ESPN

Casey Pachall highlighted a record-setting game with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Skye Dawson with 4:26 left to lift TCU (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) to a 31-24 victory against Louisiana Tech in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

This one isn't going to win Best in Show. Four turnovers. Costly penalties (should you really be getting 12-men-in-the-huddle penalties in the 13th game of the year?). At times, neither really looked the part of a conference champion. But credit TCU for overcoming a lethargic start and credit Louisiana Tech for scrapping and pushing the No. 18 team in the land. Here's how it all went down in San Diego:

How the game was won: With the teams locked at 24-24, TCU got the ball at its own 31 with 6:24 left in the game. Unlike in their previous scoring drive that tied the game (read on), quarterback Casey Pachall moved the Horned Frogs 69 yards in just 1:58, connecting with Skye Dawson on a 42-yard scoring strike. The defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing drive and the offense was able to run out the final 3:33.

Turning point: Trailing 24-17, TCU put together its longest drive of the season -- an 18-play, 72-yard march that sucked up 9 minutes, 21 seconds of clock. The Frogs converted two fourth-and-1s and picked up a pass-interference call in the end zone, setting up Luke Shivers' 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 24-24.

Stat of the game: 100 percent — TCU's fourth-down conversion rate. The Horned Frogs were bad on third down — just 2-of-11 until late in the game — but they kept two scoring drives alive by converting all three fourth-and-1s.

Player(s) of the game: TCU's offensive line did a fantastic job keeping Pachall sack-free and holding off one of the better pass rushes in the country. It helped the Horned Frogs to 190 yards on the ground and on the final drive that ran out the clock, the line looked like it had worn down the Bulldogs' defensive front.

Unsung hero: Pachall's barber. Not too many quarterbacks can pull off the shaved writing in the hair.

What it means: TCU closes out its Mountain West Conference tenure with a sixth consecutive win for the conference in the Poinsettia Bowl. Coach Gary Patterson picks up his 109th career victory at TCU, tying Dutch Meyer for most wins in school history. TCU is now 6-1 in its past seven bowl games.

PASADENA, Calif -- TCU opened the third quarter with a false start penalty, but the Frogs didn't lose their focus and rolled to a six-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to expand their lead to 21-13 with 11:56 to go.

Again, a big play set it up. Quarterback Andy Dalton hit running back Ed Wesley, who took it 33 yards to the Wisconsin 25. On the play, two Badgers' defenders flailed at Wesley and then ran into one another to help spring Wesley free.

Fullback Luke Shivers capped the impressive drive with a 1-yard scoring run.

The pressure is on the Badgers, who have moved the football, but have been able to put the ball in the end zone just once.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- No. 4 TCU scored touchdowns on its first five possessions and the defense manhandled Baylor's offensive line and quarterback Robert Griffin III for a 35-3 halftime lead.

A sell-out crowd saw the Horned Frogs' offense execute near-flawlessly. Quarterback Andy Dalton started the game with a career-best 11 consecutive completions. He put TCU on the board just minutes into the game with a 28-yard strike to Jeremy Kerley. Ed Wesley added touchdown runs of 49 yards and 5 yards, Matthew Tucker toted it 1 yard for a touchdown and Luke Shivers scored TCU's final TD of a dominant first half from 2 yards out.

Dalton's 11 consecutive completions to start the game was also the second-best streak for consecutive completions in a game in TCU history, trailing only the 14 in a row by Jeff Ballard against San Diego State in 2006.

The TCU defense was tremendous in the first half, limiting Griffin to 2 net yards rushing on seven carries. Baylor trails in total yardage, 335-87. Griffin is 7-of-15 passing, but for just 51 yards. He's been sacked twice. The only thing the TCU defense failed to do was get a turnover.

Wesley, the TCU sophomore tailback, finished the first half with 99 yards on 11 carries and the two touchdowns. Dalton added 21 yards rushing to his 13-of-14 passing for 174 yards, the touchdown and no interceptions.

*Shivers, a junior fullback, scored his fifth career touchdown (four rushing, one receiving) on just eight touches.