CONFERENCE USA So long, TCU; Horned Frogs lose first game

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -- TCU needed to be perfect to have a shot at making BCS history.
Against Southern Mississippi, the 10th-ranked Horned Frogs weren't.
Any debate about whether TCU belonged in a major bowl ended Thursday night when its frantic fourth-quarter failed in a 40-28 loss to Southern Miss.
TCU (10-1, 7-1 Conference USA) was eighth in the Bowl Championship Series standings this week and trying to become the first school from a non-BCS league to receive an invite to one of the four big-money bowls.
"A lot of people never have the chance to do it, but in 2003 we had a chance to do it," coach Gary Patterson said. "Someday we'll knock that door down."
Now, the best the Horned Frogs can hope for is a piece of the conference title and a spot in one of five bowls with league ties.
That's a difference of about $13 million.
Too many turnovers
"We tried to live a dream but we came up just a little bit short," Patterson said.
Dustin Almond threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns, and the Golden Eagles (8-3, 7-0) capitalized on four turnovers to hand TCU its first loss of the season.
TCU trailed 31-6 early in the fourth quarter before scoring three touchdowns in a span of 4:30 with the aid of two straight recovered onside kicks.
Brandon Hassell led the comeback attempt with his passing and running. He swept around right end for a 1-yard TD with 6:55 remaining, then threw for the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 31-28.
Hassell finished 18-for-31 for 260 yards with two interceptions.
Southern Mississippi clinched at least a share of the league title and can win it outright with a victory over East Carolina.
Almond blunted TCU's comeback attempt with a 45-yard completion to Kenneth Johnson that set up Darren McCaleb's 32-yard field. That made it 34-28.
Deciding score
The Golden Eagles put the game away by forcing TCU's final turnover on the next possession.
Greg Brooks got free on a corner blitz and knocked the ball from Hassell. Rod Davis recovered at the TCU 11 with less than three minutes remaining. Moments later, Anthony Harris bulled into the end zone from 2 yards out with 1:30 to go.
"Like our guys have done so many times before, when the game was on the line we found a way to make some plays when we had to," Golden Eagles coach Jeff Bower, who has led Southern Miss to three previous C-USA titles.
Southern Miss has won five straight games and can earn a bid to the Liberty Bowl by winning at East Carolina on Nov. 29.
Almond, who has thrown 12 TD passes since regaining the starting job five games ago, was 14-for-23 with an interception.
But TCU wouldn't let its 12-game winning streak end without a fight.
"In the second half we came back but we needed a lot more," said Robert Merrill, who ran for 132 yards on 16 carries. "We needed this win but we fell short."