San Antonio — Ken Seals He had to spend time on the bench until his final college game to make his first start for his beloved TCUBut it was really worth the wait.
Seals directed two scoring drives in the final five minutes of regulation and threw the winning touchdown pass in overtime as TCU defeated No. 16 No. USC 30-27 Tuesday night at the Alamo Bowl.
“It felt like a movie,” Seals said. “I just can’t even… I’m not processing it. It’s just an incredible experience. The week leading up to it, the last 10 days, and then to have it end like this is more than anyone could dream of.”
Seals completed 29 of 40 passes for 258 yards and the game-ending score.
After being sacked for a 10-yard loss on second down in overtime, Seals was facing third-and-20 from the 35 when he was found by the running back. jeremy payne With a short toss into the flat left. Payne caught the ball at the line of scrimmage and dodged four defenders, breaking several tackles as he sprinted down the sideline into the end zone.
“I’m not really surprised,” said the TCU linebacker and defensive MVP Caleb Elarms-Orr“Shoot, he even shakes me during practice sometimes, I’m not surprised he went out there and made that many guys miss, He was doing that all night, Once he made somebody miss the first time, I knew he was gone,”
Payne had six catches for 50 yards. He rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Seals, a sixth-year senior, got the opportunity to become the starting quarterback at TCU josh hoover Opted to enter the transfer portal on 18 December. Seals backed up Hoover the last two seasons after transferring. VanderbiltWhere he started 22 games over three seasons.
Seals developed a Horned Frogs fan following in Azle, about 23 miles from the TCU campus.
Seals said, “My mentality was just sell, it’s your last chance, man.”
Seals directed a 13-play, 59-yard drive in the final 2:44 of regulation to force overtime on a 27-yard field goal. kyle lemmerman As soon as the time ended.
This was the fourth overtime in the bowl’s 33-year history.
TCU (9-4) limited USC (9-4) to a 22-yard field goal on the opening possession of OT, despite a pass interference call in the end zone giving the Trojans a first down at the 2-yard line.
usc freshman Rayon Sayeri There were also field goals of 40, 28 and 41 yards.
“We had some unique calls that didn’t go our way,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said. “But we didn’t perform well enough in the red zone on both sides of the ball.”
trojan junior quarterback jaden maiawa Passed for 280 yards and one touchdown but threw two interceptions.
USC failed to score early in the third quarter after an interception. Christian PierceThe drive ended when Mayava’s pass was intercepted in the end zone,
jaden richardson Scored for USC on a one-handed grab in the front left corner of the end zone with 49 seconds remaining in the third. As Richardson was falling backward, he reached back with his right hand, pulled the ball to his chest and stomped his right foot in bounds for a 21-yard touchdown reception from Maiava.
Taniela TupouThe two-point reception increased USC’s lead to 21–14.
TCU took a 14–13 lead on a pair of short rushing touchdowns capped by a 75-yard drive in the first half.
