Fort Worth, TX – Casey Pachall threw for 214 yards and three ranked TCU to a 55-13 rout of Portland State at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Waymon James scored on an 82-yard kick return and a 65-yard run for the Horned Frogs (3-1), who have won three in a row since losing to Baylor by two points in their season-opener.
James finished with 136 rushing yards and TCU totaled 462 offensive yards in the win, which came convincingly against the Vikings (2-1), a Football Championship Subdivision member.
Running back Shaquille Richard finished with 90 yards and a touchdown for Portland State, which led after the first quarter.
Zach Brown kicked a 22-yard field goal to end the game's opening drive, and TCU punted on its only complete possession of the period. The Horned Frogs got on the board when Ross Evans kicked a 35-yarder on the first play of the second quarter, and Pachall was intercepted on TCU's next possession.
"That's one of the best teams in America and we were able to run the football early, get three-and-outs, create turnovers and have big runs and passes," said Portland State head coach Nigel Burton. "We know we can do those things. Now there's really not an excuse against anybody in our conference."
But Saturday, Evans' field goal provided the first of 41 consecutive points. Pachall rebounded from his interception to connect with Josh Boyce on a 66- yard score with 1:55 left in the half, and the Horned Frogs squeezed in two more touchdowns before the break thanks to two big plays.
Tank Carder intercepted Drew Hubel on the opening play of Portland State's next touch, and returned it 26 yards for a score.
With 1:40 left on the clock, TCU forced the Vikings into a three-and-out and a punt from their own 10-yard line. Thomas Duyndam kicked the ball 43 yards, and Skye Dawson brought the ball right back down to the 11.
Dawson then caught Pachall's 10-yard TD pass on 3rd-and-9, making it a 24-3 game at halftime.
"Offensively, we came out slow. We've got to do a better job of it," said TCU head coach Gary Patterson. "We can't have second and third-and-long."
James opened the third quarter with his 65-yard score and TCU continued to roll. Evans kicked a 24-yarder on the Frogs' next possession, and Pachall found Dawson for a 73-yard score with a little more than four minutes left.
Brown's 42-yard kick early in the fourth cut TCU's string of consecutive points, but James' return on the ensuing kickoff pushed the lead to 48-6.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Brown ran for a four-yard score midway through the fourth for TCU, and Richard's one-yard TD run came with 1:39 to go.
Game Notes
Pachall completed 14-of-20 throws and was intercepted once...Dawson ended with eight catches for 111 yards...Portland State quarterback Connor Kavanaugh completed 12-of-18 passes for 103 yards, while Hubel was 7-of-16 for 73 yards with the interception. Justin Monahan caught nine passes for 109 yards.
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