Ailing TCU holds on against SMU behind Boykin, Doctson

FORT WORTH, Texas Josh Doctson wants to use his hands to be a better blocker. How about he just uses them to catch?

Because they sure seem good at that.

The senior turned and twisted into position to leap and grab a long throw from Trevone Boykin, falling into the end zone with the ball tucked against his chest for a touchdown that got TCU on the way to escaping with a harrowing 56-37 victory against resurgent rival SMU.

Doctson’s 42-yard touchdown catch put TCU ahead 49-37 after the game had been cut to one possession. It was his second touchdown of the game, which required every bit of offensive firepower the No. 3-ranked Horned Frogs had.

“He does what he always does,” Boykin said. “He makes plays. He’s like a security blanket. When we need plays, he’s one of the guys we can go to.”

Doctson finished with five catches for 171 yards, and Boykin threw for 454 yards and five touchdowns. The Frogs had 720 yards and also got two rushing touchdowns from Aaron Green, one from freshman receiver KaVontae Turpin and one from receiver Kolby Listenbee.

None of it was wasted against SMU and Matt Davis, who had the Frogs’ defense on the run and scrambling to cover for more injuries.

Cornerback Ranthony Texada left the game with a knee injury in the second quarter and is out for the season, coach Gary Patterson announced. In addition, defensive end Terrell Lathan left the game after getting his shoulder worked on.

They would be the seventh and eighth defensive starters the Horned Frogs are missing from the unit they expected at the start of the season.

“I’m not going to make this about, ‘We got people hurt.’ That’s not what this program is built on,” Patterson said. “People have got to step up.”

The Frogs had little time to react to the injuries against Davis, a senior in his first year with SMU after transferring out of Texas A&M. He threw for 330 yards and a touchdown and befuddled TCU with scrambles and escapes in the first half.

Given help from a turnover in the third quarter, he engineered four consecutive scoring drives that produced 20 points cutting a 42-17 lead to 47-37 with 11:11 left in the game.

But the TCU offense, held back by an interception, a sack and stopped on fourth-and-short in its previous three possessions, rallied itself with a 75-yard touchdown drive capped by Doctson’s 42-yard catch.

Patterson virtually shrugged.

“Josh has been doing that the last two years,” Patterson said.

For Doctson, it had to feel good. He had a pair of holding calls that cut short TCU drives earlier in the game. He said at the beginning of the season he wanted to become a stronger blocker and be more physical.

But his value to the Horned Frogs is clear.

“He makes plays all over the field,” Boykin said. “If the ball is in the air, I feel like he’ll come down with it.”

Turpin scored on a 61-yard catch and run in the first quarter. Tight end Dominic Merka also caught a touchdown pass.

Boykin’s 20-yard touchdown run featured an escape from a sack, a spin and a headfirst plunge into the end zone.

Green’s 1-yard touchdown run with 56 seconds left provided the final score of 56-37.

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