DALLAS (FWAA) Ending the nation's longest home win streak by coming from behind in the final two minutes, then completing a two-point conversion pass, earned the TCU Horned Frogs (8-2) the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Nov. 12.
Casey Pachall connected on 24-of-37 passes for a career-best 473 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Horned Frogs, including scores of 75, 74 and 69 yards in the first half. The sophomore fired a 25-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Brandon Carter in the end zone with 1:05 remaining to pull TCU within 35-34.
Coach Gary Patterson then opted to put the game in Pachall's hands and go for the lead. It worked, as Pachall tossed a short pass to Josh Boyce, who fought his way into the end zone to put TCU up 36-35. The Horned Frogs survived a missed field goal as time expired.
"We were not going to win this if that kept going," Patterson said after the game. "So, the only way we were going to be able to do it was to steal it. We were able to get the play and get the points and we were fortunate that they missed a field goal. It's just as simple as that."
TCU extended its Mountain West-record win streak to 22 games by snapping two long streaks by Boise State. The Broncos had won 47 consecutive home conference games and 35 straight overall at home.
Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Nov. 12 included:
New Mexico State (4-6): The Aggies defeated Fresno State for the first time in school history, 48-45, behind Taveon Rogers' school-record 412 all-purpose yards. Matt Christian threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns, while Kenny Turner recorded a fifth 100-yard rushing effort as NMSU snapped a 17-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.
Oregon (9-1): LaMichael James ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns as Oregon sprinted past No. 3 Stanford, 53-30, taking a big step toward hosting the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game. The Ducks won their ninth game in a row while also ending the nation's longest winning streak at 17 games.
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the seventh season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during the 2011 college football regular season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week.
Founded in 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted seven games that have decided the college football national championship, including four Bowl Championship Series title games. This season, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will be played on Jan. 2, 2012, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and the Insight Bowl will be played on Dec. 30, 2011, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, go to
footballwriters.com or fiestabowl.org.