TCU has won every meeting between these schools since the Horned Frogs joined back in 2005, and it turned out history repeated itself. TCU won yet again in stylistic fashion, destroying UNLV on the ground and through the air. Of course, not many expected different with TCU demolishing everyone in their path this season. Not to mention that they're not just steamrolling weaklings, TCU has beaten three currently or formerly ranked teams this season by a combined score of 113-38. TCU will have their biggest test of the season this coming week against #5 Utah, but you're reading this to find out how badly UNLV got whipped or how flawless TCU played... Follow me after the jump for the full recap.
So I watched the game on TV and noticed that about 20,000 fans showed up to see UNLV take on the third ranked Horned Frogs. Not sure why there was such a horrible attendance record when 30,000 showing up to see UNLV get steamrolled by #11 Wisconsin.
UNLV didn't play good early and that's what hurt them. The Rebels went three and out after getting the ball to start the game. As a result, TCU ran the ball seven times on their next possession with the last one resulting in a Touchdown. All three TCU running backs got two carries and Jeremy Kerley got in the endzone on a reverse. UNLV began to show signs of life when they picked up their 1st first down of the game, but that was short-lived when on the next play Omar Clayton overthrew a double covered Phillip Payne for an interception... Madness.
Off of the interception came a touchdown at the start of the second quarter on a 1 yard Ed Wesley rush to push TCU's lead to 14-0. The next drive was just absolutely horrendous with Deante Purvis going 1 yard on the ground and then Omar Clayton throwing another pick, this time returned for a touchdown. UNLV's next drive showed what the Rebels are capable of when they aren't dropping passes, throwing picks or missing assignments along the line. UNLV went 75 yards in 9 plays and capped off the drive with a 10 yard TD pass to Michael Johnson. Somehow Nolan Kohorst missed the extra point and the score was then 21-6 instead of 21-7... Big difference.
You would think that UNLV might be able to feed off of the momentum the offense had created, but you thought wrong. The Rebels let TCU drive all the way down to the UNLV 1 yard line before Matthew Tucker coughed up the football and Alex De Giacomo recovered it in the endzone with 5:49 left in the half. UNLV then proceeded to move the ball quite efficiently until they got to the TCU 47. Omar Clayton then decided to throw three incomplete passes before Brandon Lamers, UNLV's punter, missed a throw on a 4th and 10 try. I don't know why UNLV decided to try the fake punt, especially with 3:33 left in the game and the opportunity to pin TCU deep in their own territory.
Of course that buzzkilled any momentum the Rebels had going for them and TCU marched right down the field for a touchdown to push the lead back up to 21. Halftime score... 28-7.
TCU came out and scored quick on a 54 yard TD pass from Andy Dalton to Josh Boyce. Both teams then traded drives of 10+ plays. Only difference? TCU went 64 yards for a TD on their drive while UNLV went 30 yards for a punt on theirs... More dominance. At the start of the fourth quarter UNLV went three and out. TCU then put in their backups and of course they still were able to rush the ball 12 times, taking 8:00 off the clock and scoring another TD in the proccess. Of course somehow TCU's kicker missed the extra point to make it a 42 point advantage of 48-6.
With only 4 minutes remaining, Caleb Herring was put in and had some confidence taken away when he threw two incomplete passes in succession to fail at a fourth down conversion. TCU's Aundre Dean ran 35 yards for a first down and TCU then knelt on the ball 3 times to end the game.
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