TCU rallies again, tops K-State to stay undefeated

FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU's charmed play continued Saturday nighttime with different comeback win, this clip rallying from an 18-point shortage successful the archetypal fractional to decision No. 17 Kansas State 38-28 and enactment undefeated.

Under first-year manager Sonny Dykes, the No. 8 Horned Frogs (7-0, 4-0 successful Big 12), who finished 5-7 past season, joined 2016 Oklahoma arsenic the lone teams successful Big 12 past to triumph 4 consecutive games against teams ranked successful the AP poll. They are among six undefeated teams successful the country.

After rallying from 17 points down past week to bushed No. 8 Oklahoma State successful treble overtime, TCU became the 3rd squad successful the past 20 seasons to travel backmost from aggregate 17-point deficits against ranked teams successful a season.

Dykes would similar the Frogs not excavation themselves into a hole, saying the squad has played choky successful the archetypal fractional the past 2 weeks, thing helium said helium needed to get fixed. But helium said helium has seen a assurance instrumentality clasp among his squad successful the locker country astatine halftime.

"We conscionable settled successful and started playing with much confidence," Dykes said. "I deliberation that knowing that they could bash that, having done it past week, we walked successful astatine halftime and determination was nary consciousness of panic. I deliberation determination was a small spot of vexation from everybody due to the fact that we felt similar we surely hadn't played a large fractional of football, but I didn't consciousness immoderate benignant of panic."

Despite losing starting backmost Adrian Martinez, Kansas State scored touchdowns connected 4 consecutive possessions successful the archetypal fractional down Will Howard, who went 13-of-20 for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns. Howard was concisely knocked retired of the crippled successful the 3rd quarter, and redshirt freshman Jake Rubley threw an interception connected his lone passing attempt.

After giving up 303 yards and 10.1 yards per play successful the archetypal half, the TCU defence gave up conscionable 87 yards and 3.8 yards per play successful the 2nd half, holding Kansas State scoreless arsenic the Wildcats missed 2 tract goals.

"We started to get immoderate pressure, and arsenic we got pressure, we created immoderate turnovers and the discourtesy did a bully occupation taking vantage of it," Dykes said.

Max Duggan had different businesslike performance, completing 17 of 26 passes for 280 yards and throwing touchdowns to 3 antithetic receivers.

"What tin you accidental astir Max?" Dykes said. "I mean, it's hard to enactment a worth connected however invaluable helium is to our team, conscionable the toughness helium brings and that never-say-die mentality and cognition conscionable permeates the full program. That unselfishness has benignant of taken implicit our team."

Kendre Miller, who ran for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns, said Dykes' laid-back persona has helped the squad woody with the deficits and the second-half comebacks.

"He's wholly chill, calm," Miller said. "I deliberation it keeps everybody stable. If the caput manager is going crazy, everybody benignant of gets to panicking and stuff. He stays chill, everybody's chill."

Duggan said being undefeated hasn't changed the Horned Frogs' focus.

"No 1 talked astir america earlier the season," Duggan said. "We ne'er listened to them. I deliberation present erstwhile radical commencement talking astir you, you bash the aforesaid thing. You don't perceive to them."

Dykes said helium has seen that attack instrumentality clasp among the team.

"I've benignant of been waiting to commencement proceeding immoderate speech astir ... league standings oregon vessel games oregon rankings, and I conscionable haven't heard it ever with this group," Dykes said. "I mean, ne'er once. And that sounds absurd. I deliberation the guys conscionable person adopted that mentality of, 'Hey, let's conscionable amusement up connected Tuesday and person a bully Tuesday practice.' I deliberation these guys benignant of bargain into the full thing."