At a Glance
- Ken Seals makes his first start for TCU in the Alamo Bowl.
- TCU defeats USC 30-27 in overtime.
- Seals throws 258 yards, 29 completions, and a game-winning touchdown.
- Why it matters: Seals’ performance capped a dramatic comeback and gave TCU a bowl win.
Ken Seals finally started for TCU in the Alamo Bowl, leading the Horned Frogs to a 30-27 overtime victory over USC. He finished 29-for-40 for 258 yards and a game-winning touchdown, while running back Jeremy Payne added a rushing touchdown.
The Comeback
Seals directed two scoring drives in the final five minutes of regulation and threw the winning touchdown pass in overtime as TCU rallied to beat USC. The drive that forced overtime began with a 13-play, 59-yard march in the last 2:44 of regulation.
- Seals completed 29 of 40 passes for 258 yards.
- Jeremy Payne had 6 catches for 50 yards, 73 rushing yards, and a touchdown.
- TCU kicked a 27-yard field goal by Kyle Lemmermann as time expired in regulation.
Ken Seals said:
> “It felt like a movie.”
Kaleb Elarms-Orr said:
> “I’m not really surprised. Shoot, he be shaking me at practice sometimes, too. I’m not surprised that he just went out there and made a bunch of dudes miss. He was doing it all night. Once he made that first dude miss, I knew he was gone.”
Overtime Showdown
In overtime, USC had a first-down pass-interference call that gave them a 2-yard line, but they failed to score on a 22-yard field goal attempt. TCU was held to a 10-yard loss on a sack, then faced third-and-20 from the 35. Seals found Jeremy Payne for a short toss that turned into a 21-yard touchdown.
| Metric | TCU | USC |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 258 | 280 |
| Touchdowns | 1 (OT) | 2 |
| Field goals | 1 (27-yd) | 3 (40, 28, 41) |
| Interceptions | 0 | 2 |
| Final score | 30-27 | 30-27 |
Lincoln Riley said:
> “We had a couple of unique calls that just didn’t quite bounce our way. But we just did not execute good enough in the red zone either side of the ball.”
Key Takeaways
- Ken Seals earned his first start and led a dramatic comeback.
- TCU’s offense finished 258 yards, with a game-winning TD in overtime.
- USC struggled in the red zone, missing key field goals and making two interceptions.
The Horned Frogs’ win underscores their resilience and sets the stage for a fresh start next season.
