SAN ANTONIO, TX — The TCU Horned Frogs battled their way to a 30–27 overtime victory over USC, becoming the 2025 Valero Alamo Bowl championships.
Quarterback Ken Seals led the Frogs with 258 passing yards, throwing for one touchdown and adding another on the ground. Running back Jeremy Payne sealed the win with a 35-yard touchdown run in overtime, breaking through multiple defenders and finding the end zone.
The game remained tight throughout, with TCU trailing by just three at halftime. USC extended its lead late in the third quarter when quarterback Jayden Maiava connected with wide receiver Jaden Richardson on a 21-yard touchdown pass, giving the Trojans a 24–14 advantage with 49 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Kicker Kyle Lemmermann helped force overtime by drilling a 27-yard field goal to tie the game at 24. In the extra period, TCU’s defense stepped up, holding Maiava and running back King Miller to a field goal attempt, keeping the score within three.
With the game on the line, Seals and Payne connected once more, as Payne broke through four defenders on a 35-yard touchdown run to secure the victory for the Horned Frogs.
Payne said his mindset for the game-winning run was simply to “beat one player at a time.”
“Once I beat one player, I’m thinking, ‘Let’s get the first down,'” Payne said. “Then I broke another tackle and thought, I can make it. It was an amazing feeling.”
