SAN DIEGO ---- The differences between the haves and the have nots of college football were pretty evident Saturday at Qualcomm Stadium.

As the 55-12 final score would indicate, the gap between No. 6-ranked Texas Christian and San Diego State, which hasn't had a winning season since 1998, is as great as the distance between San Diego and the fertile recruiting grounds of Texas.

There were times Saturday when the Aztecs looked like they belonged on the same field with a top-10 team. But those times were rare, as the Horned Frogs remained unbeaten and on pace to earn a Bowl Championship Series berth with their 11th straight victory before a crowd of 21,708.

"That was a long day," San Diego State head coach Brady Hoke said. "I haven't been in one of those for a long time.

"We got beat in every phase of the game ---- coaching and playing.

"But we have some maturity on this team, and I think we can move forward."

The Aztecs (4-5, 2-3 Mountain West Conference) could still qualify to play in a bowl game by winning two of their final three games against Wyoming, No. 17 Utah and Nevada-Las Vegas.

The loss marked the sixth time in the last four years the Aztecs have surrendered 50 or more points in a game.

In its last four games, TCU (9-0, 5-0) has outscored its opponents 178-25.

"I hope tomorrow these guys are ticked off," Hoke said. "I hope they don't feel good about the way they played."

The Aztecs encountered some success running the ball against TCU's vaunted defense, gaining 92 yards, 27 more than their average. Former Poway High standout Brandon Sullivan amassed 75 of those yards on 17 carries.

"We prepared well for this game," Sullivan said. "That's really about it."

That the Aztecs nearly outpaced the combined score (13) of TCU's past three opponents was no consolation to senior right tackle Peter Nelson, who spent the day blocking TCU left end Jerry Hughes, considered one of the top pass rushers in the nation.

"He's one of the great players on that team," Nelson said. "We just have to get better against teams like that.

"TCU took care of business.

"We can play better football, but TCU is a very good football team.

"Simply, they executed plays and we didn't."

San Diego State committed four turnovers compared to none for TCU. Aztecs quarterback Ryan Lindley was intercepted twice and his receivers either dropped or failed to stretch out for at least 10 balls.

Meanwhile, TCU quarterback Andy Dalton ran the Horned Frogs' misdirection offense to near perfection as his team rolled up 551 yards of total offense. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more in only three quarters of work.

"That's a very good offense we faced," Aztecs senior linebacker Jerry Milling said. "They beat us physically and emotionally.

"They execute that offense very well."

None of TCU's scoring drives required more than eight plays, and only one occupied as much of three minutes.

"We got on a roll, especially offensively, and our quarterback made plays," said TCU coach Gary Patterson.

"San Diego State has gotten better, and they play hard.

"I've watched them, and I think you're going to find out that they're going to do a great job recruiting.

"I think we have a football team this year that's on a roll, and this game isn't a reflection of San Diego State."

With Iowa's loss Saturday to Northwestern, TCU is one of six unbeaten teams in the nation, joining No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Cincinnati and No. 5 Boise State.

Sugar Bowl officials were in the press box Saturday, scouting the Horned Frogs.

"As you saw today, there have been upsets," Patterson said. "You have to come to play.

"We haven't had success against (No. 17-ranked Utah, TCU's next opponent), so this is a big game for us.

"We're going to give it our best shot."

Contact staff writer John Maffei at 760-740-3547.