FB: Dalton Leads Horned Frogs to Win Over Oregon St.

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Courtesy Associated Press

September 4, 2010
ARLINGTON, Texas - Andy Dalton ran for two touchdowns and threw for another score to make up for his two interceptions and No. 6 TCU opened the season with a 30-21 victory over No. 24 Oregon State on Saturday night.

Eight months after Dalton threw three interceptions in a Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State that soured the Horned Frogs' breakthrough season, he scored on a 4-yard keeper at the end of the third quarter to put TCU ahead for good.

Dalton became TCU's winningest quarterback, his 30th victory snapping a tie with "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh, who had held the mark alone since the mid-1930s until being matched last year after the Frogs' first undefeated regular season since 1938.

The Frogs know they will likely have to be perfect again in the regular season to break into the BCS again. They survived a difficult opening test against a Pac-10 team that just missed going to the Rose Bowl last season.

Brothers Jacquizz and James Rodgers both scored touchdowns for Oregon State in their first college game in their home state.

Dalton's interceptions came on the first TCU drive of each half, and both led to Beavers touchdowns.

Linebacker Dwight Roberson stepped in front of tight end Evan Frosch on a short third-down throw at the Beavers 13 in the second half -- after the Frogs had held the ball for seven minutes. That led to Jacquizz Rodgers scoring from a yard out for a 21-all tie.

TCU then went 71 yards in 12 plays, the last Dalton's 4-yard run.

Dalton threw only five interceptions in the regular season a year ago, when the Frogs won each their last seven games by at least 27 points. He now has five in his last two games.

Ed Wesley ran 17 times for 134 yards and a touchdown for TCU and Dalton was 17 of 27 for 175 yards.

Jacquizz Rodgers ran 18 times for 75 yards and James Rodgers had four catches for 75 yards.

The Rodgers brothers are from Richmond, about 4 1/2 hours south in the Houston area. Jacquizz Rodgers was the Texas AP high school player of the year in 2007 after running for 43 TDs to lead Lamar Consolidated to its first state title his senior season there, when his brother was already a freshman at Oregon State.

Ryan Katz made his first start at quarterback for the Beavers and was 9 of 25 for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He also had to kick the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety after a snap over his head with about 4 minutes left. The play also gave the ball back to TCU and pretty much ended any chance the Beavers had to come back.

Jeremy Kerley caught a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 midway through the second quarter, then set up another score before halftime with a 34-yard punt return.

Kerley fielded Johnny Hekker's low-liner punt on the run and bolted up the right sideline, and appeared to be headed for a score before the punter managed to knock him off-balance and out of bounds at the Beavers 23.

Wesley made it 21-14 on an 8-yard run in the final minute of the first half.

While not as gutsy as the fake punt Boise State used to set up the decisive score in the Fiesta Bowl against TCU, the Beavers used a little trickery of their own.

On fourth-and-1 from its 43, Hekker took the deep snap and then threw a 23-yard pass to Jordan Poyer. Katz threw a 34-yard TD on the next play to Jordan Bishop, who got past new starting cornerback Greg McCoy for a 14-7 lead.

Dalton was picked off by Lance Mitchell at the TCU 31 on TCU's opening drive and two plays later, Katz hit James Rodgers running into the end zone behind McCoy for a 30-yard score.

Dalton quickly made up for his first turnover, converting third-and-5 with a 6-yard run, throwing a strike to streaking Skye Dawson for a 52-yard drive and then scoring on third-and-goal from the 6 when he was flushed out of the pocket.