Kansas had this one in its hands. Then it slipped away in a hurry.
The Jayhawks built a 13-point cushion Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth and were staring at a chance to push it to 20, but the game turned on a sequence of mistakes that TCU was happy to cash in on. By the time the dust settled at Amon G. Carter Stadium, KU had dropped a 22-16 decision that erased a shutout bid and left the Jayhawks staring at another frustrating finish.
Cole Ballard, making his first start since 2023 in place of the injured Isaiah Marshall, had some sharp moments and got plenty of help from Nahzae Cox and Cam Pickett. But the turnovers were too costly to survive. Ballard threw an interception that was returned for TCU’s first points, later lost a fumble on a strip-sack, and also had a second pick-6 wiped out by a penalty.
TCU quarterback Jaden Craig didn’t do much damage as a passer, but he kept the Horned Frogs alive with his legs. He finished with 15 carries for 87 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute left. Kansas, meanwhile, never found much on the ground, with Dylan Edwards held to 42 yards on 20 carries.
The game opened with Kansas looking like the sharper team. Leroy Harris III helped force a quick stop on TCU’s first drive, and the Jayhawks then recovered a muffed punt by Ed Small. That set up an early chance deep in TCU territory, but after Keaton Kubecka ripped off a 15-yard run to get KU inside the 5, the drive bogged down and Martin Connington missed a chip-shot field goal.
Kansas kept pressing. Ballard converted a third-down quarterback draw, Edwards moved the chains, and the Jayhawks mixed in some trickery with Chase Jenkins before Connington finally put them on the board from 34 yards out. TCU’s offense was stuck in neutral early, managing just 20 yards and one first down in the first quarter while punting three times.
The second quarter brought more of the same from KU, at least for a while. Ballard hit Cox for 35 yards to overcome a holding penalty, and even after a botched screen on third down, Connington added another field goal to make it 6-0. Then Kubecka changed the field again with a 40-yard jet sweep, and Pickett finished the drive with a 29-yard catch-and-run for the first touchdown of the day.
TCU finally started to move late in the half. Craig found Jordan Dwyer, then kept a drive alive with a third-and-short run by Jon Denman.
The Horned Frogs got another key conversion from Craig to Dwyer, then benefited from Kansas’ second defensive holding penalty of the drive. Roman Pearson had a chance at an interception in the end zone but couldn’t hang on, and TCU got all the way to fourth-and-goal before Taylor Davis shoved Jacobe Hayes out of bounds short of the line to preserve a 13-0 KU lead at halftime.
That cushion didn’t last.
Kansas opened the third quarter with a stalled drive, but the Jayhawks still had control of the game until the offense bogged down inside the 5. Ballard connected with Cox on a 44-yard contested catch and later found Carson Bruhn and Pickett for first downs, only for KU to come away empty again on a goal-to-go chance when Max Carroll and Zachary Chapman stopped Ballard on fourth-and-short.
Then came the swing. After TCU went nowhere, Ballard’s fourth-down throw was tipped by Kalen Carroll, intercepted by Max Carroll, and taken back 60 yards for a touchdown. Just like that, the shutout was gone and the momentum had flipped.
TCU kept rolling from there. Craig hit Ashley for 36 yards on the next possession, and freshman wideout Ace Theus - with two career catches and no carries entering the game - took a delayed handoff 28 yards for a touchdown that put the Horned Frogs in front 14-13.
Kansas answered with a field goal drive late in the fourth quarter to regain the lead, but the margin didn’t hold. Ballard’s fumble stalled another promising possession, and later his throw for Jailen Butler was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Jamel Johnson before a pass interference call against Kalen Carroll gave KU a lifeline. Connington’s kick pushed the Jayhawks back ahead 16-14.
That set up the final TCU march. Craig and the Horned Frogs leaned on the quarterback run game, moved the ball into Kansas territory, and then Craig finished it himself on a 17-yard run with 1:09 left. TCU added the two-point conversion, and Kansas couldn’t answer in the closing seconds as the Horned Frogs batted away deep shots and ran out the clock.
KU fell to 3-5 and will host UCF next Saturday.
How they scored
First quarter
1:32 - Martin Connington 34-yard field goal good. Thirteen plays, 47 yards, 5:46 TOP. KU 3, TCU 0.
Second quarter
6:25 - Connington 42-yard field goal good. Ten plays, 55 yards, 4:14 TOP. KU 6, TCU 0.
4:20 - Cam Pickett 29-yard pass from Cole Ballard. Connington PAT good.
Three plays, 73 yards, 1:08 TOP. KU 13, TCU 0.
Third quarter
4:38 - Max Carroll 60-yard interception return. Kyle Lemmermann PAT good. KU 13, TCU 7.
0:26 - Ace Theus 28-yard run. Three plays, 72 yards, 1:15 TOP.
Lemmermann PAT good. TCU 14, KU 13.
Fourth quarter
4:59 - Connington 27-yard field goal good. Nine plays, 83 yards, 5:35 TOP. KU 16, TCU 14.
1:09 - Jaden Craig 17-yard run. Two-point conversion good (Jordan Dwyer pass from Craig).
Thirteen plays, 84 yards, 3:45 TOP. TCU 22, KU 16.
In Other News...
Kansas Faces One Huge Problem Heading Into TCU Showdown
Kansas heads into its matchup with TCU facing a familiar kind of pressure, only this time it comes with a major question at quarterback. Isaiah Marshall is listed as questionable because of injury, and his status could shape everything Kansas wants to do offensively against a Horned Frogs team that has earned a reputation for making life difficult in the Big 12.
The Jayhawks are already in the underdog role, which only adds to the challenge of dealing with one of the leagues better defenses. If Marshall is limited or unavailable, Kansas may have to adjust on the fly against a unit built to squeeze out mistakes and force opponents out of rhythm, turning an already tough road into an even steeper climb. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Makes A Crucial QB Change Before TCU
Kansas is making a quarterback switch at a vulnerable moment, turning to Cole Ballard for the Big 12 matchup with TCU after Isaiah Marshalls week took an uncertain turn. The move gives the Jayhawks a different look under center and puts Ballard back in the starting role for the first time since the 2023 season, a notable reset as conference play keeps tightening.
Ballards promotion comes with the kind of pressure that usually follows an injury-related change, especially when a team is trying to steady itself before a league game. For Kansas, the question now is not just whether the offense can adjust quickly enough, but how much the new starter can settle things down after a week that forced the staff to rethink the plan. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Could Crash The Title Race As SEC Hype Builds
Preseason conference chatter is already tilting toward the SEC, and the leagues case starts with the kind of roster depth and spending power that can reshape a title race before it even begins. The Big Ten just spent the 2025-26 season setting the standard, but the early read for 2026-27 is that the SEC is positioned to push back, with the usual mix of proven programs, aggressive roster building and a few teams that could move the whole conversation.
For Kansas fans, the interesting part is how much the Big 12 still fits into that national picture. The league remains full of uncertainty, from eligibility questions to coaching changes and the kind of roster turnover that can swing a preseason ranking quickly, and Texas is one of the teams that could complicate the race at the top. If the Longhorns settle in the way some around the sport expect, they would not just matter in the conference standings, they could also become part of the broader argument over which league really owns the season. [Read more 🡒]