Box Score FORT WORTH, Texas – West Virginia's tour of college football's top 25 has finally ended with its fourth consecutive loss, this one coming against third-ranked TCU, 40-10, here tonight at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.
 
Horned Frog quarterback Trevone Boykin put on a show in front of a Thursday night national television audience. The senior made his Heisman Trophy statement by passing for 388 yards and three touchdowns while adding 84 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
 
Boykin entertained the 45,947 paying customers with his accurate passing, shifty running and elusiveness in the pocket by dodging oncoming Mountaineer rushers time and again before taking a seat on the bench with 5:30 left and the Horned Frogs comfortably ahead.
 
The game flipped in a span of three minutes between the second and third quarters when TCU turned a one-touchdown advantage into a commanding 30-10 lead before West Virginia's offense could get back out onto the field in the third period.
 
And the Mountaineers started the third quarter just as they did the game's opening possession – by dropping sure touchdown passes. Shelton Gibson and Jovon Durante couldn't hold on to long Skyler Howard throws at the game's outset, and then Durante fumbled another certain TD in the third quarter when he couldn't secure Howard's deep toss at the Horned Frog two.
 
In the meantime, Boykin moved TCU down the field seemingly at will against a tired and depleted WVU defense. In the first half, West Virginia's defenders were called for seven penalties, six of those going for Horned Frog first downs.
 
There were a combined 18 penalties whistled on both teams for 214 yards. TCU finished the game with 616 yards of offense after Baylor put 693 yards on the stat sheet against the Mountaineers 12 days ago in Waco.
 
Boykin tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Josh Doctson on TCU's opening drive – the 21st consecutive game the Horned Frogs have scored in the first quarter, he took one in from the two when he flipped over backup cornerback Nana Kyeremeh, and then Jaden Oberkrom took over to score the remaining nine points of the opening half.
 
TCU's kicker booted short field goals of 20 and 23 yards before ending the half with a bang, the senior comfortably splitting the uprights from 57 yards out as time expired. It was the longest field goal an opponent has ever kicked against the Mountaineers.
 
Oberkrom punched through his fourth field goal from 43 yards out early in the fourth quarter.
 
West Virginia (3-4) was able to cross the goal line early in the second quarter when Howard hooked up with Shelton Gibson on a deep post for a 32-yard touchdown.
 
Then, after forcing a TCU punt, West Virginia added three more points with 5:02 left in the second quarter when Josh Lambert kicked a 51-yard field goal, his longest of the season.
 
The Horned Frogs answered Lambert's long boot with Oberkrom's second field goal, and TCU got the ball back with only 16 seconds left when the Mountaineers couldn't get a first down deep in their own territory.
 
West Virginia began the drive at its own nine after Kyeremeh was called for holding on Durante's kickoff return, eventually requiring a Nick O'Toole punt from the end zone.
 
West Virginia spotted TCU a quick five to the 44 when the defense was flagged for a substitution infraction. Then, two plays later, Boykin hit Doctson for a 17-yard gainer to the Mountaineer 39 where Oberkrom ended the half successfully for the Horned Frogs.
 
The Mountaineers have trailed by double-digit margins at halftime in all four Big 12 games they have played so far this year (17 at Oklahoma, 15 vs. Oklahoma State, 10 at Baylor and 13 tonight).
 
Howard had another rough night passing the football, completing just 16 of his 39 attempts for 160 yards and a touchdown.
 
Freshman David Sills was West Virginia's leading pass catcher with three catches for 42 yards.
 
Wendell Smallwood finished the game with 113 yards on 20 attempts – his fourth 100-yard rushing performance this season. Smallwood now shows 791 yards with five regular season games remaining.
 
WVU returns to Morgantown to play Texas Tech at Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday, November 7. Kickoff is set for noon. The 8-0 Horned Frogs are at undefeated Oklahoma State that weekend.