No. 3 TCU knocks off No. 2 Michigan in 2022 Fiesta Bowl and all-time classic CFP semifinal
TCU wins! A 51-45 thriller
FINAL in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl: TCU holds on to defeat Michigan 51-45, advancing to the national championship for the first time in the College Football Playoff era. Heisman runner-up Max Duggan threw for 225 yards and four total touchdowns, while running back Emari Demarcado added 150 yards on the ground.
Horned Frogs thrive in the desert. ๐#GoFrogs #DFWBig12Team #FiestaFrogs pic.twitter.com/n6bcM97Bxe
โ TCU Football (@TCUFootball) January 1, 2023
McCarthy to Wilson again! Mich 45-51 TCU | 4Q 3:18
This game has already reached memorable levels and the final minutes are shaping up for an all-time finish. J.J. McCarthy found Roman Wilson in the endzone for his second touchdown through the air with Wilson reaching over 100 receiving yards.
Roman Wilson AGAIN
โ 247Sports (@247Sports) January 1, 2023
It's a one-score game with 3:18 to play ๐https://t.co/aTEfMgwqI7
Ohio State fans are cheering...for TCU ๐ธ
Ohio State fans are filing into their seats at Mercedez-Benz Stadium. Even though the Ohio State-Georgia game is still in its pregame state, the Buckeye faithful are cheering, supporting TCU's lead over rival Michigan in the other College Football Playoff semifinal.
#TCU scores again to extend their lead over #Michigan and #OhioState fans are JUICED at the Benz pic.twitter.com/NPwzTmEXcQ
โ Reggie Chatman Jr. (@ReggieChatman) January 1, 2023
TCU 76 yards to the house! Mich 38-TCU 48 | 4Q 13:07
Another huge play results in a touchdown, this time a short pass from Max Duggan to Quentin Johnson is followed by one missed tackle on the sideline and a sprint to the endzone. The scoring flurry continues, that's now seven of the last nine drives to end with six points.
Quentin Johnston making big boy plays when it matters on the big stage. Madness in the Fiesta Bowl. pic.twitter.com/0knYp8yf8J
โ Dean Straka (@DWStraka49) January 1, 2023
๐ Eight more for UM! Mich 38-41 TCU | 4Q 14:13
Roman Wilson ran it into the endzone from 18 yards out (punctuated by a helicopter ride) and Ronnie Wilson added the two-point conversion to cut the Wolverines' deficit to just three points with nearly the entire final quarter to be played. All this came on the back of a TCU fumble on the final play of the third.
ROMAN WILSON JUST JOHN ELWAY'D INTO THE END ZONE๐
โ PFF College (@PFF_College) January 1, 2023
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A WILD third quarter comes to an close ๐ฎโ๐จ Mich 30-41 TCU | END 3Q
How about 44 combined points in this third quarter?! The Michigan defense got overaggressive with its blitzes and Emari Demarcado made them pay, speeding past the rush and breaking a 69-yard run to the one-yard line. Max Duggan punched it in again for his second rushing touchdown of the night. Four plays later the Wolverines were in the end zone yet again after another deep throw completed by J.J. McCarthy.
Watching TCU and Michigan score TDs #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/mfc62IMGXi
โ Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 31, 2022
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McCarthy runs it in for six ๐ต Mich 22-34 TCU | 3Q 0:58
Three plays, six points for the Michigan offense, all thanks to the legs of J.J. McCarthy. A 39-yard scramble on second down was followed by a 20-yard scamper into the endzone as points have been plentiful in the third period. The Wolverines tried another QB run for the two-point conversion but came up just short.
Michigan just wonโt die
โ Barstool Sportsbook (@BSSportsbook) December 31, 2022
McCarthy runs one in to cut it to 34-22 pic.twitter.com/vsrIux4uNw
ANOTHER PICK 6! Mich 16-34 TCU | Q3 2:52
The game has once again got away from Michigan with a second interception returned for a touchdown in the game. J.J. McCarthy was picked off by Dee Winters, who added to an already great night (six tackles, two for loss) and turned it into a spectacular one. The Frogs lead by three scores yet again.
โ๏ธWINTER(S). IS. COMING.โ๏ธ
โ Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) December 31, 2022
What a game for Dee Winters.
