A strong running game and solid defense were the key ingredients for TCU in a 34-18 victory against Texas Tech on Saturday in Big 12 play at Fort Worth, Texas.

The Horned Frogs shrugged off a lethargic first-half performance to pull away late with a long, grinding drive to open the third quarter and used two big-play runs that stretched the lead and then nailed down the victory.

TCU (3-3, 3-3 Big 12) rushed for 270 yards, sacked Red Raiders quarterback Henry Colombi five times and limited Texas Tech to 311 total yards -- only 77 on the ground. Nine Red Raiders' possessions went three-and-out.

Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan rushed for 154 yards and accounted for the two big plays, the first on a 48-yard draw play late in the third quarter when he split two defenders at the line of scrimmage and darted the distance untouched to give his team a 27-10 lead. He later added an 81-yard touchdown run.

Leading 10-3 at halftime after neither team could move the ball, the Horned Frogs expanded their advantage with a 12-play, 89-yard touchdown drive to open the third quarter. Quentin Johnson scored on a 2-yard run, the last of TCU's 82 rushing yards on the drive.

Texas Tech (2-5, 1-5) pulled within 17-10 when Colombi floated a pass to Ja'Lynn Polk, who snared the ball as his defender fell down, then raced the rest of the way for a 60-yard score.

The Red Raiders later trailed by 17 before Erik Ezukanma broke free behind the TCU secondary and Colombi launched an on-target throw for a 57-yard score. A successful two-point run closed the gap to 27-18, but that was as close as Texas Tech got.

Texas Tech got the ball back with 4:56 left in the game after TCU didn't convert a fourth down, and the Raiders were on the move to the Frogs' 19. But a dubious second-down 37-yard field-goal attempt went wide left, giving TCU the ball back with 2:44 on the clock.

Duggan provided the exclamation point when he rambled 81 yards on a keeper on the second play.

--Field Level Media