go down there and score, you have to put points on the board.”
Kansas (1-4, 0-2) trailed 35-7 midway through the second quarter before slowly clawing back, spurred on by a change in quarterback from Peyton Bender to Carter Stanley.