TCU
1-0
South Dakota State
0-1
No. 13 TCU pulls away from South Dakota State
9/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 3, 2016
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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Kenny Hill kept smiling Saturday night, even after interceptions on consecutive throws in his TCU debut.
The junior transfer was just trying to keep the team's spirits up despite an early deficit.
Coach Gary Patterson had a slightly different view before the 13th-ranked Horned Frogs rallied and pulled away late in a 59-41 victory over South Dakota State on Saturday night.
''I told him it wasn't that funny,'' Patterson said. ''Then after they scored a couple of touchdowns, then it wasn't that funny.
''Their job is, I don't care how many touchdowns, how many yards they throw for, as long as they don't throw it to (the other team).''
Hill eventually came around, accounting for five touchdowns after KaVontae Turpin sparked the Frogs with an 81-yard punt return in their 15th straight home-opening win since losing to Northwestern State - another lower-division team - in Patterson's first year as head coach.
''I was just trying to let everybody know, like, `Hey man, I got you, I'm not going to make any more mistakes,''' said Hill, the son of former major league pitcher Ken Hill and a former high school standout not far from the TCU campus. ''I made a mistake, but we're about to bounce back right here.''
Hill was 33 of 49 for 439 yards with two touchdown passes, ran for three scores and converted a critical third down with a 13-yard scramble while the Frogs were up four points in the fourth quarter.
That drive ended on a 46-yard scoring pass to Taj Williams for a 52-41 lead. Williams, who had 11 catches for 158 yards, made the grab after the ball deflected several yards forward off the hands of TCU receiver Desmon White and South Dakota State linebacker Dallas Brown.
Hill's consecutive interceptions led to a 10-point lead for the Jackrabbits of the Football Championship Subdivision.
Turpin started the recovery from the surprising second-quarter deficit with his return, sparking the Frogs to their 14th straight home win, third among Power Five schools behind Florida State and Clemson. The 5-foot-9 speedster added a 33-yard run and finished with 177 all-purpose yards.
Taryn Christion threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns - two to Jake Wieneke, who had eight catches for 196 yards.
Isaac Wallace had an 87-yard touchdown run after Makiah Slade intercepted Hill at the South Dakota State 1. Wallace finished with 112 yards rushing. Christion's 12-yard run put the Jackrabbits ahead 17-7 after Hill's second interception.
''I told you on Tuesday they were good players. Now they're still good players,'' Patterson said of the Jackrabbits. ''We didn't do a very good job.''
Kyle Hicks ran for two touchdowns, including a 3-yarder that put TCU ahead for good in the third quarter.
Team Stats
SDSU 0, TCU 7
TCU - Hicks, Kyle 15 yd run (Graf, Ryan kick), 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:43
SDSU 3, TCU 7
SDSU - Chase Vinatieri 25 yd field goal 6 plays, 38 yards, TOP 2:05
SDSU 10, TCU 7
SDSU - Isaac Wallace 87 yd run (Chase Vinatieri kick), 4 plays, 99 yards, TOP 2:04
SDSU 17, TCU 7
SDSU - Taryn Christion 12 yd run (Chase Vinatieri kick), 3 plays, 27 yards, TOP 1:29
SDSU 17, TCU 14
TCU - Turpin, K. 81 yd punt return (Graf, Ryan kick)
SDSU 17, TCU 21
TCU - Hill, Kenny 4 yd run (Graf, Ryan kick), 3 plays, 13 yards, TOP 0:53
SDSU 24, TCU 21
SDSU - Jake Wieneke 31 yd pass from Taryn Christion (Chase Vinatieri kick) 4 plays, 63 yards, TOP 0:48
SDSU 24, TCU 24
TCU - Graf, Ryan 32 yd field goal 8 plays, 51 yards, TOP 0:47
SDSU 24, TCU 31
TCU - Austin, Jaelan 60 yd pass from Hill, Kenny (Graf, Ryan kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:40
SDSU 31, TCU 31
SDSU - Dallas Goedert 16 yd pass from Taryn Christion (Chase Vinatieri kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:54
SDSU 31, TCU 38
TCU - Hicks, Kyle 3 yd run (Graf, Ryan kick), 8 plays, 72 yards, TOP 2:46
SDSU 31, TCU 45
TCU - Hill, Kenny 6 yd run (Graf, Ryan kick), 9 plays, 82 yards, TOP 1:47
SDSU 38, TCU 45
SDSU - Jake Wieneke 34 yd pass from Taryn Christion (Chase Vinatieri kick) 5 plays, 79 yards, TOP 2:50
SDSU 41, TCU 45
SDSU - Chase Vinatieri 37 yd field goal 5 plays, 41 yards, TOP 2:29
SDSU 41, TCU 52
TCU - Williams, Taj 46 yd pass from Hill, Kenny (Graf, Ryan kick) 10 plays, 85 yards, TOP 3:21
SDSU 41, TCU 59
TCU - Hill, Kenny 8 yd run (Graf, Ryan kick), 8 plays, 46 yards, TOP 3:35
