EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) _ Sam Simmons returned a punt for a touchdown and set up another score with a 71-yard reception Saturday as Northwestern beat Texas Christian 17-7.

It was new coach Randy Walker's first victory at Northwestern (1-1). The loss snapped a three-game road winning streak for TCU (0-2).

TCU had a chance to tie the game with 14 minutes left, but quarterback Patrick Batteaux stumbled at the 7-yard line and fumbled the ball. The Horned Frogs got to the Northwestern 32 with about seven minutes left, but center Jeff Garner snapped the ball way over backup quarterback Casey Printers' head for a 24-yard loss.

The rest of the game wasn't much prettier. The two teams punted 20 times, including a span of 10 straight series. There were 14 penalties for 117 yards.

Simmons finished with two catches for 84 yards. Damien Anderson rushed for 98 yards and Nick Kreinbrink was 11-of-22 for 220 yards.

Batteaux was 10-of-23 for 96 yards. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 94 yards on 18 carries.

Simmons actually muffed the punt return, bobbling the ball at his own 9-yard line before finally getting control at the 13. He sprinted upfield untouched until about TCU's 20-yard line, when punter Royce Huffman and safety Curtis Fuller closed in on him. But Brian Marshall took Huffman out, knocking Fuller down in the process, and Simmons scampered into the end zone to tie the game at 7 with 52 seconds left in the first quarter.

The 87-yard punt return was the second-longest in Northwestern history. Otto Graham returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown against Kansas State in 1941.

Northwestern broke the tie in its first series of the third quarter on Anderson's 1-yard run. Simmons set up the score with his 71-yard reception, catching the ball at his own 39 and running up the left sideline before Chad Bayer finally knocked him out of bounds at the 1-yard line.

Tim Long added a 32-yard field goal with 3:59 left in the game.

Texas Christian, which led then-No. 15 Arizona at halftime before losing 35-31 last week, started quickly again, working the option almost to perfection. Tomlinson took a pitch from Batteaux on the first play and rushed for 11 yards. He had runs of 12, 13, 6 and 2 yards before leaping over the goal-line for a touchdown and the 7-0 lead.

But TCU stalled after that, managing only 68 yards and four first downs the rest of the half. Northwestern's defense deserves some of the credit. Safety Mycal Jones broke up what could have been a touchdown, knocking a pass away from B.J. Roberts in front of the goal line with about three minutes left in the half.