Southern Mississippi Beats TCU

It turns out Southern Mississippi Coach Jeff Bower didn’t have to trust a kicking game that had let him down all night.

Jeff Kelly’s 29-yard touchdown pass to freshman Kenny Johnson with eight seconds left lifted Southern Mississippi to a 28-21 victory over No. 13-ranked Texas Christian in the Mobile Alabama Bowl on Wednesday night.

Brant Hanna had missed four field goal attempts--with two getting blocked--and as Kelly was leading a Southern Mississippi drive in the final 33 seconds, Bowers told redshirt kicker Curtis Jones to be ready to go in.

“Brant’s won a lot of games for us and he’s been a heck of a field goal kicker,” Bower said, “[but] I asked Curt, ‘Will you take that redshirt off to win this football game?’ He said, ‘Yeah, coach.’ ”

But it never came to that as Kelly lofted the ball to Johnson in the end zone just past the safety LaVar Veale’s outstretched arm.

Kelly finished 11-for-23 passing for 159 yards and three touchdowns.

Southern Mississippi (8-4) had lost three of its last four games, but won the showdown with the only defense in the nation rated higher than its own--holding TCU’s LaDanian Tomlinson to his lowest rushing total of the season.

Tomlinson, a Heisman Trophy finalist who led the nation in rushing the last two seasons, ran for 118 yards in 28 carries. Tomlinson, who came into the game averaging 196 yards, managed to score two touchdowns in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Southern Mississippi backup tailback Kelby Nance had 104 yards in 16 carries. It was the first career 100-yard game for the senior, who started the season as a third-stringer.

TCU (10-2) endured a December coaching change and uncertainty over who would lead them into the bowl game. In the end, former defensive coordinator Gary Patterson replaced Dennis Franchione on the sideline.

Franchione left for Alabama Dec. 1 and was initially expected to coach the bowl game. TCU officials decided late last week to allow Patterson to coach the team.

Franchione watched from the press box.