West Virginia topples TCU 24-21, ends Frogs' 10-game Big 12 regular-season win streak
FORT WORTH, TX - SEPTEMBER 30: TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Jack Bech (18) is tackled by West Virginia Mountaineers safety Hershey McLaurin (13) during a college football game between West Virginia Mountaineers and TCU Horned Frogs on Sept 30, 2023
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Michael Hayes kicked a tiebreaking 49-yard field goal late, and West Virginia ended TCU's 10-game Big 12 regular-season winning streak with a 24-21 victory over the Horned Frogs on Saturday night.
The Mountaineers (4-1) secured their first 2-0 start in the Big 12 since 2018 by rallying from an emotional scene of teammate Aubrey Burks getting taken off on a cart after having his neck immobilized.
Burks was sent to a hospital, and coach Neal Brown said after the game the Mountaineers were hopeful Burks would get to go home with them.
West Virginia trailed 14-7 when Burks went down in the second quarter and was behind 21-14 at halftime before scoring the only 10 points after the break and blocking two potential tying field goals by the Horned Frogs (3-2, 1-1) in the final five minutes.
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Mike Lockhart had the first block of Griffin Kell from 46 yards with 4:47 remaining, followed by Sean Martin on a 55-yard try with 32 seconds remaining.
TCU lost a Big 12 regular-season game for the first time under second-year coach Sonny Dykes.
The Horned Frogs lost the Big 12 championship game to Kansas State last season before making the College Football Playoff, beating Michigan in the semifinals and getting blown out by Georgia in the title game.
West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene had 80 yards rushing and two touchdowns, the latter tying the score at 21-all in the third quarter, while throwing for 142 yards.
The last three scoring drives for the Mountaineers started in TCU territory, with Hayes' go-ahead kick coming when they picked up just 16 yards after taking over on a punt at the TCU 47.
TCU's Chandler Morris threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score in the first half but was just 9 of 19 passing for 86 yards after the break.
Burks was injured at the end of the play on a botched punt return by TCU. He was part of the scramble for the loose ball after JoJo Earle muffed the punt and didn't get up from the bottom of a pile.
Burks' helmet was removed and his neck stabilized before he was put on a stretcher and taken from the field on a cart.
THE TAKEAWAY
West Virginia: It was a rough night for injuries for the Mountaineers. After Burks left the game, linebacker Trey Lathan had to taken off on a cart also after what appeared to be a lower-leg injury in the fourth quarter. Trainers were already immobilizing the leg before the cart even reached Lathan.
TCU: Dykes was still salty a week after taking an unsolicited swipe at the officials in his postgame comments over a call that didn't matter much late in a 34-17 victory over SMU.
After West Virginia had to use a timeout for an apparent mix-up on offense in scoring range in the third quarter, Dykes was penalized during the break for arguing with referee Derek Anderson.
The ball went from the TCU 2-yard line to the 1, and Greene scored on a keeper around end on the next play.
UP NEXT
West Virginia: Off next Saturday before coming back to Texas to play Houston on Thursday, Oct. 12.
TCU: At Iowa State next Saturday to start a stretch of three out of four Big 12 games on the road. There is also a week off in that stretch.