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...
TCU Faces A Costly Kansas Test It Cant Afford To Blow
Saturdays matchup with Kansas comes at an inconvenient time for TCU, which is trying to keep its season on track while leaning on a defense that has usually given the Frogs a chance to control games. The offense still has enough playmaking around the passing game to be dangerous, but this is the kind of conference test where every possession matters and there is little margin for error if TCU wants to avoid letting a winnable game slip away.
Kansas brings some real pressure points of its own, starting with a front that can create problems in the backfield and a quarterback in Isaiah Marshall who can extend plays with his legs. TCU also has to sort through questions in its own backfield, which only adds to the stakes if the Frogs wind up asking more of their receivers and quarterback than planned. It is the sort of matchup that can swing on a few key snaps, and Kansas has enough disruptive pieces to make TCU earn every inch. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Faces A Home Test That Could Define Its Finish
TCU heads into the stretch run with a little room left for error, but not much. At 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 play, the Horned Frogs have five games left to try to steady a season that still has something tangible to chase, and the next one at home against Kansas feels like a natural pivot point. It is the kind of game that can either help calm the conversation around the program or leave the rest of the month feeling even heavier.
The matchup has also drawn a familiar round of prediction talk around the staff, with most leaning toward the Frogs in Fort Worth. That kind of confidence does not win games, of course, but it does reflect the sense that this is the type of home opportunity TCU needs to take advantage of if it wants the back half of the schedule to mean more than just getting through it. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Gets A Big Opening As Kansas Brings Quarterback Uncertainty
Kansas is heading into Saturdays 2:30 p.m. CT meeting with TCU with some uncertainty under center, and that matters for a Horned Frogs defense trying to sort out what kind of challenge it will face on FS1. Isaiah Marshall is listed as questionable because of an injury, leaving the Jayhawks in a bit of limbo at the most important spot on the field.
If Marshall cant go, Cole Ballard is the expected option, even though he has spent significant time this season working back from a shoulder injury. For TCU, the situation could affect how Kansas approaches the game from the start, and it adds another layer of intrigue to a matchup that already carries plenty of weight for the Horned Frogs. [Read more 🡒]