Duggan throws for 3 TDs, No. 7 TCU beats West Virginia 41-31

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — No. 7 TCU remains to be engaged on placing collectively an excellent efficiency on either side of the ball.

For now, the Horned Frogs are blissful to nonetheless have an ideal document.

Max Duggan threw three landing passes, Kendre Miller ran for 120 yards and a rating and TCU used large performs on offense to beat West Virginia 41-31 Saturday.

Although the Horned Frogs had 4 performs of a minimum of 50 yards, with three going for touchdowns, they needed to battle onerous within the fourth quarter to carry on.

“We’re not taking part in for the way fairly it appears to be like,” Duggan stated. “We’re taking part in to get that win, whether or not it’s gained by one or by 40. Clearly, there’s issues that we have to work on that may make it simpler for us.”

The Horned Frogs (8-0, 5-0 Massive 12) didn’t want a comeback from a double-digit deficit like they did of their two earlier video games. Duggan staked TCU to a 28-21 halftime lead that held up.

TCU has gained its first eight video games for the primary time since 2015 and broke a four-game dropping streak to the Mountaineers.

Duggan beforehand had gone 0-3 in opposition to West Virginia. He modified that by finishing 16 of 28 passes for 341 yards.

“We’re grateful to be 8-0,” he stated. “You are by no means going to take profitable without any consideration. We all know it is onerous to win on this league, particularly on the highway.”

West Virginia (3-5, 1-4), which was coming off a season-low 282 yards of offense in a lopsided loss ultimately week at Texas Tech, gave the Horned Frogs a battle.

JT Daniels threw a 23-yard TD cross to Reese Smith with 4:12 left to chop the Mountaineers’ deficit to 34-31. TCU recovered the following onside kick, however Duggan was intercepted by Malachi Ruffin on the West Virginia 16, giving the Mountaineers one other likelihood. West Virginia was compelled to punt, and Duggan discovered Savion Williams with a 29-yard scoring toss on fourth down with 20 seconds left.

After combining for 637 yards of offense earlier than halftime, each groups squandered a number of second-half landing probabilities from contained in the opponent’s 20.

The Mountaineers recovered a muffed punt on the TCU 17 early within the third quarter, however settled for a discipline objective. On its subsequent possession, West Virginia drove to the TCU 4, however Daniels threw incomplete into the top zone on fourth down. TCU then drove 95 yards to the West Virginia 1. Quentin Johnston was tackled for an 11-yard loss on third down, leading to a brief discipline objective for a 31-24 lead.

“Some loopy stuff occurred on this recreation at the moment,” stated TCU’s Sonny Dykes, who joined Francis Schmidt in 1929 as the one Horned Frogs coaches to win their opening eight video games. “There was some wild performs, some unusual stuff.”

West Virginia errors contributed to TCU’s first three touchdowns.

Duggan took benefit of blown protection within the secondary, throwing TD tosses of 71 yards to Taye Barber and 55 yards to Johnston. Halfway by way of the second quarter, Daniels was hit going again to cross and fumbled. TCU recovered at its 49 and Miller scored untouched on the following play for a 21-14 lead.

Miller now has a dashing TD in 9 straight video games.

Daniels completed 23 of 39 for 275 yards for West Virginia, which now must win three of its closing 4 video games to grow to be bowl eligible.

“I believed our guys competed, actually performed their tails off,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown stated. “I am happy with how they performed. We’re primarily based on outcomes. I get that. The end result wasn’t what we wished. We simply did not make sufficient performs within the second half.”

THE TAKEAWAY

TCU: The Horned Frogs weren’t dominant, however they did sufficient to remain atop the Massive 12 standings.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers put up a battle on offense regardless of being with out two injured linemen and main rusher Tony Mathis. Freshman operating again CJ Donaldson, who completed with 104 yards, twice left the sport with accidents. West Virginia saved the sport shut after beginning slowly in its three earlier video games.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

TCU ought to maintain onto its prime 10 rating.

UP NEXT

TCU hosts Texas Tech subsequent Saturday. The Horned Frogs have gained the final three conferences.

West Virginia visits Iowa State subsequent Saturday. The Mountaineers had lopsided losses of their final two journeys to Ames, Iowa.

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