Kansas is 3-4, but that number doesn’t capture how tricky this trip to Fort Worth could be for TCU. The Jayhawks are bringing a quarterback who can hurt defenses with his arm and his legs, a running back who just gashed Baylor, and enough momentum to make Saturday’s Big 12 matchup a real test for the Horned Frogs.
The centerpiece is Isaiah Marshall. He has passed for 1,506 yards and 11 touchdowns - the same touchdown total as TCU’s Jaden Craig - while also throwing seven interceptions.
On top of that, Marshall has been a factor on the ground, piling up 403 rushing yards at 4.5 yards per carry and topping 100 rushing yards twice this season. That dual-threat profile is exactly the kind of challenge TCU just dealt with against West Virginia, when the Frogs gave up 87 rushing yards to quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr.
Kansas’ ground game gets even more dangerous with Dylan Edwards. The junior and Kansas State transfer exploded against Baylor with 156 yards on 30 carries, and his pairing with Marshall gives the Jayhawks a backfield that can stress a defense in multiple ways. If TCU doesn’t clean up what went wrong last week, that combination could create the same kind of problems the Mountaineers did.
The Jayhawks also have a key target outside. Nik McMillan leads the team with 25 catches for 466 yards and five receiving touchdowns, so even if TCU wants to sell out against the run, it can’t ignore the passing game completely.
Kansas comes in after squeezing out a 25-24 win over Baylor last weekend in Lawrence. The Jayhawks were down 11 entering the fourth quarter, then scored on two touchdown drives and added a field goal to finish the comeback. That was their first Big 12 win of the season, and it gave them a little room to build on.
But history has leaned hard TCU’s way. Kansas hasn’t beaten the Horned Frogs since 2018, TCU has won five straight meetings, and the Jayhawks haven’t won in Fort Worth since 1996.
Even so, TCU can’t treat this like a routine matchup. Kansas has been averaging 22.5 points per game in Big 12 play, and the Jayhawks have shown they can stay close and make things uncomfortable late.
They trailed Utah 27-24 heading into the fourth quarter before two touchdown drives put the game away. Against Kansas State, they were within one point at the start of the final period, forced a turnover on downs, then saw the defense give up a touchdown and a field goal after a Kansas interception.
That fourth-quarter pattern matters here. Kansas has kept itself in games, but the offense has gone quiet late and the defense hasn’t held up well enough to keep the margin manageable. For TCU, that means the game plan is pretty straightforward: get out in front, or at least keep it tight long enough to make Kansas play under pressure in the final 15 minutes.
The Frogs also have to keep an eye on Leroy Harris III. The defensive end was disruptive against Baylor, finishing with 1.5 tackles for loss and bringing his season total to 11. Protection remains a concern for TCU, and Harris is the kind of player who can wreck a drive if he gets loose.
Turnovers could swing the whole thing, too. Kansas has only two interceptions this season, but it has recovered five opponent fumbles.
TCU already knows that controlling the ball doesn’t guarantee anything after holding it for more than 37 minutes against West Virginia and still losing. If the Frogs give Kansas extra chances, that backfield can make them pay.
The safest path for TCU is simple: contain Marshall and Edwards, protect the football and finish drives. Do that, and the Frogs give themselves a chance to extend their winning streak against Kansas. Let the Jayhawks control the run game and carry a lead into the fourth quarter, and this turns into a much tougher night in Fort Worth.
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