Cam Cook rushes for 3 TDs as TCU rolls to 45-0 win over LIU

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Cam Cook rushed for three touchdowns, receiver Savion Williams set up a score by completing a pass for the first time in the fifth-year senior's career and TCU beat FCS member LIU 45-0 on Saturday night.

Josh Hoover threw for 267 yards and two TDs as the Horned Frogs (2-0) pummeled their only non-Power Four opponent this season and won their first meeting with a team from New York since a 31-17 victory at Army 18 years ago.

Williams, who played quarterback in high school and is one of just four seniors to spend their entire careers with TCU, set up JoJo Earle's 5-yard touchdown catch by taking a pitch on a reverse the play before and throwing on the run to Earle for 15 yards.

“I was the only other man targeted on that play, but I thought he was going to run it,” said Earle, who had three catches for 24 yards. “I’m glad he threw it.”

Luca Stanzani was just 8 of 18 for 60 yards as LIU (0-2) dropped to 12-36 since Long Island University merged the athletic programs from Division I non-football LIU Brooklyn and Division II football-sponsoring LIU Post. The Sharks had 127 total yards and nine first downs.

“It’s hard to get a shutout in college football,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said. “They tackled well. They didn’t give up really any big plays at all and contained the quarterbacks.”

Cook had 58 yards on 13 carries with touchdowns of 1, 12 and 5 yards, the last giving the Frogs a 38-0 lead early in the second half.

The first score from Cook was set up by a snap over the head of LIU punter Will Lynch, who fell on the ball at the Sharks' 11-yard line.

“It’s good to bring your team into an environment like this,” LIU coach Ron Cooper said. “They’ve got fans, bands, cheerleaders and everybody yelling and screaming and fanfare. It’s good for our players to experience this.”

THE TAKEAWAY

LIU: The Sharks punted seven times on their first eight possessions. The exception was the botched punt. LIU had a good scoring chance in the third quarter after Aviyon Smith-Mack's 28-yard catch to the TCU 20. Three plays later, Stanzani was intercepted by Namdi Obiazor.

TCU: Williams, Jack Bech and JP Richardson didn't come close to the combined production from the 34-27 win at Stanford in the opener, when they were the first TCU trio with at least 85 yards receiving apiece in the same game. The Frogs didn't need it in this blowout.

Williams led TCU with 69 yards against the Sharks, Richardson had 25 yards and Bech 11. Richardson had two grabs to extend his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 29. It's the seventh-longest active streak in the country.

UP NEXT

LIU: Home opener against Lehigh next Saturday.

TCU: Big 12 opener at home against UCF next Saturday.

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Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press