LOOKING BACK: TCU vs. East Carolina in '99 Mobile Bowl
12/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 12, 2007
MOBILE BOWL PHOTO GALLERY | MEDIA GUIDE (MOBILE Bowl Recap & Records)
It was the second consecutive bowl upset for TCU (8-4). East Carolina (9-3) entered the game as six-point favorites.
That didn't bother the Horned Frogs, who completely shut down the Pirates' running game, holding them to minus-16 yards.
East Carolina went into the game focusing on stopping Tomlinson, whose 1,850 yards edged Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne for the NCAA Division I rushing title.
TCU, which alternated between quarterbacks Casey Printers and Patrick Batteaux, made it impossible for the Pirates to adjust.
Early in the first quarter, Printers gained seven yards on an option run to move TCU to the 2. Batteaux, a senior who runs the option better than Printers, came in on the next play and pitched the ball to Tomlinson, who ran in for the touchdown. That tied the game at 7 and TCU slowly pulled away from there.
East Carolina, which couldn't run the ball at all against TCU, had to go to the air in the second half.
It initially worked, but early in the fourth quarter, Russell Gary intercepted Garrard's pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. That gave TCU a 28-14 lead with 14:04 to play.
