DALLAS (FWAA) – Throttled down with a 27-point first quarter and four touchdowns of at least 62 yards, the TCU Horned Frogs wiped out No. 18 Oklahoma early and continued the pressure for a 55-24 win. For its offensive explosion of 668 total yards that ended an eight-game losing streak to the Sooners before the second-largest crowd in Amon G. Carter Stadium history, TCU (4-0) earned the Cheez-It Bowl National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 1, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the eighth time for TCU to earn team of the week honors and its first since last November when it beat No. 14 Baylor. All Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected.
TCU quarterback Max Duggan totaled 418 yards of offense and five touchdowns as the Frogs moved to 4-0 for the first time since 2017 when now-first-year head coach Sonny Dykes was an offensive analyst. Dykes is the first TCU head coach to win his opening four games since Francis Schmidt in 1929. The Horned Frogs ran up 479 yards in the first half alone, the most nationally in a half against an FBS opponent this season. It was the Horned Frogs' most in a half since at least 2011.
Duggan, in his 32nd career start at TCU, completed 23-of-33 passes for 302 yards with three touchdowns without an interception. He added 116 yards rushing on just five carries with two additional scores. His fourth career 100-yard rushing game makes him just the fifth quarterback since 1996 to average at least 23.0 yards per rush on a minimum of five carries. Duggan leads the nation in passing efficiency (202.2) and is third in completion percentage (74.5, on 70-of-94).
“When we got that turnover (on Oklahoma’s first possession) and went down and scored that was huge. It gave our guys a big boost,” Dykes said. “When you can do that and get that kind of confidence and emotion going, it’s great. The crowd was great, it was really fun to be a part of that atmosphere. I think our players fed off that.”
This is just TCU’s second win in the series since joining the Big 12 in 2012 and its 55 points were the most it has scored in 23 all-time games against Oklahoma.
TCU visits Kansas (5-0) at Noon ET Saturday on FS1.
This is the 21st season the FWAA will select a national team of the week. Each honored team will receive a custom Cheez-It "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.
The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Oct. 1 were:
- Georgia Tech (2-3): Led by 157 rushing yards from Hassan Hall, four field goals by Gavin Stewart and a stubborn defense, Georgia Tech stunned No. 24 Pitt on the road, 26-21, in Brent Key’s debut as the Yellow Jackets’ interim head coach. Georgia Tech forced three turnovers in the span of four Pitt possessions in the second half and scored after all three takeaways (two field goals and a touchdown) to turn a 7-6 halftime deficit into a 19-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
- Illinois (4-1): The Illini went to Wisconsin and won for the first time since 2002, scoring 17 points on three takeaways and shutting down the Badgers throughout. A 17-0 run in the third quarter decided it as Illinois held Wisconsin to two rushing yards. Meanwhile, Illini running back Chase Brown rushed for 129 yards and a score, extending his streak of 100-yard games to six – a program record – and becoming the first running back in Illinois history to open the season with five straight 100-yard games.
- Kansas (5-0): The Jayhawks rewarded a sellout homecoming crowd of 47,233 with a 14-11 win over Iowa State, boosting their undefeated run to 5-0 and moving to 2-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2008. Second-quarter touchdowns from Jalon Daniels and Daniel Hishaw Jr. were the difference. The last time KU held a conference foe to 11 or fewer points was in 2007 when the Jayhawks defeated Iowa State 45-7 (Nov. 7, 2007) in Lawrence.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.
About the Cheez-It Bowl
The 2022 Cheez-It Bowl takes place Thursday, Dec. 29 at 5:30 p.m. ET at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The postseason contest is hosted by Florida Citrus Sports, a Central Florida-based nonprofit, and annually features top teams from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 Conferences. Cheez-It®, the best-selling cracker brand in the United States, signed on as the game's title sponsor in 2020 as part of its season-long support of college football. Last bowl season, No. 19 Clemson beat Iowa State 20-13 in front of an announced crowd of 39,051, with cornerback Mario Goodrich taking home the Cheez-It Bowl MVP belt.