ACC & Big 12 Week 13 Roundup: Oklahoma survives TCU, will play in Big 12 title game
Oklahoma nearly let a 21-point lead slip away at home on Saturday against TCU, but held on for a 28-24 win over the Horned Frogs that clinched the Sooners’ spot in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 7.
Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman hopeful Jalen Hurts connected on just 11-of-21 passes in the victory and also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown and lost a fumble in the red zone, but still managed to pass for two touchdowns and ran for two more.
“Regardless of the fumble or the pick six or whatever mess up I may have had today, we found a way,” Hurts said.
Despite turning the ball over three times, the Sooners outgained the Horned Frogs 511 yards to 204 on offense, with Hurts contributing 173 rushing yards and 145 passing yards, while running back Kennedy Brooks added another 149.
“That’s one kind of negative point of an otherwise pretty dominant performance,” Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley said. “Some mistakes that we’ve go to continue to clean up.”
The game started out in Oklahoma’s favor, and the Sooners led 21-0 early in the second quarter, but the Horned Frogs made a comeback to make things interesting late in the game.
“Before the ballgame, they didn’t know they could play with Oklahoma,” TCU head coach Gary Patterson said. “After a quarter, they figured out they could. That’s what TCU is. It’s a group that can play with anybody.”
The Sooners were on top 28-17 to start the fourth quarter and looked ready to put the Horned Frogs away, but TCU safety Vernon Scott intercepted Hurts and ran it back 98 yards for a touchdown to bring the score to 28-24 with 12:43 left to play.
Oklahoma got the ball back, but safety Nook Bradford ripped the ball from Hurts’ arm and TCU gained possession inside the TCU 10.
Frogs quarterback Max Duggan then led the offense back down the field into Oklahoma territory, but he threw an interception to defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles with 1:42 left to play. Duggan finished the day 7-for-21 for 65 yards and rushed for 92 yards and a score.
Now, let’s take a quick look at a few more results from Week 13 in the ACC and Big 12:
Georgia Tech 28, NC State 26: The Yellow Jackets stopped a 2-point attempt that would have tied up the game with five minutes remaining on Thursday night to defeat the Wolfpack. Georgia Tech quarterback James Graham threw three touchdown passes, including two wide receiver Ahmarean Brown.
Notre Dame 40, Boston College 7: The Fighting Irish held BC running back AJ Dillon to just 56 yards and the entire Boston College offense to just one touchdown. Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book threw for 239 yards and three touchdowns, while also leading the team in rushing with 66 yards on the ground.
Virginia Tech 28, Pittsburgh 0: The Hokies blanked the Panthers on Saturday after quarterback Hendon Hooker threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and defensive tackle Norell Pollard added another score on a 7-yard fumble recovery touchdown.
Louisville 56, Syracuse 34: Quarterback Micale Cunningham set a career high with five passing touchdowns and ran for another score as Louisville defeated the Orange. Though Syracuse racked up 510 total yards of offense, that wasn’t enough to top the Cardinals’ 608 yards.
FIU 30, Miami 24: Florida International stunned its crosstown rival and pulled off its first win over a Power 5 team in program history with a victory over the Hurricanes on Saturday. Miami quarterback Jarren Williams finished the day with 249 passing yards and a touchdown, but also threw three picks.
Wake Forest 39, Duke 27: Wake Forest kicker Nick Sciba kicked his way into history on Saturday night as he made his 32nd consecutive field goal in a win over Duke. Demon Deacons quarterback Jamie Newman registered 284 passing yards and a touchdown, and also had 144 rushing yards and another score on the ground.
Baylor 24, Texas 10: The Bears secured their spot opposite Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game with a win over Texas on Saturday. Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer accounted for 221 passing yards and 75 rushing yards, while wide receiver Denzel Mims added another 125 yards.
Oklahoma State 20, West Virginia 13: Running back Chuba Hubbard led the Cowboys in rushing with 106 yards on 26 carries, but also was the leading receiver against the Mountaineers with seven catches for 88 yards. This was Hubbard’s ninth consecutive game with at leasts 100 yards rushing.
Iowa State 41, Kansas 31: After trailing the Jayhawks 24-21 near the end of the third quarter, the Cyclones rallied to defeat Kansas in Ames on Saturday. Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy finished the day 29-for-49 with 372 yards and four touchdowns.
Kansas State 30, Texas Tech 27: The Wildcats held off the Red Raiders and Kanas State freshman wide receiver Joshua Youngblood registered his third kickoff return for a touchdown this season as he fielded a kickoff one yard deep in the end zone and ran it 100 yards for a score.