Josh Hoover threw four touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score with 5:44 left, and the TCU Horned Frogs beat the Colorado Buffaloes 35-21 in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday night.
Hoover finished 23-for-33 passing for 275 yards and ran for another touchdown. Eric McAlister had two TD catches while Joseph Manjack IV and Lafayette Kaiuway had touchdown receptions for TCU (4-1, 1-1 Big 12 Conference).
The game was tied late when the Horned Frogs were forced to punt, and the ball bounced off Colorado and was recovered by TCU. Hoover then connected with Manjack from 23 yards with the tiebreaking score.
The Buffaloes (2-4, 0-2) got one first down before punting on the ensuing possession, and Hoover hit McAlister for a 21-yard score with 19 seconds left.
Kaidon Salter was 18 of 29 for 217 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions for Colorado. Both TD passes went to Omarion Miller, who finished with six receptions for 89 yards.
The Horned Frogs drove to the Colorado 1 in the first quarter but missed a 30-yard field goal attempt.
The Buffaloes responded with a 13-play, 80-yard drive capped by Salter’s six-yard TD pass to Miller early in the second quarter. Colorado forced a punt and went ahead 14-0 on Salter’s 10-yard keeper with 6:32 remaining in the first half.
TCU answered with two quick scoring drives. Hoover capped the first score with a one-yard plunge to cut the deficit in half, and Bud Clark intercepted Salter two plays later to set up the Horned Frogs at the Colorado 33. Hoover connected with McAlister on a 23-yard scoring strike to tie it with 1:32 left in the second.
The Buffaloes had a chance to take the lead into halftime, but Salter was intercepted at the goal line in the final seconds.
It stayed tied until early in the fourth when Hoover found Kaiuway from 10 yards out to put TCU ahead 21-14. A penalty on the Horned Frogs gave Colorado possession at midfield and five plays later Salter hit Miller from 31 yards out to tie it again.
