AP

Morris and TCU beat No. 14 Baylor in first game without GP

Nov 6, 2021, 4:28 AM | Updated: 6:25 pm

TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) and guard John Lanz (53) celebrate Johnston's touchdown catc...

TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) and guard John Lanz (53) celebrate Johnston's touchdown catch in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Baylor in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)


              TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) and guard John Lanz (53) celebrate Johnston's touchdown catch in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Baylor in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              TCU tight end Brent Matiscik (42), center Steve Avila (79) and quarterback Chandler Morris, top, celebrate their win over Baylor in an NCAA college football game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) and guard John Lanz (53) celebrate Johnston's touchdown catch in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Baylor in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              TCU tight end Brent Matiscik (42), center Steve Avila (79) and quarterback Chandler Morris, top, celebrate their win over Baylor in an NCAA college football game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              TCU wide receiver Blair Conwright (22) catches a pass for a long gain as Baylor cornerback Al Walcott (13) defends in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Baylor running back Abram Smith (7) is stopped for a loss by TCU defensive tackle Earl Barquet, right rear, and others in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              TCU cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (1) and linebacker Dee Winters, right, combine to stop Baylor tight end Ben Sims (86) after Sims made a catch in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Baylor quarterback Gerry Bohanon (11) throws a pass in the first half of an NCAA college football game against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              TCU running back Emari Demercado (3) takes a handoff from quarterback Chandler Morris (14) in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Baylor in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Baylor running back Trestan Ebner (1) leaps over TCU placekicker Griffin Kell (39) while returning a punt in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. TCU's Zach Marcheselli pursues on the play. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              TCU interim head coach Jerry Kill, center, watches play against Baylor in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              TCU quarterback Chandler Morris (14) looks to throw a pass in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Baylor in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Gary Patterson wasn’t on the sideline at a TCU game for the first time since 1997. The former Horned Frogs coach was watching from somewhere, and feeling proud.

Chandler Morris threw for 461 yards and two touchdowns in his first start for TCU and the Frogs beat No. 14 Baylor 30-28 on Saturday, six days after Patterson and the school mutually agreed to immediately part ways before completing his 21st season as head coach

“It was huge. I mean, I don’t know a team more deserving just everything we’ve been through this week obviously with Coach P, and we were fighting for him,” Morris said. “I mean, we deserved it. And I truly believe that.”

TCU (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) ended a three-game losing streak, and had lost five of its six previous games. The Frogs are now 22-22 since the start of 2018.

Baylor (7-2, 4-2, No. 12 CFP), which had its three-game winning streak snapped, was driving and past midfield after the Frogs missed a field goal attempt when linebacker Shadrach Banks intercepted a pass thrown by Gerry Bohanon with 1:03 left.

“Yesssssssssssssssss! Go Frogs!,” Patterson tweeted after the game. He showed up at practice this week, but said he wouldn’t attend the game.

Bohanon finished 14-of-20 passing for 214 yards with three TDs and two interceptions, and Abram Smith ran for 125 yards to go over 1,000 yards this season for Baylor. Tyquan Thornton had five catches for 121 yards and two TDs.

“Felt we were going to win it the entire time. I think our sideline did, too,” Aranda said. “Coming into the locker room, there’s a lot of guys just broken. I think that’s evidence of their belief. … Guys were fighting for it.”

Morris, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Oklahoma and is the son of former Arkansas and SMU head coach Chad Morris, completed 29 of 41 passes. He also led the Frogs with 70 yards rushing and a TD on 11 carries. Morris had taken over in the second half last week for Max Duggan, who had been playing with a fractured bone in his foot since getting hurt Oct. 9 at Texas Tech.

Patterson got to TCU as the defensive coordinator in 1998, then was promoted to head coach before the Mobile Alabama Bowl at the end of the 2000 regular season after Dennis Franchione left for Alabama. Patterson became TCU’s winningest head coach with his 181 wins.

Jerry Kill, the former Minnesota coach who was the best man in Patterson’s wedding and in an off-field role on his staff, took over as interim head coach.

“I have little to do with it. I credit the kids and the coaches that are on this staff. Gary Patterson and those people have built this program. I’ve been here or two years,” Kill said. “I’m just kind of a fill-in guy. I’m just so proud of those kids and the relentless effort that they played with.”

After TCU had an earlier field goal blocked and got the ball back on an interception in the end zone, the Frogs went 80 yards on 12 plays for a 30-21 lead on Morris’ 19-yard TD to Quentin Johnson with 11:59 left. Johnston had five catches for 142 yards, including a spectacular one-handed catch for 53 yards before the blocked field goal.

TCU took the lead for good on Griffin Kell’s third field goal, a 24-yarder a minute before halftime that made it 16-14.

BIG YARDS

Morris had the fourth-best passing total ever in a TCU game, and the first 400-yard game since Kenny Hill’s 446 yards against Oklahoma in 2016. Hill is now TCU’s quarterbacks coach. Morris finished with 531 total yards, the second-best in school history. And that doesn’t count a 7-yard reception he had.

“Unbelievable, to be honest with you. You know, he came in and he’s been telling us all year that he’s ready,” Johnston said. “His work ethic is unmatched, so he came out and did what he had to do. He exceeded my expectations, actually, which were pretty high.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Baylor: The loss could really sting for the Bears, who are trying to get back to the Big 12 championship game for the second time in three seasons. Undefeated Oklahoma visits Waco next week. Baylor’s other loss was at No. 11 Oklahoma State, the only other team ahead of them in the Big 12 standings. After only one penalty the previous two games, Baylor had six penalties for 65 yards.

TCU: A huge relief for the Frogs and their fans, who stormed the field when the game ended. In what many expected to be a bounce-back season for the Frogs, they still have final three regular season games and then a bowl game to avoid consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1996 and 1997.

UP NEXT

Baylor: The Bears are home next Saturday against fourth-ranked Oklahoma (9-0, 6-0), which will coming off its open date.

TCU: The Horned Frogs play their second game in a row against a ranked team, at No. 11 Oklahoma State next Saturday.

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Morris and TCU beat No. 14 Baylor in first game without GP