SAN ANTONIO, TX — The TCU Horned Frogs had a storybook ending to their college football season on Tuesday night, defeating No. 16 USC 30-27 in overtime in the Alamo Bowl. Backup quarterback Ken Seals engineered two late scoring drives, throwing the game's winning touchdown pass in overtime as the Horned Frogs took down USC.
Seals completed 29 of 40 passes for 258 yards and the game-winner — a short third-and-20 toss to running back Jeremy Payne that turned into a 35-yard touchdown. Payne caught the ball at the line of scrimmage, broke multiple tackles, and sped down the sideline to seal the victory.
Payne finished with 73 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and added six receptions for 50 yards.
TCU took a 14-13 lead in the first half on two short rushing touchdowns, each capping 75-yard drives.
Jaden Richardson gave USC a 21-14 lead late in the third with a spectacular one-handed 21-yard touchdown grab, tapping his foot inbounds as he fell. USC would add another field goal to take a 10-point lead headed to the 4th quarter.
TCU stormed back in the 4th, with Payne scoring his lone rushing touchdown of the game to pull the Frogs within three points.
Seals, who backed up Josh Hoover the past two seasons after transferring from Vanderbilt, got the start when Hoover entered the transfer portal on Dec. 18. He led a 13-play, 59-yard drive in the final 2:44 of regulation to set up Kyle Lemmermann’s 27-yard field goal as time expired, forcing the fourth overtime in the Alamo Bowl’s 33-year history.
TCU's Jeremy Payne scores a touchdown in overtime to beat USC in the Alamo Bowl
(Credit: x.com/TCUFootball)
TCU (9-4) then held USC (9-4) to a field goal on its opening OT possession despite a pass-interference penalty that put the Trojans on the 2-yard line. After that, TCU would score a touchdown to win the game.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 280 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice, including once in the end zone after the Trojans reached the red zone off a Christian Pierce interception early in the third quarter.
TCU finishes 2025 with a 9-4 overall record and faces several question marks on offense heading to the offseason. With Hoover in the portal and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles departing for South Carolina, the Horned Frogs look to rebuild in 2026.
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