Kohlhausen Leads TCU To Comeback Win Over Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks met the TCU Horned Frogs in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Saturday night in San Antonio. Mark Helfrich saw his team get the ball first as Charles Nelson had a minimal return. In the first series, it was 3 and out for the Ducks as Vernon Adams was sacked on 2^nd down. The ball went to TCU who had a similar series to Oregon as Bram Kohlhausen missed a receiver on 3^rd down and sent the ball back to Oregon.

The second drive of the game saw a different outcome for the Oregon Ducks. Vernon Adams found his favorite target Darren Carrington for a 37 yard touchdown. On the drive Running Back Royce Freeman also had some hard runs for the Oregon Ducks. Could TCU answer?

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Tyson Coleman was able to get into the face of Kohlhausen to swat the ball away. He caused a fumble then recovered the ball for the Oregon Ducks. After a review it was ruled an incomplete pass as Kohlhausen’s arm was going forward. It was still 4^th down and Oregon would get the ball back but have to go further down field.

Taj Griffin would get the drive started and get the Ducks to near mid field. Vernon Adams would find some magic after almost being sacked for a loss and find a wide open Evan Bayliss who put Oregon inside the 20. Four plays later, Royce Freeman who crossed 2000 yards from scrimmage on the second drive of the night picked up a touchdown with a 4 yard scamper into the end zone. It was 14-0 Oregon.

After another TCU 3 and out, the Oregon Ducks had another methodical trip down the field for a touchdown. Royce Freeman took it in from 5 yards out after Dwayne Stanford. Oregon was able to do what they wanted in the First Quarter. Adams was 10 for 13 for 170 yards and a score. Royce Freeman tallied two touchdowns. TCU had a total 64 yards of Offense.

DeForest Buckner would start the 2^nd Quarter with a sack of Hohlhausen forcing 4^th down on TCU. The Ducks would again get the ball back. Bralon Addison would get Oregon going off a pass from Adams. Tony Brooks James would take ball to the 5 yard line and on the next play score a touchdown. It was 28-0 Oregon, TCU had no answers with 13:30 left in the first half.

The Horned Frogs would find themselves stuck on their side of the field on their next drive and go for it on 4^th down. The ball would go back to the Oregon Ducks. TCU was looking to contain Oregon and would sack Adams on the drive. They would also hold Oregon to a 3 and out, but the Ducks would attempt a fake punt as Ian Wheeler passed the ball down field to Charles Nelson. The Horned Frogs knocked the ball out getting solid field position.

TCU would hold Oregon on their next possession. As the Ducks would punt, the Horned Frogs blocked it, but DeForest Buckner picked up the loose ball and scampered for a first down. It truly was not going well for TCU.

Vernon Adams would be hit hard and be down on the field for several minutes. He would get p on his own power and head to the locker room. Jeff Lockie would come in with 4:30 left in the first half. Royce Freeman now sits at 2^nd on the All-Time single season list with his performance in the first half. (1775 yards)

Oregon ruled the first half over TCU with 376 yards to TCU with under 150. The game appeared to be going along the lines of the rest of bowl season, the bigger games being blowouts. Could TCU mount a comeback in the 2^nd half?

TCU would start the 2^nd half with the ball and Kolhausen looked more confident on the drive, but it ended with just three points on a made field goal. Oregon would get the ball back up 28 points.

Quarterback Vernon Adams did not come back on the field to start the 2^nd half for Oregon. Jeff Lockie would be at the helm the rest of the way for Oregon. It appeared on the first drive in the second half the Offense was out of sync as the team started moving down the field, but on third down Doug Brenner snapped the ball as Lockie scampered to fall on it bringing up a 3^rd and 26, rather than a 3^rd and 8. Oregon would punt.

TCU would get the ball back and get a touchdown on a 4^th down play as Bram Kohlhausen found Jaelen Austin for the score. It was a quick turnaround as Charles Nelson would fumble the ball back to TCU. Kohlhausen would take the ball to the one yard like with a diving flip jump that was not Marcus Mariota like, but TCU would be at the 1 yard line of Oregon.

Kohlhausen would take it in on 4^th down to bring TCU within two scores of the tie or the lead at 31-17. Oregon would need to respond.

The problems would continue for Oregon with two Starters out, it was noticeable with Vernon Adams not in the game. Doug Brenner could not get his timing right with backup Jeff Lockie as the circus that became the Oregon Ducks Offense put up no points as TCU continued to get back into the game.

Tyson Coleman would get to Kohlhausen on third and 8 for TCU forcing a field goal rather than a touchdown. Oregon would lead by 11, 31-20.

At the 6 minute mark in the 4^th Quarter, TCU overtook Oregon for total yards for the game. The Horned Frogs were not going away and scored a touchdown as Green ran it in from three yards out, they completed a two point conversion to get within a field goal.

On the ensuing kickoff Bralon Addison misses the ball and scrambles to get the ball and get to the 10 yard line. Lockie would throw the ball away on 2^nd and 3^rd down as the Ducks would punt back to TCU from the end zone, giving the Horned Frogs the ball already in field goal range. They would be held to 4^th down and kick a field goal to tie the game.

The game would go to Overtime. Oregon played the first half with Vernon Adams at QB, the second half was a different story with an Offense that went no where and was predictable with Jeff Lockie. For TCU, Graham Kohlhausen went 25-40 for 344 yards in regulation. As overtime began Oregon won the toss and opted for Defense first.

For Oregon, a 10 win season was on the line. Oregon played one overtime game this season and beat Arizona State on the road. TCU would score on their first drive wih Kohlhausen hitting Porter in the end zone to take their first lead of the game 38-31. It was up to the Ducks to answer.

Jeff Lockie would handoff on first down, run for a few yards on 2^nd, 3^rd down saw the ball batted down. It all came down to one play for the win. Royce Freeman would get the ball on 4^th and 4 and would get to within the 5 yard line. Two plays later Freeman would score his third touchdown of the game.

Oregon would get the ball first in the 2^nd Overtime and would get no where. Oregon would settle for a 41 yard field goal for a 41-38 lead. TCU would have a chance to win the game with a touchdown. The Ducks Defense did their job as Charles Nelson helped bring up 4^th down. TCU would hit a field goal to again tie the game to take it to a 3^rd Overtime. The rule in the third OT, if you score a touchdown, you have to go for two points.

TCU would start with a run from Green. After two carries, the Horned Frogs were on the 8 yard line. Kohlhauser would take it into the end zone off the right side to take the lead again. Jeff Lockie would get a shot at the win, but a low snap on 4^th down saw Lockie throw incomplete as Oregon finshed the season 9-4 with a loss. It was the biggest comeback in Bowl History for TCU.

Bram Kohlhausen played the game of his life. It was the only game he started in his career as a Horned Frog and it was the biggest game of his career. Kohlhausen went 28 for 45 for 351 yards and 2 touchdowns.