DALLAS (FWAA) – Ending the nation's longest home win streak
by coming from behind in the final two minutes, then completing a two-point conversion pass, earned the
TCU Horned Frogs (8-2) the
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games
of
the weekend of Nov. 12.
Casey Pachall connected on 24-of-37 passes for a career-best
473 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Horned Frogs, including
scores of 75, 74 and 69 yards in the first half. The sophomore fired
a 25-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Brandon Carter in the end
zone with 1:05 remaining to pull TCU within 35-34.
Coach Gary Patterson then opted to put the game in Pachall's hands
and go for the lead. It worked, as Pachall tossed a short pass to
Josh Boyce, who fought his way into the end zone to put TCU up
36-35. The Horned Frogs survived a missed field goal as time
expired.
"We were not going to win this if that kept going," Patterson
said after the game. "So, the only way we were going to be able to do it was to
steal it. We were able to get the play and get the points and we
were fortunate that they missed a field goal. It's just as simple
as that."
TCU extended its Mountain West-record win streak to 22 games
by snapping two long streaks by Boise State. The Broncos had won
47 consecutive home conference games and 35 straight overall at
home.
Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week nominees
for the weekend of Nov. 12 included:
• New Mexico State (4-6): The Aggies defeated Fresno
State for the first time in school history, 48-45, behind Taveon
Rogers' school-record 412 all-purpose yards. Matt Christian
threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns, while Kenny Turner recorded
a fifth 100-yard rushing effort as NMSU snapped a 17-game
losing streak to the Bulldogs.
• Oregon (9-1): LaMichael James ran for 146 yards
and three touchdowns as Oregon sprinted past No. 3 Stanford,
53-30, taking a big step toward hosting the inaugural Pac-12
Championship Game. The Ducks won their ninth game in a row while
also ending the nation's longest winning streak at 17 games.
The Football Writers Association of America has named
a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the seventh
season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta
Bowl.
Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor.
Each remaining Monday during the 2011 college football regular season,
the FWAA will name the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the
Week.
Founded in 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted seven games
that have decided the college football national championship, including
four Bowl Championship Series title games. This season, the Tostitos
Fiesta Bowl will be played on Jan. 2, 2012, at University of Phoenix
Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and the Insight Bowl will be played
on Dec. 30, 2011, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team
of the Week, go to
footballwriters.com
or fiestabowl.org.
2011 FWAA ALL-AMERICA
COMMITTEE |
Kirk Bohls |
Austin American-Statesman |
Big 12 |
Tommy Hicks |
Mobile Press-Register |
Sun Belt |
Mike Huguenin |
rivals.com |
ACC |
Tony Jones |
Salt Lake Tribune |
WAC |
Tom Kensler |
Denver Post |
Pac-12 |
Iliana Limon |
Orlando Sentinel |
C-USA |
Kelly Lyell |
Fort Collins Coloradoan |
Mountain West |
Brett McMurphy |
cbssports.com |
Big East |
Randy Peterson |
Des Moines Register |
Big Ten |
Zach Silva |
Toledo Blade |
MAC |
Andy Staples |
si.com |
SEC |
Phil Steele |
Phil Steele Publications |
National |
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