TCU Stuns USC in Overtime Thriller, Keeps Big 12 Perfect in Bowl Season
The TCU Horned Frogs just delivered one of the most dramatic comebacks of this bowl season-and they did it without their starting quarterback. Down double digits in the second half, Sonny Dykes’ squad rallied in gutsy fashion to knock off USC in overtime, keeping the Big 12 unbeaten in bowl games and putting a gritty exclamation point on their 2025 campaign.
Let’s set the stage: USC opened the game looking sharp, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter after a clean drive ended with a field goal. The Trojans were controlling tempo early, but TCU didn’t flinch. The Horned Frogs answered in the second quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run from Jon Denman, taking a 7-3 lead and showing that even without Josh Hoover under center, they weren’t backing down.
USC responded quickly, as King Miller powered in a 2-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead at 10-7. From there, it turned into a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading scores. By halftime, TCU had edged back in front, 14-13, setting the tone for what would become a wild second half.
The third quarter belonged to the Trojans. USC started to pull away, stringing together drives and capitalizing on TCU’s offensive stalls.
By the time the fourth quarter began, USC had built a 24-14 lead. It felt like the game was slipping away from the Horned Frogs.
The offense was still searching for rhythm, and the defense was bending under the weight of USC’s ground game.
But that’s when things flipped.
TCU dug deep in the final frame, clawing back with a pair of clutch scoring drives to tie the game at 24-24. The comeback was fueled by timely play-calling, a relentless ground attack, and a defense that suddenly found its footing, forcing USC into tough third downs and limiting explosive plays.
Then came overtime.
With momentum on their side, TCU’s defense came up big, holding USC to a field goal on their opening possession. That stop set the stage for one of the most improbable endings of the bowl season.
On TCU’s possession, the Horned Frogs punched in a jaw-dropping touchdown-one that had fans and analysts alike doing double takes. It looked like the runner might’ve been out of bounds, but the play stood, and just like that, TCU had pulled off the upset.
It was a walk-off moment that will live in Fort Worth lore for a while.
With the win, TCU finishes the season at 9-4-a solid mark, especially considering the adversity they faced late in the year. This is the kind of victory that can carry momentum into the offseason. Dykes and his staff now have a strong foundation to build on, and with the Big 12 shifting into a new era, the Horned Frogs are positioning themselves to be a serious player in the conference race next year.
As for USC, the 9-4 finish isn’t what Lincoln Riley or the Trojans had in mind when the season began. There’s no shortage of talent on that roster, but the inconsistency-especially on defense-continues to be a storyline.
The pressure will be on Riley and his staff to turn that talent into wins in 2026. Otherwise, the questions about USC’s direction are only going to get louder.
But for now, this one belongs to TCU. Down a quarterback, down on the scoreboard, and still finding a way to win when it mattered most. That’s the kind of resilience bowl season is all about.