Trevone Boykin already seems to be settling into his role as TCU's starting quarterback, and has his first victory.
A week after his hurried starting debut, Boykin threw for 261 yards with four touchdowns and ran for another score in a turnover-free performance as the Horned Frogs won 49-21 at Baylor on Saturday night to end the Bears' nine-game home winning streak.
"Trevone got a chance to practice four days this week, not one," coach Gary Patterson said. "For us, that's what we do. We play action, some things worked. We didn't turn the ball over. The difference in the game was six turnovers to zero."
Boykin completed 22 of 30 passes, with all of his TD passes coming on third-down plays. He also ran 16 times for 56 yards, including a 25-yard scramble that converted a third-and-15 for TCU (5-1, 2-1 Big 12).
The redshirt freshman clearly outplayed Nick Florence, the Baylor senior who succeeded Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III and came into the game leading the nation in total offense (435 yards a game).
"All I want quarterbacks to do is manage the game. Get the ball in the hands of the guys they're supposed to," Patterson said. "He ran the ball. He did the right reads on our zone stuff. He moved the football, and I think that's a big deal."
The six turnovers by Baylor (3-2, 0-2) included four interceptions by Florence after he threw a 74-yard TD pass to Terrance Williams on the second play of the game. Florence later had a 77-yard score to Williams, and ran 5 yards for a score.
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Baylor's home winning streak had included a wild season-opening 50-48 victory over the Frogs last year, months before TCU joined the Bears in the Big 12. This was the first league game between the teams only about 100 miles apart since 1995, the last year of the Southwest Conference.
"It's very humbling, very embarrassing," Baylor coach Art Briles said. "It's very uncharacteristic of our team over the last four years, actually, to turn the ball over that many times and not get any takeaways."
Boykin was working at tailback for the Horned Frogs until two-year starting quarterback Casey Pachall's arrest on suspicion of drunken driving two days before the Iowa State game. Boykin threw for 270 yards against the Cyclones, but had three interceptions in a 37-23 loss.
Pachall has since withdrawn from school and entered an inpatient treatment program.
After the quick 74-yard TD, Baylor's next two drives ended with interceptions. It was the Bears' first game since losing 70-63 at West Virginia two weeks ago.
Florence was 12 of 19 passing for 289 yards. He was sacked three times, and finished with minus-5 yards rushing on eight carries.
"I just made some bad throws. You can give an excuse here and there," Florence said. "People can take blame for it but I take blame for all of it. I got to be better than that. You can't make those mistakes."
The first interception was a nifty pick by Jason Verrett that set up Boykin's tying 18-yard TD pass to Cam White. Verrett made a two-handed grab, snagging the ball only inches off the ground -- so close that officials looked at replays to confirm the interception.
Chris Hackett had the other interception, and also recovered a fumble at the TCU 25, setting up a 15-play drive that ended with White's 15-yard touchdown catch for a 14-7 halftime lead.
White said the team is impressed with Boykin's poise through the last couple of weeks.
"It was pretty good. In practice, we were like, `Be calm.' Through practice, he actually got calm. He got calm," White said. "And it showed today what he can come out and do."
Boykin wasn't available for comment. TCU generally doesn't let freshman players talk to the media.
TCU was good on 14 of 19 third-down conversions, and even was good on a fourth-and-4.
The Horned Frogs had the ball for nearly 42 minutes, and had scoring drives of 15 and 16 plays.
Right after Joyce Boyce's 2-yard touchdown run for TCU late in the third quarter, Baylor got within 28-21 on the next play when Florence hit Williams in stride for a 77-yard score late in the third quarter. But the Frogs scored three TDs in the fourth quarter, including Boyce's 15-yard catch.
"We played with a bunch of redshirt freshmen and true freshmen and sophomores that found a way to win and I was proud of them," Patterson said. "I told them they showed maturity."
