Alamo Bowl 2016: A Tale Of Whose Backup Is Better

Ahead by 31 points, Oregon’s backup quarterback wanted to be a caregiver, and keep what looked to be an insurmountable lead intact in the second half of the Alamo Bowl on Saturday.

OR took the big lead early behind quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., but he was knocked out of the game late in the second quarter after taking a hard hit to the head.

Kohlhausen started in place of TCU’s Trevone Boykin, who was suspended after a bar fight two days earlier.

TCU finished off the epic comeback by pulling out a 47-41 victory in triple overtime. The low-snaps weren’t the result of a miscommunication on his or Lockie’s part – they were “just low”, Brenner said.

“This whole year, especially on the defensive side, it’s been a struggle in the second half to finish games”, OR defensive end DeForest Buckner said. On New Year’s Day, the Ducks promoted wide receivers coach Matt Lubick.

It’s unbelievable to me that the entire program seems to shut down because two players go down. Mark Helfrich insists so.

“Royce is a stud”, Helfrich said simply after the bowl loss. Blame me. I’m 100 percent good at that.

When you trail by 31 points at halftime in your bowl game and you’re stuck with your backup quarterback after your starter was arrested for trying to punch a police officer, relying on simple scheme adjustments to be the catalyst for a comeback is unreasonable.

That’s high praise from the former Heisman Trophy victor. Adams (13 of 19, 197 yards) has a big arm and Houdini skills to elude trouble, two attributes that do not fit the limited Lockie.

Adams transferred from Eastern Washington to replace Marcus Mariota, who led the Ducks to the national title game last season. Adams already had done that.

TCU quarterback Bram Kohlhausen (6) is lifted by teammate Halapoulivaati Vaitai (74) after he threw a touchdown pass in the first overtime in the Alamo Bowl NCAA college football game against Oregon, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, in San Antonio. On the kickoff, Oregon’s Charles Nelson coughed it up and TCU took over at the 16.

That recurring problem proved costly when Lockie touched his knee to the ground, ending a play and wiping out a touchdown completion that could have stemmed the TCU rally. OR totaled only 18 yards regulation in the second half.

The theme continued in the fourth quarter when TCU tied the game with less a minute left in the game. TCU stopped OR on its final drive to seal the victory.

From there, OR produced a three-and-out on a drive that started after Bralon Addison botched a punt return and advanced to only the 10.

Behind the guts of the wonderful Kohlhausen, whose father passed away from cancer less than two months ago, the running of senior Aaron Green (101 yards, touchdown) and the playmaking of a host of young receivers even the most hardened TCU fans probably couldn’t match a name to jersey number – remember, senior star receiver Josh Doctson was out with a wrist injury – the Frogs roared all the way back for yet another TCU triumph.

“I just gave her a hug and started crying with her. I’d love for him to be here and watch this happen but I know he’s watching upstairs”, Kohlhausen said.