TCU jumps to big lead and holds on for 33-23 win at Baylor

Derius Davis returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown, freshman Darwin Barlow ran for 117 yards with a touchdown and TCU built a big lead on way to a 33-23 win over Baylor on Saturday.

Zach Evans, a true freshman who was TCU's first five-star signee, took an inside handoff for a 30-yard touchdown and his first collegiate touchdown. 

The Horned Frogs (2-3, 2-3 Big 12) jumped out to a 30-0 lead early in the second quarter. Their defense had five sacks, equaling their total of the first four games.

Baylor (1-3, 1-3) played its first game in three weeks, following an open date and then the postponement of its home game against No. 6 Oklahoma State because of positive COVID-19 tests in the Bears program. That led to a weeklong pause of all football activity in their program.

Davis fielded the ball, moved parallel to the left around blockers and  then burst through a gap into the open near midfield about midway through the first quarter to make it 14-0. TCU then got the ball back when  La'Kendrick Van Zandt got an interception when he jumped in front of tight end Ben Sims along the sideline and managed to keep a foot in bounds.

Sims had two touchdown catches from Charlie Brewer, a 1-yarder just before halftime when the tight end was ruled to have a foot inbounds in the back of the end zone, and then a 3-yarder in the third quarter.

THE TAKEAWAY

TCU: The Frogs are 0-3 at home, but have won both of their road games -- trips south on I-35 to Texas and Baylor. TCU had a dominating defensive effort early on, including getting to Brewer on three consecutive plays after Baylor returned the opening kickoff to midfield. Coach Gary Patterson won't be happy that they couldn't maintain it throughout the game. 

Baylor: The Bears were still out of synch on offense, starting with 21 total yards on their first 21 plays, the last in that stretch being a failed fourth-and-1 conversion with just over 12 minutes left in the first half. That led to a field goal that put TCU up 30-0. They finished with 278 total yards. Baylor lost one of its top defenders when Jalen Pitre was ejected because of a targeting penalty with about five minutes let in the first quarter. 

UP NEXT

TCU: Home for the third time in four games to play Texas Tech.

Baylor: At Iowa State next Saturday.