Fresno State Athletics
Football Stymied by TCU, 21-10
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
October 11, 1998
Box score
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Texas Christian cornerback Kendrick Patterson picked up a Fresno State fumble and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown to seal the Horned Frogs' come-from-behind 21-10 victory Saturday night.
The Frogs (4-1, 2-0 Western Athletic Conference) struck for two touchdowns in the final quarter as they overcame a 10-7 deficit and downed Fresno (1-4, 1-1) in the first meeting between the two teams.
TCU was 1-10 a year ago, but its only loss this season was a 10-9 squeaker to Oklahoma.
Horned Frogs quarterback Patrick Batteaux directed a 10-play, 74-yard scoring drive capped by LaDainian Tomlinson's 33-yard touchdown run with 12:09 left to put TCU ahead 14-10.
The Frogs were still nursing that four-point lead when Patterson scooped up Scott Thompson's fumble and sped into the end zone with 6:36 remaining.
Thus, the Frogs, who have now won three in a row, have come from behind in all four of their victories in their first campaign under former New Mexico coach Dennis Franchione.
Those included a 35-34 verdict over then-No. 23 Air Force and a double-overtime conquest of Vanderbilt a week ago.
Despite the 11-point margin, it was anything but cushy as Fresno kept the Frogs in the shadow of their own goal through much of the third period of a 7-7 game.
But the Bulldogs failed to turn field position into points, even after linebacker Tim Skipper recovered a fumble at the TCU 39.
Fresno's Bobby Brooks stripped Batteaux of the ball for the first turnover of the contest but the Bulldogs lost yardage on two plays and wound up punting.
Fresno finally bounced back to seize the lead, turning Dante Marsh's pass interception, a 39-yard pass from Billy Volek to Scott Thompson and Jeff Hanna's 37-yard field goal into a 10-7 edge that stood through the third quarter.
