TCU gets Halloween at home with a chance to steady a season that has already gone sideways, and Kansas arrives with plenty of the same baggage. Both teams are 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 play, and both are trying to claw back to .500 when they meet Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT / 3:30 p.m.
ET on FS1. Fans can also stream the game on the FOX Sports app with a participating TV provider login or on FOX One with an eligible subscription.
On the radio side, TCU coverage will air on KZPS 92.5 FM, with audio streaming available through The Varsity Network app. The game-day theme is a Halloween blackout, with fans encouraged to wear black to the Carter.
Kansas comes in off a win over Baylor, a result that led to the firing of longtime head coach Dave Aranda afterward. That adds a little extra bite to a matchup that already has the feel of a defensive grind. These are two teams built in a similar mold on paper: good defense, shaky offense.
TCU’s season has been rough, and the program made another change this past week by parting ways with A.J. Ricker.
He joined Sonny Dykes’ staff as offensive line coach, but the line has not developed the kind of cohesion the Frogs have needed. The setup became more complicated when TCU brought in Gordon Sammis, who has an offensive line background, to lead the offense.
Dykes chose not to hand full control of the offense to Ricker, and the two were both involved with a group that has struggled.
Whether moving on from Ricker was the right call is still an open question.
What is clear is that TCU still has something to play for. With four losses already on the board, the Frogs can only salvage so much, but finishing strong, reaching bowl eligibility, and keeping recruiting intact still matter. Kansas, sitting at 3-4 as well, offers a chance at another win before the schedule gets much tougher.
The Frogs’ defense has been the reliable part of the operation, even as the offense has sputtered. For TCU to make this one work, the two sides need to finally sync up.
Sammis’ expanded role with the offensive line puts that unit under the microscope, especially in pass protection for Jaden Craig. The Frogs also need a run game that can actually function.
TCU’s availability report brings real questions on both sides of the ball. Running back Jeremy Payne is out, which hits a backfield that has already had trouble getting going.
Offensive lineman Cade Bennett is also out, along with running back Joe Pitchford. In the secondary, Devondre McGee and Julius Simms are listed as out.
One more name to keep an eye on is receiver Major Everhart, listed in the draft as “Kari Ashley,” whose identity and status need to be confirmed against the availability report before publication.
Kansas has its own major uncertainty. Quarterback Isaiah Marshall is listed as questionable, and his status could swing the whole feel of the Jayhawks’ offense. Marshall is a mobile, talented quarterback, and if he’s available, he gives Kansas a different edge against TCU.
Both teams also faced Baylor recently, giving Saturday’s matchup another common reference point. However this one plays out, it sets up as a test of which offense can do just enough against a defense that should be ready for a fight.
In Other News...
Kansas Opener Puts All Eyes On Tyran Stokes And One Newcomer
Kansas is about to start its nonconference schedule against Fordham, and the Jayhawks head into the opener with more curiosity than certainty after a pair of exhibitions against Duke and Louisville. Those tuneups gave Bill Self a first real look at a roster stocked with freshmen, including top recruit Tyran Stokes, while also offering early evidence that the new pieces are starting to settle in around a team still taking shape.
One of the more important additions is Purdue transfer Trey Kaufman-Renn, who Self expects to be ready for the season opener. Between Stokes early flashes and Kaufman-Renns arrival, Kansas has enough newness to make the first month worth watching closely, even as the staff keeps sorting out what this group can become once the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Now Faces A Big 12 Future Without Brett Yormark
Brett Yormarks decision to step away as Big 12 commissioner eventually closes a significant chapter for a league that has spent the last few years in constant motion. Since taking over in August 2022, Yormark helped steer the conference through a major media-rights overhaul, oversaw its expansion to 16 teams and locked in tournament extensions and sponsorships that gave the league a more stable footing in a turbulent era.
For Kansas, the timing adds another layer to a future that already feels more unsettled than it used to. Yormark will remain in the post through January 2027, which gives the Big 12 a runway to sort out what comes next, but his exit still marks the end of a transformational stretch that reshaped the leagues identity and competitive landscape. The conferences leadership was quick to thank him for it, a sign of how much ground was covered during his tenure and how much still remains to be defined. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Suddenly Has A Quarterback Concern Heading Into TCU
Kansas got a bit of new uncertainty at the most important position on the field as the injury report turned Isaiah Marshall from probable to questionable for the upcoming game against TCU. Marshall has started all seven games this season, but soreness and injuries have been part of the picture, and his status now leaves the Jayhawks waiting to see whether their offense will have its usual quarterback in place.
Cole Ballard and Chase Jenkins are the next options if Marshall cannot go, which adds a layer of urgency to a matchup Kansas had likely hoped to approach with more stability. For a team trying to keep its rhythm intact, the change in Marshalls outlook is the kind of late-week development that can alter a game plan quickly, and it leaves one of the biggest questions of the week hanging until kickoff nears. [Read more 🡒]