TCU
8-1 , 6-0
San Diego State
3-6 , 2-4
TCU remains undefeated in MWC play
10/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 29, 2005
Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery
SAN DIEGO - Robert Merrill rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 20 TCU to a 23-20 victory over San Diego State tonight at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif.
After playing six of their opening nine games on the road, the Horned Frogs (8-1, 6-0) host Colorado State (5-3, 4-1) next Saturday at 6 p.m. with an opportunity to win their first outright conference championship since 1958. A victory would give the Frogs, picked sixth in the preseason poll, a Mountain West Conference title in their first season of league play.
Since 1958, all five league championships for the Frogs have been shared. TCU was co-champions of the Southwest Conference in 1959 and 1994, while also sharing a pair of Western Athletic Conference titles (1999, 2000) and a Conference USA championship (2002).
"We knew this game was important because without it we couldn't go home next week and win this thing outright in front of our own fans," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "You can't ask for anything more."
Tonight's win was the 40th of Patterson's head coaching tenure at TCU, tying him with Jim Wacker for fourth on the Frogs' career list.
Merrill posted his ninth career 100-yard game as TCU ran for a season-high 291 yards. Aaron Brown added 83 yards on 15 carries. The Frogs totaled 403 yards in offense.
The Frogs took a 7-0 lead on their opening series as Merrill scored on a 1-yard run just 2:58 into the contest. Merrill helped set up his score with a 39-yard carry to the Aztec 1.
A TCU turnover gave the Aztecs (3-5, 2-3) possession at the Frog 20 early in the second quarter. The TCU defense stiffened and San Diego State had to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Garrett Palmer to close within 7-3.
The Aztecs took a 10-7 lead when quarterback Kevin O'Connell scored on a 26-yard keeper with 3:00 left in the first half.
A 36-yard field goal by Palmer on the final play of the half gave the Aztecs a 13-7 advantage at the intermission. It was TCU's first halftime deficit since trailing 24-16 at BYU (Sept. 24).
After entering the game a nation-leading +17 in turnover margin, TCU was at -3 in the first half. For the game, the Frogs were -1 with three giveaways and two takeaways.
With just over seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, a fourth-down interception by Quincy Butler gave TCU possession at the San Diego State 45. It was Butler's team-high fifth pick of the season and fourth in the last five games.
Six plays later, Merrill scored on a 21-yard run for his second touchdown of the night to even the contest at 13-13 with 5:02 remaining in the third quarter. The PAT was missed.
TCU drove 92 yards in 13 plays on its next possession to take a 20-13 lead with 14:26 to play on a 6-yard scoring run by Cory Rodgers, his third rushing touchdown on 11 carries this season.
San Diego State drove to the TCU 2 on its ensuing series before David Roach recorded an interception in the end zone on a third-down pass by O'Connell with 9:28 left.
"The defense won the game for us," Merrill said. "If it wasn't for them, we would have lost. We struggled at times on offense to push the ball in, but they came up with big play after big play, especially in the second half."
A 37-yard field goal by Chris Manfredini, now 8-of-8 on the year, extended the TCU margin to 23-13 with 3:50 remaining.
However, the Aztecs answered with a 65-yard drive that culminated with an 8-yard scoring pass from O'Connell to Jeff Webb to trim the San Diego State deficit to 23-20 with 2:20 to play.
TCU cornerback Drew Coleman then recovered the Aztec on-side kick.
A 1-yard rush by Merrill on a fourth-and-one with less than a minute to play sealed the Frogs' seventh straight victory.
"We know we were very fortunate to get out of here with a win," Patterson said.
"If you're going to beat a team like TCU, you better be aggressive," Aztec coach Tom Craft said. "I thought we played our hearts out."
Team Stats
TC 7, SD 0
TC - MERRILL, Robert 1 yd run (MANFREDINI, Chr kick), 5 plays, 51 yards, TOP 1:52
TC 7, SD 3
SD - PALMER, Garrett 37 yd field goal 4 plays, 1 yards, TOP 0:46
TC 7, SD 10
SD - O'CONNELL, Kevi 26 yd run (PALMER, Garrett kick), 4 plays, 46 yards, TOP 3:35
TC 7, SD 13
SD - PALMER, Garrett 36 yd field goal 8 plays, 28 yards, TOP 1:21
TC 13, SD 13
TC - MERRILL, Robert 21 yd run (MANFREDINI, Chr kickblocked), 6 plays, 55 yards, TOP 2:01
TC 20, SD 13
TC - RODGERS, Cory 6 yd run (MANFREDINI, Chr kick), 13 plays, 92 yards, TOP 4:33
TC 23, SD 13
TC - MANFREDINI, Chr 37 yd field goal 12 plays, 60 yards, TOP 5:38
TC 23, SD 20
SD - WEBB, Jeff 8 yd pass from O'CONNELL, Kevi (PALMER, Garrett kick) 8 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:30
