TCU needed a response, and it got one in the final minutes against Kansas.
After last weekend’s loss to West Virginia put the Horned Frogs in danger of slipping toward a missed bowl bid, they came home for a Halloween matchup with the Jayhawks and found themselves fighting the same offensive issues that have followed them all season. This time, though, they had just enough late to pull it out.
The story of TCU’s offense has become pretty clear by now. The line had trouble holding up in pass protection, Kansas was able to get pressure with basic stunts and slants, and the Frogs often left a defender free in the backfield.
The run game never really got going, either. Even with Jeremy Payne out, TCU still couldn’t establish much with Jon Denman or freshman Amante Martin.
Well into the third quarter, Jaden Craig was still the team’s leading rusher with 29 yards.
The first half was rough. TCU managed only 20 yards in the opening quarter and didn’t even reach Kansas territory until close to halftime. The Frogs got to the red zone once and came away empty after failing on fourth down.
Still, there were a few signs of life. A seam route to Kari Ashley, the same kind of play that worked against West Virginia, helped jump-start one scoring drive.
Then Ace Theus got the edge and turned it into a 28-yard touchdown run. Both calls worked cleanly: Craig to Ashley was there again, and Theus was used in the Major Everhart role and made it count.
Those kinds of plays looked like answers TCU should have leaned on more often instead of treating them like occasional tricks for a rainy day. In the end, the offense finally went back to them when it mattered most. On the last drive, the Frogs mixed in quarterback reads and put the ball in Craig’s hands, letting him close the game out for the offense.
That was a welcome change for a team whose defense has carried most of the load all season. TCU’s defense had to spend too much time on the field in the first half because the offense couldn’t sustain anything. The Frogs ran only 10 plays in the first quarter while Kansas ran 22, and TCU finished the first half with five fewer plays than the Jayhawks but five fewer minutes of possession as well.
The defense did give up some chunk gains, including five passes of 25 yards or more and a 40-yard run. But as has so often been the case, it bent without breaking. The Frogs were again strong in the red zone, and that unit remains the best part of this team.
It also helped keep TCU’s scoring streak alive after Max Carolll scored a pick-six. The defense has been straight-up dominant, and with even an average offense, it would look even better.
In Other News...
TCUs Home Crowd Sent A Brutal Message Before A Huge Big 12 Game
Amon G. Carter Stadium had a strangely hollow feel just 10 minutes before kickoff for a game that carried plenty of weight for both sides. Kansas and TCU came in at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 play, so this was the kind of late-October matchup that could still shape the rest of the season, even if neither team had much margin for error.
Kansas also made a late quarterback change, naming Cole Ballard as the starter shortly before the game. With both teams trying to avoid another damaging conference loss, the atmosphere around the stadium only sharpened the sense that this was more than just another Saturday, and the crowd response was a reminder of how quickly a season can turn into a pressure-packed chase for bowl eligibility. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Answered A Brutal Home Crowd With A Comeback Fans Needed
For a team that spent much of the afternoon hearing it from its own crowd, TCU found a way to flip the mood at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Horned Frogs erased a 13-0 deficit late in the third quarter and pulled out a 22-16 win over Kansas, a result that felt as much about resilience as it did about the final score.
Kansas made things uncomfortable behind backup quarterback Cole Ballard, who was making his first start of the season and threw for 285 yards and a touchdown. But TCU kept hanging around until the game turned in the second half, and the comeback gave the Horned Frogs a needed lift after a rough start to the day. [Read more 🡒]