Dec 20, 2006, 5:10 GMT
San Diego, CA - Jeff Ballard threw for 258 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, as the 25th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs pounded the Northern Illinois Huskies, 37-7, in the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium.
Ballard tossed one touchdown on 19-of-29 passing and rushed 11 times for 19 yards and scored three times on the ground for the Horned Frogs (11-2), who finished the season on an eight-game winning streak.
Lonta Hobbs rushed for 109 yards and a score as TCU won for the third time in its last four bowl games. He added three catches for 61 yards in the win.
Dan Nicholson passed for just 80 yards, was intercepted once and got sacked five times for the Huskies (7-6), who had won their last two games. Matt Simon made one catch for 62 yards and Garrett Wolfe rushed for only 28 yards to lead the club. Wolfe was the leading rusher in the nation during the regular season.
Northern Illinois was playing in just its third bowl game since moving to Division I-A in 1969.
The game was dominated by TCU, which had 23 first downs to NIU's five. The Horned Frogs tallied 456 yards of net offense, while the Huskies had just 60.
Northern Illinois received to start the game, but only moved backwards on its opening drive. Wolfe rushed for a loss of two, then lost another yard on a pass from Nicholson, whose incomplete pass then brought up fourth down.
The Huskies were forced to punt from their own five, and Brian Bonner returned the ball 19 yards to the 26. Ballard opened up the drive with an 18-yard pass to Derek Moore and Hobbs followed with two straight runs of four yards, his second into the end zone less than three minutes into the game.
The extra point try was blocked though, giving TCU a 6-0 lead.
A short punt by Northern Illinois gave TCU the ball at its own 45 late in the first quarter and Ballard opened up the march with a 32-yard pass to Hobbs. Aaron Brown then pounded out some yards on the ground and Ballard capped the seven-play sequence with a 10-yard run 11 seconds into the second frame to give the Horned Frogs a 13-0 edge.
Torrey Stewart intercepted Nicholson midway through the second quarter and the pick led to a 12-play, 77-yard drive that saw Chris Manfredini boot a 25-yard field goal to give his school a 16-0 lead as time expired in the half.
TCU took the opening drive of the second half 80 yards for the score. Ballard helped set up his one-yard TD run with a 28-yard pass to Quentil Harmon that moved the Frogs to the 14. Hobbs then took it to the one-yard line on the ground, but fumbled. Harmon recovered at the goal line and Ballard took it in on the next play to make it 23-0.
Harmon ended with six catches for 94 yards.
Another short punt harmed the Huskies as they were forced to kick from their own five. The punt traveled just 36 yards and Bonner returned it 22 yards to the 19. Three plays later, a six-yard run by Ballard made it 30-0 with 9:08 left in the third.
Northern Illinois finally got on the board early in the fourth as Brian Cortney blocked a punt attempt that was recovered by John Tranchitella at the 32 and the linebacker took it the distance 46 seconds into the final quarter.
Ballard got those points back on his next drive as he hit Brent Hecht from six yards out with 10:55 to go, putting TCU up 37-7.
Game Notes
Navy defeated Colorado State 51-30 in the first-ever Poinsettia Bowl last season.Brown rushed for 52 yards while Moore had a pair of catches for 26 yards.Jarret Carter made two catches for 14 yards in defeat.NIU finished with negative-20 yards rushing.The Huskies beat Troy 34-21 in the 2004 Silicon Valley Bowl, their last bowl appearance.TCU moved to 9-13-1 in bowl matchups. The Frogs downed Iowa State 27-24 in last season's Houston Bowl.
Navy defeated Colorado State 51-30 in the first-ever Poinsettia Bowl last season.
Brown rushed for 52 yards while Moore had a pair of catches for 26 yards.
Jarret Carter made two catches for 14 yards in defeat.
NIU finished with negative-20 yards rushing.
The Huskies beat Troy 34-21 in the 2004 Silicon Valley Bowl, their last bowl appearance.
TCU moved to 9-13-1 in bowl matchups. The Frogs downed Iowa State 27-24 in last season's Houston Bowl.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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