Jaden Craig’s day in Waco looked like the kind of performance TCU has been waiting for from its Harvard transfer quarterback. After an uneven first half of the season that included struggles against North Carolina, a sharp stretch against Grambling State and Arkansas State, and then a dip again versus UCF and BYU, Craig showed up against Baylor and looked far closer to the player the Horned Frogs expected.
The biggest change was clear from the opening snaps: TCU came out determined to put the ball in the hands of its playmakers. Wide receiver Jordan Dwyer, who had been held without a catch against BYU, was a central part of that plan.
Craig targeted him three times on TCU’s first drive, and Dwyer turned those chances into two catches for 20 yards. On the next possession, Craig hit Dwyer twice again, and just how open the receiver was made the intent obvious.
That second drive covered nine plays, took 3:20 off the clock and ended with Ed Small hauling in a 25-yard touchdown for the first score of the game. Craig had time to let the route develop, sitting calmly in a clean pocket as Small worked open on a crossing route. That kind of protection wasn’t a constant for TCU all afternoon, but on that snap, the Frogs gave their quarterback exactly what he needed.
The other major shift was how willing TCU was to push the ball downfield. Craig connected with both Small and Dwyer on deeper throws, and the offense looked less boxed in than it had at times earlier in the season.
Instead of feeling stuck in a self-contained approach that leaned too hard on the run game and asked Craig to fit perfect throws over the middle, the Frogs after the bye appeared ready to attack one-on-one coverage and, at times, even challenge double coverage. Dwyer benefited from that mindset and, as the game went on, continued to make his presence felt.
The aggressive approach opened the door to explosive plays, but it also came with risk. With TCU leading 7-6 and coming off a long completion to Small, the Frogs had set themselves up for another chance to score.
Instead, they reached for a reverse flea-flicker, Baylor’s pressure got to Craig and the play ended in an interception. It was a costly decision, especially because the Frogs were already in control of the moment and didn’t need to get fancy.
Even so, Craig didn’t let the mistake snowball. The interception could have knocked him off rhythm, but he came back and finished the game without another one.
That mattered, because the overall shape of the offense changed once TCU let him operate more freely. The quarterback was given room to throw deep, which stretched the field and, in turn, helped the run game have at least some structure behind it.
That run game had to adjust, too, with Jeremy Payne getting only one carry on TCU’s opening drive. In his place, the Frogs needed someone else to help control the clock and keep the offense moving.
The transfer from the Colorado School of Mines answered that call, posting 36 yards on six carries. He didn’t break anything wide open, but he gave TCU steady production when it needed someone to grind out yards.
Another wrinkle came in the form of Kari Ashley in the Wildcat. Sonny Dykes said the move was about getting one of the team’s best weapons involved:
“Just trying to find ways to be creative; sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. I mean, when you have a guy that you think's a unique or special player, you have to feature him. You've got to find ways to get the football and let him be a good player.”
In short-yardage situations, that look can be dangerous, and Ashley gives TCU a versatile option with the kind of athleticism to make it work. It also adds another layer to a tight end room that keeps finding ways to matter.
With West Virginia up next, the question is whether TCU carries any of these ideas forward. If the Frogs want to keep winning, the offense will need another outing like the one it put together in Waco.
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TCU Faces A Familiar Threat In A Game It Must Exploit
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For the Horned Frogs, the challenge is less about figuring out where the attack is coming from and more about making sure they take advantage of what has been left exposed on the other side. West Virginias defense has struggled to keep opponents in check, and that makes this a game where TCU has to be sharp, efficient and willing to press the issue early if it wants to avoid letting an explosive offense settle in. [Read more 🡒]