TCU Beats USC on Thrilling Walk-Off TD: 5 Alamo Bowl Takeaways

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TCU Beats USC on Thrilling Walk-Off TD: 5 Alamo Bowl Takeaways

You won’t see two better plays (below) this bowl season than a one-handed touchdown grab from USC’s Jaden Richardson and the impossible 30-27 overtime walk-off scoring play by TCU’s Jeremy Payne to win the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Along with that, here are five takeaways from a fantastic bowl game that had a little of everything.

USC vs TCU: Five Takeaways From the Valero Alamo Bowl

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Ken Seals holds the Alamo Bowl most valuable offensive player trophy after victory over the Southern California Trojans at Alamodome. © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

5. The Alamo Bowl had the two best plays you’ll see this bowl season

The amazing play in overtime overshadowed what can only be called – no hypberbole – one of the greatest catches in bowl history.

USC was down 14-13 in the third quarter when Jayden Maiava lofted a throw from his own 21-yard line, Jaden Richardson was covered, and then he did this …

That was good, but what TCU running back Jeremy Payne did was better.

TCU was dead in the water. It was down three in overtime, and after a very, very questionable call on an apparent catch was reversed, and a sack of quarterback Ken Seals, Jeremy Payne took a swing pass to try getting back into field goal range, he made one move, and took away the win with this …

4. Enough whining about the opt-outs

USC was missing a whole slew of top players including the Biletnikoff winner for the best wide receiver in college football, Makai Lemon. 

It was just fine. In the end, the Trojans didn’t lose because of the opt-outs and missing pieces. Of course, not being at full force didn’t make things easier, but that’s the deal now, and it’s up to the teams to work the Next Man Up mentality and win anyway.

That included TCU, who had just about everyone back, but missed star starting quarterback Josh Hoover. He was there, but he’s in the portal.

In stepped Ken Seals, a former Vanderbilt Commodore who came to TCU wh came back close to home. 

He wasn’t perfect, and the sack he took late almost ended the game, but he finished 29-of-40 for 258 yards and one score with a pick, along with a rushing touchdown.

And he got the win.

3. Both coaches didn’t need this Alamo Bowl win, but …

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes watches from the sidelines against the Southern California Trojans in the first half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lincoln Riley isn’t on the flaming hot seat he was coming into this season, and a bowl loss like this shouldn’t change anything, however, 10-3 with a bowl game win going into the offseason would’ve been much nicer than 9-4 with a painful overtime collapse like this.

USC did win the Holiday in 2023 and the Las Vegas in 2024, but the late faceplant against Tulane in the 2022 Cotton, and now this, aren’t great. But give him credit for having USC on the cusp of winning several times with a somewhat depleted team.

TCU’s Sonny Dykes wasn’t great in bowls. TCU won the New Mexico last year, and ht got to the national championship in 2022, but he was 3-4 overall between this gig, SMU, Cal, and Louisiana Tech.

Now, with this win, TCU has won nine games in two straight seasons and nine or more in three of his four years in Fort Worth.

Don’t ask how it happened. All TCU fans know and care about is that their team just pulled off an all-timer.

2. What’s next for USC going into the offseason?

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There are plenty of ways to look at this game for USC.

Yeah, it was brutally rough at the end, and it stung without several of the key receivers and stars. But the guys who did play are expected to stick around, including star quarterback Jayden Maiava.

The offense has plenty of playmakers, there’s an insane level of young talent, and there’s more on the way with a loaded recruiting class.

The same goes for the defense. It might have struggled late against the Horned Frogs, but it’s a very, very young group with enough underclassmen to create some sensational position battles this spring.

Fresno State and Louisiana are nice and breezy ways to get the season going, Ohio State and Oregon are home games, there’s no Michigan, and overall, the hype will be there all offseason.

1. What’s next for TCU going into the offseason?

TCU had a few opt-outs who played, and one big one who didn’t.

Finding a quarterback to replace Josh Hoover is the first job, but that’s what the transfer portal is for. The offensive line will lose some veterans, the receiving corps has to find new playmakers, and the back seven has to hope several young guys will step up.

Replacing offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, who’s off to South Carolina, won’t be easy, but Dykes knows how to get an offense going.

TCU doesn’t get the elite of the elite talent like a USC does, but the recruiting classes have been fine, and there’s enough in the transfer portal to fill in the gaps.

Next season they start out in Dublin, Ireland against Bill Belichick and North Carolina – a repeat of this season’s opener, gets BYU at home, and misses Texas Tech and Utah.

Related: Illinois Gets Signature Music City Bowl Win After Tennessee’s Costly Mistake

This story was originally published by College Football News on Dec 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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