University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
TCU
Tiger Football Can't Hang On Against TCU
Nov 30, 2002 | Football
Nov 30, 2002
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Freshman Lonta Hobbs ran for 287 yards and three touchdowns, the last one with 38 seconds left, as Texas Christian beat Memphis 27-20 Saturday to earn a berth in the Liberty Bowl with a share of the Conference USA title.
Hobbs' last touchdown was a 1-yard run that ended an 18-play, 80-yard drive for the Horned Frogs (9-2, 6-2 C-USA) and consumed more than eight minutes.
Memphis (3-9, 2-6), which lost seven of its last eight games, had gone ahead 20-19 after Danny Wimprine's second TD pass of the fourth quarter right before that.
TCU won its first C-USA title in only its second year in the league. The Horned Frogs were the WAC champions in 2000, and could still win the C-USA title outright if East Carolina beats Cincinnati on Friday.
The Frogs will make their fifth straight bowl appearance when they play Mountain West Conference champion Colorado State in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 31.
Wimprine found Tavares Gideon for a 9-yard TD with 8:19 left. That drive started after Derrick Ballard intercepted a pass thrown by Sean Stilley.
TCU then went on its game-winning drive, which Hobbs extended with a 4-yard run on fourth-and-3 from the Memphis 38. The touchdown came seven plays later.
The Tigers had one more chance, and they got a quick first down to move to midfield. Memphis couldn't get any farther, and Wimprine's deep fourth-down pass fell incomplete.
After that play, a fight broke out between players from both teams. There were no injuries, but after restoring order, the referees called the game with 2 seconds left on the clock.
Hobbs, who had his fifth straight 100-yard game, set TCU freshman school records for yards rushing yards in a game, yards in a season (952) and touchdowns in a season (10). The freshman record was held by Tony Jeffery, who had 840 yards in 1984.
The 287 yards were the most by a TCU runner since LaDainian Tomlinson had 294 against Hawaii in 2000.
Wimprine's 8-yard TD to John Doucette with 11:28 left got Memphis to 19-13. Wimprine was 12-of-34 for 164 yards and an interception.
Hobbs ran for 172 yards in the third quarter as TCU extended its 7-6 halftime lead. Hobbs had a 65-yard TD run midway through the third quarter and his 51-yard run set up Reggie Holts' 1-yard TD.
Both of Nick Browne's extra-point attempts in the third quarter were blocked.
