Fort Worth, TX – Fort Worth, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Trevone Boykin failed to stick the landing on a somersault into the end zone, but it was an otherwise flawless performance for the TCU quarterback on Saturday.
Boykin accounted for 342 yards and four touchdowns and No. 6 TCU made its national title case by routing No. 9 Kansas State, 41-20, in a Big 12 showdown.
What was billed as an elimination game for the inaugural college football playoff turned into a one-sided affair, with the Horned Frogs (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) gashing the Wildcats' vaunted defense for 553 yards.
"They played extremely well. They're awfully good," Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder said. "They just were a better football team."
Boykin did most of the damage with 219 yards and a TD on 23-of-34 passing while adding 123 yards and three scores on the ground, including an acrobatic run early in the third quarter that ended with him being flipped into the end zone.
Aaron Green ran for 171 yards and a touchdown for TCU, which forced a three- way tie atop the conference. The Horned Frogs will be heavy favorites against Kansas, Texas and Iowa State the rest of the way and will likely move up from No. 6 in the playoff rankings.
"Two weeks in a row, we showed we could be a versatile team and that's what you have to do to win championships. That's what you have to do in November," TCU head coach Gary Patterson said, referring to last week's road win at West Virginia. "Every week you have to get ready to play. The whole key is finding a way to win every week."
Jake Waters threw for 291 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Kansas State (7-2, 5-1), which had allowed just 17 points per game during its five-game winning streak coming in.
Most of Waters' production came by way of Tyler Lockett, who hauled in 11 passes for 196 yards, including a 70-yard bomb that cut the Wildcats' deficit to 14-7 late in the first quarter.
TCU settled for a 26-yard Jaden Oberkrom with 50 seconds left in the half, and Lockett seemed to give K-State momentum heading into halftime by taking the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown.
A holding penalty, however, negated the touchdown, and TCU extended its lead on Boykin's highlight-reel touchdown 1:24 into the second half.
Boykin called his own number on 1st-and-10 from the Kansas State 19-yard line and saw daylight ahead. He went untouched until he left his feet at the 3 and launched himself up and over a defender, who flipped him onto his rear just past the goal line.
The Wildcats countered with an 8-play, 67-yard drive capped by Curry Sexton's 15-yard touchdown catch, but TCU scored the next 17 points to put the game away.
Green broke of a 65-yard TD run on the third play of the next series, Oberkrom tacked on a 23-yard field goal and Boykin outran everyone to the right pylon on a 23-yard sprint midway through the fourth.
Joe Hubener, Kansas State's backup quarterback, made the final score somewhat respectable with a late touchdown run.
Boykin ran for a score and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to David Porter in the first quarter.
Game Notes
Baylor is also tied with TCU and Kansas State atop the conference ... Kansas State ran for just 34 yards ... Porter led TCU with seven receptions for 84 yards ...Kansas State has a bye next weekend before playing at West Virginia on Thursday, Nov. 20.
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