Second pick six for TCU.#CFBPlayoff #tcuvsmich
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TCU answers quickly ๐ฅ Mich 16-28 TCU | 4:25 3Q
The Horned Frogs have now scored more against Michigan than any team has managed this season, and this score came in just six plays and two minutes. This time, Max Duggan took a back seat to backup running back Emari Demarcado, who has filled in nicely for the hurt Kendre Miller. Demarcado ran the ball five straight plays for a total of 29 yards to get in the endzone and restore TCU's two-score lead.
๐ Wolverines storming back! Mich 16-21 TCU | 2Q 6:32
J.J. McCarthy links up with Roman Wilson deep yet again (on a flea flicker!) and Michigan has made this a one-score game midway into the third quarter. The Wolverines got the ball back with favorable field position thanks to a Mike Sainristil interception of Max Duggan near midfield. We've got a game, folks.ย
JJ McCarthy โก๏ธ Ronnie Bell
โ 247Sports (@247Sports) December 31, 2022
Michigan makes it a one-score game ๐https://t.co/8hif8H6rpg
UM adds three more but fails to reach endzone | Mich 9-21 TCU | 3Q 9:29
Blake Moody chips home a 21-yard field goal for his third score on the night as the Wolverines once again reach the redzone and fail to reach paydirt. The Wolverines put together a good drive with plays of 20 and 43 yards, but the Horned Frogs once again formed a wall on the goal line and forced Michigan to leave points on the board.ย
HALFTIME: TCU leads 21-6 ๐
Michigan's Jake Moody nails a 59-yard field goalย to close out the first half and pull the Wolverines within 21-6. Moody missed his first attempt, but TCU called timeout to try to ice him.ย
Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan threw for 89 yards, a touchdown and a pick, adding 30 yards and a score on the ground. Safety Bud Clark returned an interception 41 yards to the house to open the scoring.
Michigan's J.J. McCarthy had 148 passing yards and a pick, while running back Donovan Edwards has 90 rushing yards. The Wolverines had three turnovers between McCarthy's pick-six, a fumble and one on downs.ย
First half in the books ๐โ @TCUFootball with a 15-point lead at halftime of the @vrbo #FiestaBowl!#GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/8m2JqiAw5f
โ Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (@Fiesta_Bowl) December 31, 2022
Frogs go up by three scores ๐ธ Mich 3-21 TCU | 2Q 4:56
The Max Duggan show continues in the Fiesta Bowl. On this last drive, he got it done with both his arm and his feet, scrambling for plus yardage and finding open receivers all over the field. On 2nd down from the six-yard line, Duggan escaped pressure by rolling to his right and fired a bullet on the run to Taye Barber, who found the endzone to give the Frogs a commanding lead nearing halftime.
MAX DUGGAN. HOW ๐ฑ
โ The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 31, 2022
(via @Big12Conference)pic.twitter.com/1MHLh0XBhG
Two turnovers in three plays ๐คฏ Mich 3-14 TCU | 2Q 13:08
On the very next play after Rod Moore intercepted Max Duggan, Michigan took the top off the TCU defense with a 50-yard pass from J.J. McCarthy to Ronnie Wilson, setting up what looked to be a one-yard Michigan touchdown. But in a goal-line scrum, the ball was coughed up and recovered by the Horned Frogs! That's the second redzone turnover for this Michigan offense.
OH NO MICHIGAN
โ Barstool Sportsbook (@BSSportsbook) December 31, 2022
TCU recovers the fumble on the half yard line https://t.co/wmP8rIKluD
Max Duggan powers in for six! Mich 0-14 TCU | 1Q 2:27
On first and goal from the one-yard line, who else was going to have his number called? The Heisman runner-up faked a handoff and ran left, lowering his shoulder into a defender as he crossed the plane to cap a 12-play, 76-yard drive that ate over five minutes of game time. The Horned Frogs are rolling in Glendale, Arizona.
For Michigan, it's already the largest deficit the Wolverines have facedย all season.
MAX DUGGAN AND TCU TAKE A 14-0 LEAD
โ Barstool Sportsbook (@BSSportsbook) December 31, 2022
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