The first-ever meeting between No. 3 TCU and No. 2 Michigan was an instant classic.
It was a showdown between the underdog and the blue blood, between a first-year head coach and an eight-year program veteran. A freshly broken three-year bowl drought versus back-to-back conference champions and CFP appearances.
In a back-and-forth battle of epic proportions in front of a sellout crowd 71,723 strong, the Horned Frogs and Wolverines combined for a Fiesta Bowl and College Football Playoff regulation record 96 points, including a 69-point second half as the two teams went blow for blow with a trip to the National Championship at stake.
At the end of it all, TCU posted a 51-45 victory to keep its underdog season alive and record arguably the biggest win in school history.
"What this group did tonight is what they've done all year," said TCU Head Coach and 2022 Walter Camp Coach of the Year Sonny Dykes after the game. "They just played really tough football, hard-nosed football, believed in each other, believed in their teammates, and just found a way to overcome and persevere."
In typical Michigan fashion, running back Donovan Edwards broke out for a 54-yard run on the game's first play from scrimmage to get quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the Wolverines to the red zone. Michigan struggled through a strong TCU defensive stand and failed to reach the end zone on a 4
th and Goal from the two-yard line, giving the Horned Frogs the ball and a massive boost in momentum.
TCU's defense came alive again on the first play of Michigan's next drive as safety Bud Clark picked off McCarthy and took it 41 yards to the house to give TCU a 7-0 lead. Michigan then went three-and-out, making way for Heisman-finalist quarterback Max Duggan to drive the ball down field. On a 3
rd and 1 from the Michigan one-yard line, Duggan punched in his first touchdown to boost TCU up 14-0.
Michigan got on the board with a 42-yard field goal from 2021 Lou Groza Award winner Jake Moody to cut the TCU lead to 11 points. The Wolverines hurt themselves again on a fumble as the team was pushing forward on 1
st and Goal from the one-yard line was turned over when TCU recovered.
The explosive Horned Frogs offense once again began to march the ball downfield. A 32-yard completion to a wide-open Quentin Johnston, a projected first-round draft pick, set TCU up in the red zone. Under pressure from two Michigan defenders, Duggan got a pass off mid-hit to wide receiver Taye Barber, who took the ball in six yards for TCU's third touchdown of the half and a 21-3 advantage.
Just prior to the half, Moody's 59-yard kick was good with plenty of room to spare as time expired, becoming the longest FG in Fiesta Bowl, College Football Playoff and Michigan program history, and the second-longest in Bowl Season history (62 yards, Tony Franklin of Texas A&M in 1977 Sun Bowl).
The second half opened with Michigan's grasping momentum. Its defense stood strong as it forced TCU to punt after holding them to just a yard. The Michigan offense came out slinging as McCarthy completed back-to-back passes for 20 and 43 yards for a 1
st and Goal at the TCU six-yard line. But the Wolverines were held to a field goal once again to put the score at 21-9 with 9:29 to play in the quarter.
At this point began the explosive offensive back-and-forth that the 2022 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will forever be known for.
On 3
rd and 10 from his own 36, with 7:56 on the third-quarter clock, Duggan's pass was intercepted by All-Big Ten defensive back Mike Sainristil and returned eight yards to the TCU 45. After two rushes for 11 yards from Edwards, McCarthy launched a 34-yard touchdown pass on a flea-flicker to a wide-open Ronnie Bell.
Their lead now cut to five, the Horned Frogs settled into the high-octane offense they've been known for all season. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Duggan stepped up in the pocket and delivered a 46-yard completion to Johnston, TCU's longest play of the game. Emari Demercado stepped up in place of injured Kendre Miller and scored a one-yard touchdown to bump the score to 28-16 TCU – a big answer to Michigan's quick score.
The TCU defense wouldn't go away, either, as linebacker Dee Winters snatched a McCarthy pass and returned it for the second Horned Frogs' pick-six of the game. After a failed 2-point conversion attempt, the Horned Frogs held an 18-point lead.
On the next drive, after consecutive incompletions, Michigan took the ball 69 yards on two plays –McCarthy scrambled for 39 yards and then rushed into the end zone for 20 more, flexing his dual-threat abilities. McCarthy's 2-point conversion attempt was no good, leaving the score at 34-22.
TCU answered with a three-play touchdown drive, thanks to a 69-yard rush by Demercado and another one-yard TD run from Duggan. But Michigan was undaunted and moved the ball 75 yards in four plays capped with a one-yard Kalel Mullings TD and successful McCarthy 2-point conversion.
In just 6:29 of game clock, the two teams combined for 41 points. In the third quarter alone, TCU and Michigan had combined for 44 points and 420 total yards.
"It was kind of an old-fashioned Big 12 shootout in some ways," said Dykes. "We came out with a very physical mindset. It was a physical football game."
It took two plays from the start of the game's final quarter for Michigan to find the end zone, as First Team All-Big Ten defensive lineman Mazi Smith forced and recovered a fumble at the end of the third to set Michigan up at the TCU 27. Roman Wilson rushed for an 18-yard touchdown and McCarthy pitched to Bell for a successful 2-point try, bringing Michigan within three of the lead – the closest margin since the start of the game.
But the TCU offense would not let up and recaptured momentum. Facing a 3
rd and 7 from his own 24-yard line, with Michigan on a 22-7 scoring run, a pressured Duggan tossed a screen to Johnston who scampered 76 yards for a touchdown that sent the house into a frenzy.
TCU forced the Wolverines into a three-and-out, and added a Griffin Kell field goal for a 51-38 lead.
With the ball in McCarthy's hands at his own 44, the Wolverines completed a critical drive to the end zone. With a TCU defender in hot pursuit, McCarthy connected with Wilson for a five-yard touchdown. A successful PAT brought Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's squad within six.
Michigan's defense buckled in, forcing TCU to punt with :52 left, giving McCarthy the chance to lead the game-winning drive of his life. On 4
th and 10, with the game in the balance, a bobbled snap led to a turnover on downs and TCU advanced to the National Championship with a 51-45 upset victory.
Johnston earned Offensive Player of the Game honors, with six receptions for 163 yards and one touchdown. The defensive honor went to Winters, who notched seven tackles – including three tackles for loss – one PBU, and the interception return that pushed the score to 34-16 TCU.
Other performances of note included Demercado and defensive lineman Dylan Horton. The former came to save the day after Miller's injury, recording a career-high 150 yards on 17 attempts, including one touchdown. With Demercado's help, TCU outrushed run-game powerhouse Michigan by nearly 80 yards. Horton recorded four tackles for loss, one PBU and a Fiesta Bowl-record four sacks. Duggan finished with 225 yards passing and 57 yards rushing, four total touchdowns, and two interceptions.
