Going for 2 was easy decision for TCU coach Gary Patterson
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- There was never any doubt that, when TCU had a chance to win the game in the final minute, coach Gary Patterson would go for it.
Oklahoma's Steven Parker batted away Bram Kohlhausen's 2-point conversion attempt with less than a minute left and No. 11 TCU's late comeback attempt fell short, allowing the seventh-ranked Sooners to survive 30-29 on Saturday night.
After trailing 30-13 in the fourth quarter, the Horned Frogs battled back and had a chance to tie the game after Kohlhausen's 14-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Porter with 51 seconds remaining. Instead, they went for the win by attempting the 2-point conversion.
"Our rule has always been to go get the win on the road," Patterson said. "To be honest, if (Parker) doesn't knock it down, there's a guy open in the back of the end zone to catch it. There's not anybody on our sideline that wanted to go for one."
Samaje Perine ran for 188 yards and a touchdown and Heisman Trophy contender Baker Mayfield completed 9 of 20 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns for Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1 Big 12, No. 7 CFP) before leaving with a head injury after the first half.
Oklahoma, winner of six straight, will have the opportunity to claim the Big 12 title, and possibly a spot in the College Football Playoff, next week when it plays No. 4 Oklahoma State.
"I would think so," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said, when asked if OU should make it in. "When you can not be at your best and win, it's always a positive against a ranked team."
Without injured offensive stars Trevone Boykin and Josh Doctson, the Horned Frogs (9-2, 6-2, No. 18 CFP) turned the ball over four times, leading to 24 Oklahoma points.
Freshman Foster Sawyer started in Boykin's place and enjoyed a strong first quarter, completing 7 of his first 8 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown that put the Horned Frogs up 7-0. He was just 1 of 10 after that with three interceptions and was eventually replaced midway through the third quarter by Kohlhausen.
"I was very excited about it," Patterson said of Kohlhausen's performance. "I've gotten tired of people making excuses. TCU doesn't make excuses. We came here to win."
Kohlhausen led the fourth quarter comeback attempt, completing 5 of 11 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Green rushed for 127 yards -- 96 in the second half -- and a touchdown.
"That's what we do, we fight back, no matter who's on the field," Green said. "Second-string line, third- and second-string quarterback, freshmen out at wideout, we just gave it our all. That's what we've been taught to do. Unfortunately, we just came up short."
With OU leading 23-7, Mayfield did not come out to start the second half. He was shaken up early in the second quarter by a helmet-to-helmet hit from TCU linebacker Ty Summers, who was ejected for targeting, but did finish the first half.
"Our trainers and doctors were constantly, with each series, every time Baker was off, checking him, asking him questions, making sure he was OK, and everything was checking out fine," Stoops said. "And then at halftime, they approached him again to go over some things and Baker admitted to having a headache, and that's when our doctors said we're not going to have him play.
"That threw us off in the second half. We weren't very consistent at all."
Trevor Knight played the rest of the game, completing 5 of 16 passes for 76 yards, with one interception.
Three plays into the third quarter, Perine got hurt after catching Knight's short pass and turning it into a 16-yard play. Unable to put any weight on his left foot, he came out for several minutes, but returned during Oklahoma's next possession.
Perine proved he was OK on a 72-yard touchdown run, putting OU up 30-13 with 7:55 left in the third.
"He had a slight ankle sprain," Stoops said. "It hurt him initially and once he gets on the sideline and they tape it again, he gets to moving on it again, then he trusts that it's OK. It's good and hopefully he'll heal up well."
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