Josh Hoover and TCU finish off Cincinnati’s late-season fade with 45-23 win

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Josh Hoover threw four touchdown passes, Jeremy Payne ran for 174 yards and two scores and TCU beat Cincinnati 45-23 on Saturday night in a regular-season finale delayed about 90 minutes in the first quarter by lightning and rain.

The Bearcats (7-5, 5-4 Big 12) finished the regular season on a four-game losing streak that started when they were ranked 17th and poised for a run to the Big 12 championship game, and possibly a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Hoover answered the first of Brendan Sorsby’s three TD tosses with a 69-yard scoring pass to Jordan Dwyer that gave the Horned Frogs (8-4, 5-4) a 21-7 lead late in the first quarter.

“It’s certainly the most complete game we’ve probably played since North Carolina,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said, referring to a season-opening 48-14 victory at the Tar Heels in Bill Belichick’s debut as UNC coach. “Our quarterback had more touchdowns than he did incompletions (three). It was just very efficient.”

TCU led 7-0 on Hoover’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Manjack IV and had just taken possession on a punt midway through the first quarter when a lightning strike prompted a weather delay that included heavy rain.

When play resumed on a soggy field, Hoover connected with Payne on a 44-yard catch and run and capped the 81-yard drive with a 17-yard scoring toss to Eric McAlister. Payne finished with 218 total yards.

“Really just didn’t slow them down much tonight, running or throwing,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. “Once you get down two scores, it’s hard to be able to come back.”

Leading 21-14 in the second quarter, the Horned Frogs had first-and-goal at the 1 when Hoover and Jon Denman were stuffed on the first two plays.

Hoover was stopped short again on third down and shoved his hand into the face mask of Antwan Peek Jr. in the pile, drawing an unsportsmanlike penalty that forced TCU to settle for a field goal instead of going for it on fourth down.

The quarterback tried pleading his case to the officials and Dykes, appearing to say somebody had already jammed their hand under his face mask before he pushed back. Even Hoover’s coach didn’t seem swayed by the argument.

“You know what? I didn’t see it,” Dykes said. “So really, I was just trying to find out what was going on.”

Hoover, who came into the game with a Big 12-worst 13 interceptions, was 19 of 22 for 306 yards without a pick.

McAlister finished with 101 yards on eight grabs, and Dwyer was credited with a second touchdown when he recovered Joseph Manjack IV’s fumble in the end zone in the third quarter. Manjack covered the first 42 of the 44 yards before losing the ball as he was going down.

Sorsby, who was 23 of 33 for 282 yards without an interception, scrambled 41 yards and threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Cyrus Allen on a 94-yard drive that pulled the Bearcats within 38-23 early in the fourth quarter.

Payne, who had a 9-yard TD run for a 31-17 lead in the final minute of the third quarter, put the game out of reach with a 51-yard score.

The takeaway

Cincinnati: The Bearcats finished last season on a five-game skid that cost them a bowl bid. They are 1-11 in November in three seasons under Satterfield.

TCU: Three years removed from winning 13 games and losing to Georgia in the national championship game, the Horned Frogs clinched consecutive eight-win seasons for the first time since 2014-15, when they went 12-1 and 11-2.

Up next

Both teams will wait a week for their bowl assignments.

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