Jan 2, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs players celebrate their 47-41 victory over the Oregon Ducks at the 2016 Alamo Bowl in the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
SAN ANTONIO – No. 11 TCU rallied from a 31-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 15 Oregon 47-41 in triple-overtime on Saturday night in the Alamo Bowl.
TCU won despite playing without Trevone Boykin, the star quarterback who was suspended after being arrested following a bar fight Thursday morning. He was replaced by senior Bram Kohlhausen, who threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns while also running for two scores.
Kohlhausen’s second touchdown run – an 8-yarder in the third overtime – provided the Horned Frogs (11-2) with the winning points.
The Ducks (9-4) lost starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. to a head injury in the second quarter, but built a 31-point halftime lead before TCU outscored the Ducks 31-0 in the second half at the Alamodome.
Adams completed 13-of-19 passes for 197 yards to help Oregon take a 28-0 lead before he was injured with just under five minutes left in the first half.
Oregon built the biggest halftime lead in the history of the Alamo Bowl at 31-0.
After Kohlhausen’s go-ahead run, his pass on a two-point conversion was incomplete. TCU stopped Oregon on its final drive to seal the victory.
Kicker Aidan Schneider put Oregon ahead 41-38 with a 44-yard field goal to start the second overtime. TCU kicker Jaden Oberkrom made a 46-yard kick to tie the game.
TCU tied the game at 31 heading into overtime and then Kohlhausen threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Porter.
Oregon running back Royce Freeman answered with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 38.
TCU first got on the scoreboard early in the third quarter when Oberkrom kicked a 24-yard field goal to cut Oregon’s lead to 31-3.
Kohlhausen found Jaelan Austin for a 26-yard touchdown pass and then Kohlhausen ran two yards for a touchdown as TCU got within 31-17 after three quarters.
Oberkrom added a 34-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to cut Oregon’s lead to 31-20.
Running back Aaron Green had a 2-yard touchdown run with 3:32 left in the game and TCU added a two-point conversion to get within 31-28.
Oberkrom kicked a 22-yard field goal with 19 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
Wide receiver Darren Carrington had seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown for the Ducks while Freeman ran for 130 yards and three scores.
Oregon set a school record for most points in the first quarter of a bowl game and tied the Alamo Bowl record with 21 points in the opening quarter.
Oregon went three-and-out on its first drive, but then scored first when Adams threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Carrington in the first quarter.
Freeman scored on a 4-yard run on Oregon’s next drive and then he added a 5-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter as Oregon went up 21-0.
The Ducks stretched the lead to 28-0 early in the second quarter when running back Tony Brooks-James scored on a 5-yard run. Schneider booted a career-long 47 yard field goal as Oregon took a 31-0 lead at halftime.
Adams was 13-for-19 for 197 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game when he took a hard hit with 4:52 left in the first quarter. He was replaced by backup quarterback Jeff Lockie, who was 3-for-4 for 16 yards.
Freeman ran 13 times for 72 yards and two scores as Oregon had 376 yards of total offense in the half. Carrington had seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Kohlhausen was 9-for-19 for 96 yards in the first half as he replaced Boykin, who was suspended after being arrested following a bar fight Thursday morning. KeVontae Turpin had three catches for 62 yards as TCU totaled 142 yards of offense.
NOTES: TCU suspended wide receiver Preston Miller, who had one catch on the season, after he broke curfew with QB Trevone Boykin on Thursday morning. … Matt Lubick called plays for the Ducks for the first time after being promoted from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator this week. He replaces Scott Frost, who left to become head coach at Central Florida. … WR Darren Carrington switched from No. 7 to No. 22 to honor his friend Markel Byrd, a safety for New Mexico who was killed in a car accident last month.
