FORT WORTH, Texas – The Texas Longhorns had to deal with another long weather delay on the road.
Texas' game at TCU on Saturday night finally resumed just before 11 p.m. local time after a delay of 3 hours, 6 minutes for lightning that was part of heavy storms that moved into the area.
Referee Scott Novak stopped the game with 6:08 left in the first half, announcing that both teams were being sent to the locker room for the safety of the players. He referred to flashing warning lights nearby that indicate lighting was in the area.
TCU had the ball on its 20 and trailed 17-7 when the game resumed with Casey Pachall at quarterback.
After the completion of the second quarter, there was a shortened halftime. There was a three-minute break, with the teams remaining on the field, before the start of the second half.
The Longhorns were delayed one hour, 47 minutes before their game at BYU started Sept. 7. Texas 40-21 at BYU.
There is no curfew in the Big 12, meaning the game could be played as late as necessary into the night — or early morning.
There were severe storms in the area but the rain didn't start to fall and the first visible flashes of lightning didn't come until several minutes after the players went inside. There was a bolt of lightning that went straight down behind one side of the stands, and several more after that when the storm moved over the stadium.
While there was initially no order for fans to clear the stadium, most left their seats and sought cover. TCU officials opened the nearby basketball coliseum for fans to go in there.
At one point, there was a lone couple sitting in the second deck of seats, barely visible through the driving rain.
TCU announced a crowd of 48,212, the second-largest ever at Amon Carter Stadium. Texas played there for the first time since 1994.
The stands were less than half full when play resumed.
Many TCU students remained in their seats behind the Texas bench through some of the rain. Security personnel eventually moved the students under the cover because of the frequent lightning.
It was raining early in the delay when TCU coach Gary Patterson ran the length of the field from his locker room to the other end where the Texas team was to discuss options with Longhorns coach Mack Brown and the officials. On his way back to his locker room, Patterson saluted the soaked students who were then still in the stands and cheering while he ran down the field.
Case McCoy threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Johnson with 9:48 left in the second half to put the Longhorns up 17-7.
Texas took the lead halfway through the first quarter when Malcolm Brown scored on a 3-yard run a play after a TCU fumble. Anthony Fera added a 43-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead before TCU scored on a double pass, with Pachall throwing to Cameron Echols-Luper in the backfield, and him hitting LaDarius Brown for a 38-yard TD.
Pachall got back in the game for the first time, seven weeks after breaking his non-throwing arm.
Trevone Boykin started at quarterback for the Horned Frogs, but Pachall took over on the third series of the game, after Boykin's big fumble.
Pachall broke his left arm Sept. 7 against Southeastern Louisiana. He had been practicing for a couple of weeks, with Patterson saying the Frogs had the best scout team quarterback in the country.
TCU had 5 total yards on its first seven offensive snaps with Boykin.
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