No. 8 TCU rallies past Kansas State

FORT WORTH, Texas — Max Duggan threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, and Kendre Miller ran for 153 yards and two scores as eighth-ranked Texas Christian again rallied from a big early deficit to stay undefeated, beating No. 17 Kansas State 38-28 on Saturday to take over sole possession of first place in the Big 12.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Duggan’s 55-yard TD strike to wide receiver Quentin Johnston late in the third quarter put the Horned Frogs (7-0, 4-0) ahead to stay. That was their third straight drive to finish in the end zone.

TCU, with new coach Sonny Dykes, has won four consecutive games over ranked opponents. Three in a row already was a first in school history, which the Frogs accomplished a week earlier at home by overcoming a 17-point deficit to beat then-no. 8 Oklahoma State in double overtime.

“We are playing with a lot of confidence … there’s no sense of panic,” Dykes said. “And that gives you a chance when you always believe that you can figure out a way to win. And more often than not, you’re going to.”

The Wildcats (5-2, 3-1) led 28-10, as Will Howard threw for two TDS and ran for another after taking over for banged-up quarterback Adrian Martinez on K-state’s second drive. Deuce Vaughn’s 47-yard run for his first TD in five games capped a fourth consecutive TD drive for the Wildcats.

Howard ran for 14 yards on his first play and completed his first seven passes for 156 yards. He finished 13 of 20 for 225 yards, leaving briefly after hurting his shoulder on a running play late in the third quarter. Freshman Jake Rubley, the third K-state QB in the game, threw an interception on his first pass that came after TCU had gone ahead to stay.

Miller scored on a 2-yard run on fourth-and-1 on the opening drive of the second half to get the Frogs within 28-24. After the Wildcats missed a field-goal attempt, TCU needed only four plays before Duggan’s long TD to Johnston. Rubley was stopped on fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter, setting up a drive that ended with a 9-yard scoring run by Miller.

TCU led 7-0 after a 65-yard catchand-run TD by wide receiver Derius Davis on its first drive.

Martinez was among several Wildcats who got dinged up in their most recent game two weeks ago at Iowa State. He had a 19-yard keeper on the first play against TCU but was in the locker room for an undisclosed issue before K-state had the ball again, and Howard got his first game action this season.

The Associated Press Richard W. Rodriguez TCU cornerback Josh Newton, left, and safety Namdi Obiazor try to stop Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn in the second half of the Horned Frogs’ victory Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium.