FORT WORTH, Texas — Josh Hoover threw four touchdown passes, Jeremy Payne piled up 174 rushing yards and two scores, and TCU closed its regular season with a 45–23 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday night — a game that included a 90-minute weather delay for lightning and heavy rain.
Cincinnati (7–5, 5–4 Big 12) ended the season on a four-game slide after once sitting at No. 17 in the rankings and appearing to be in the hunt for a conference title and a possible CFP berth.
Hoover got the Horned Frogs (8–4, 5–4) rolling early. After Brendan Sorsby threw the first of his three touchdown passes, Hoover answered with a 69-yard strike to Jordan Dwyer to make it 21–7 late in the opening quarter.
“It’s the most complete game we’ve played since North Carolina,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said, referring to the season-opening win over UNC in Bill Belichick’s debut. “Our quarterback had more touchdowns than incompletions. He was just incredibly efficient.”
TCU jumped ahead 7–0 with Hoover’s 3-yard toss to Joseph Manjack IV, then the lightning delay halted play. When the teams returned to a drenched field, Hoover immediately hit Payne for a 44-yard catch-and-run before finishing the drive with a 17-yard touchdown to Eric McAlister. Payne finished with 218 all-purpose yards.
“Really just didn’t slow them down tonight — running or throwing,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. “When you get behind by two scores, it’s hard to claw back.”
Up 21–14, TCU nearly punched in another score from the 1-yard line, but Hoover was stopped three straight plays. His frustration led to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after shoving his hand into a defender’s facemask, forcing the Frogs to settle for a field goal.
Hoover, who entered the night with a league-high 13 interceptions, was nearly flawless. He went 19-for-22 for 306 yards and no turnovers. McAlister had 101 yards on eight catches, and Dwyer picked up a second score when he recovered Manjack’s fumble in the end zone.
Sorsby completed 23 of 33 passes for 282 yards and added a 41-yard scramble, plus a 35-yard touchdown to Cyrus Allen on a 94-yard drive that cut the deficit to 38–23 early in the fourth. But Payne sealed it with a 51-yard breakaway score after already finding the end zone from nine yards out late in the third.
The Takeaway
Cincinnati: The Bearcats end another regular season with a November collapse, going 1–11 in the month over the past three years under Satterfield. Last year’s late skid cost them a bowl berth.
TCU: The Horned Frogs secured back-to-back eight-win campaigns for the first time since 2014–15, just three years removed from their appearance in the national championship game.
Up Next:
Both teams will await bowl selections next week.
