DALLAS (FWAA) The TCU Horned Frogs went into Stillwater and knocked off unbeaten Oklahoma State, 44-31, in the Big 12 Conference opener for both schools. With the win, TCU has earned the Football Writers Association of America National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 23.
The announcement came on "Off Campus with Mark Packer" on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM. Each Monday during the season, the FWAA National Team of the Week will be unveiled during the program, which airs weekdays from 4-7 p.m. ET.
TCU's running game fueled the win, paced by Darius Anderson's career-high 160 yards and three touchdowns. The Frogs (4-0) ran 52 times for 238 yards, and Kenny Hill added 228 yards through the air. TCU (4-0) built a 20-point lead with 12 minutes left before Oklahoma State rallied to get within six. Anderson's 42-yard touchdown run with 2:37 left sealed the victory.
"We want to be relevant," TCU head coach Gary Patterson said. "You want to win enough to get noticed. It was also an advantage that no one was giving us a chance. We play better that way."
TCU controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes and was the first team to score on OSU in the first quarter this season. The Frogs are 4-0 for the seventh time in the last 10 seasons and this is TCU's sixth time to earn this honor.
The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 23 were:
Duke (4-0): The Blue Devils retained the Victory Bell with a 27-17 win at North Carolina. Shaun Wilson's one-yard touchdown run with 6:09 left, and an interception return for a touchdown by Bryon Fields Jr. late sealed the win. Duke is 4-0 for the first time since 2014.
Virginia (3-1): The Cavaliers handed Boise State its first regular-season non-conference home loss since 2001. Virginia led 35-14 going into the fourth quarter, in part by holding the Broncos to 21 rushing yards to that point. Kurt Benkert was 19-of-29 passing for 273 yards and three touchdowns for Virginia, which also won its first road non-conference game since 2011.
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. Members of the 12-person FWAA All-America Committee – plus one fan vote from Twitter – decide the weekly honor.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team.
For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com.