TopFrog
Lifelong Frog
TCU Beats Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium - TCU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium.
GoFrogs: TCU Beats Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- JP Richardson's 89-yard punt return for a touchdown provided the go-ahead score in TCU's 38-27 win over Kansas Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium
With TCU trailing 24-21 with 1:46 left in the third quarter, Richardson fielded a punt at the TCU 11 and reached the end zone with the fourth-longest punt return in school history. It gave the Horned Frogs a 28-24 lead.
After Kansas answered with a field goal, Josh Hoover connected with Eric McAlister on a 59-yard touchdown to extend TCU's lead to 35-27 with 11:20 to play.
TCU's defense stiffened in the fourth quarter and Kyle Lemmermann's 29-yard field goal with 3:02 remaining provided the final points.
Hoover completed 28-of-37 passes for 356 yards and three touchdown passes, including scoring strikes of 35 and 7 yards to Jack Bech who had a career-best 10 receptions for 131 yards. Bech has topped 100 yards receiving in four of five games this season. McAlister also reached 100 yards with his four catches for 100.
TCU took a 21-17 halftime lead when Hoover hit Bech on a 7-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left. It capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive.
Up Next
TCU hosts Houston on Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Team Notes
•With construction taking place at Kansas' on-campus facility, the game was played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
•The Horned Frogs and Jayhawks played four consecutive years in Kansas City from 1944-47 with TCU going 2-0-2 in those contests.
•Since beginning Big 12 play in 2012, TCU is 11-1 against Kansas.
•TCU's Sonny Dykes is 2-0 as a head coach versus the Jayhawks.
•TCU led 21-17 at halftime and is 17-2 when ahead at the break under Dykes.
•With Dykes, TCU is 19-1 when leading after three quarters.
•The Horned Frogs are 9-5 in road games under Dykes.
•With Jack Bech (131) and Eric McAlister (100), TCU had two players reach 100 yards receiving for the third time in five games this season. Bech and McAlister have accomplished it together the last two games.
•TCU scored for the 399th consecutive game, the second-longest streak in NCAA history. No. 1 is Florida at 452 games (1988-present). The Horned Frogs haven't been blanked since Nov. 16, 1991, at Texas (32-0).
•TCU wore a white helmet, white jersey and purple pants.
Individual Notes
Offense
•Josh Hoover was 28-of-37 for 356 yards and three touchdowns.
•The 356 yards gave Hoover his ninth 300-yard game in 11 career starts.
•Hoover had three touchdowns passes for the fifth time in 11 starts.
•Hoover threw for at least two touchdowns for the eighth straight game. He has at least one touchdown pass in 10 of 11 career starts.
•Jack Bech recorded his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season with a career-high 10 catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
•Bech's touchdowns were from 35 and 7 yards, his second consecutive contest with multiple scores. He has a team-best six touchdown grabs on the season.
•Eric McAlister's 59-yard touchdown catch gave him a receiving score in three consecutive games.
•McAlister recorded his second straight 100-yard game with four receptions for 100 yards.
•JP Richardson had four receptions for 42 yards to give him at least one catch in 32 consecutive games. The streak entered the game tied for seventh-longest in the nation.
•True freshman Jeremy Payne had a 32-yard run for TCU's longest carry of the season.
•Payne had a career-best 65 yards rushing on eight attempts.
•Cam Cook had a 3-yard scoring run for his team-best sixth rushing touchdown on the year.
•JoJo Earle set up Cook's touchdown on the two preceding plays with a 16-yard carry on a reverse and a 9-yard reception.
•Ben Taylor-Whitfield started at right tackle, his first start of the season and second of his career.
Defense
•Johnny Hodges tied for team-best honors with eight tackles, all solo, and a quarterback hurry.
•Jamel Johnson also had eight stops.
•LaMareon "Scud" James had his first interception as a Horned Frog and third of his career.
•Cooper McDonald recorded a sack for a 12-yard loss, giving him 1.5 on the season and a tie with Marcel Brooks and Namdi Obiazor for the team lead.
•Redshirt freshman nose tackle Markis Deal made his first career start.
Special Teams
•JP Richardson's 89-yard punt return for a touchdown tied for the fourth-longest in TCU history.
•Richardson had TCU's first punt return for a touchdown since Derius Davis had two in 2022 with his final one being 82 yards against Texas Tech.
•Richardson is the seventh Horned Frog with a punt return for a touchdown since 2012.
•Kyle Lemmermann had a 29-yard field goal for TCU's final points of the game.
