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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Trevone Boykin, No. 6 TCU romp past Texas

Trevone Boykin passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, and No. 6 TCU dominated Texas in a 48-10 victory in Austin, Texas, Thursday night that kept alive its hope of pushing into the College Football Playoff.

The win kept the Horned Frogs (10-1, 7-1) in the hunt for their first Big 12 title. The question is whether it was impressive enough to impact the playoff standings, where they sit at No. 5, one spot out of contention for a national championship.

The Horned Frogs had an impressive defensive effort, forcing six turnovers, five by Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes. Defensive end Terrell Lathan scored the game’s first touchdown on a 40-yard fumble return.

TCU made Texas (6-6, 5-4) pay for every mistake. Boykin’s 10-yard scoring run in the fourth came after a muffed punt return. Defensive end Josh Carraway returned an interception for the final touchdown.

TCU plays Iowa State, the last-place team in the Big 12, to end the regular season on Dec. 6. The playoff pairings will be announced the next day.

The move to the Big 12 was supposed to end the national debate over whether the Horned Frogs deserved a place among college football’s elite if they were in position to win the league. And the prospect of winning the Big 12 title and still getting left out of the playoff would be a bitter pill for TCU.

Their major problem? A 61-58 loss at Baylor in which they squandered a big fourth-quarter lead.

And the Horned Frogs left plenty of room for doubt when they struggled to beat a struggling Kansas team two weeks ago. They needed to make a statement in Austin against a surging Texas squad that had won three in a row behind a defense that was shaping into the league’s best.

LSU 23, Texas A&M 17: Leonard Fournette ran for a career-high 146 yards and a touchdown, and Jalen Collins had a late interception to seal LSU’s 23-17 win over Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.

Texas A&M was driving late when Kyle Allen threw an ill-advised pass, apparently thinking the Tigers had jumped offside. Collins grabbed the ball, ending the Aggies’ last chance.

The victory gave LSU (8-4, 4-4 SEC) eight wins for the 15th straight season, the longest streak in school history. The Tigers have won four in a row over Texas A&M (7-5, 3-5).