TCU gets a big one at home Saturday night, and the timing couldn’t be more interesting. The Frogs welcome No.
10 BYU to Amon G. Carter Stadium at 6:00 p.m.
Central, trying to steady themselves after last week’s 21-13 loss at UCF and avoid falling to 0-2 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2013.
The matchup also brings a little recent history with it. BYU beat TCU last season in Provo, 44-13, and the Frogs were held to 230 yards while Cougar quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 296. This time, BYU arrives 3-0 and coming off a bye week.
TCU’s challenge is obvious: clean up the mistakes and find a way to match a BYU team that has been efficient on both sides of the ball. The Frogs turned it over four times against UCF and were flagged 11 times, then managed only 33 rushing yards on 1.2 yards per carry. Even with three trips to the red zone, they came away with just 10 points.
Jaden Craig still gave TCU production through the air. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 310 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Craig is tied for the Big 12 lead in 300-yard passing games with three, and he ranks second in the league in passing yards with 1,213, passing yards per game at 303.25 and passing plays of 20-plus yards with 19. His passing average ranks fifth nationally, and his yardage total sits sixth.
The receiving group got a boost from Jordan Dwyer, who played for the first time this season and caught five passes for 100 yards. Jeremy Scott added five receptions for 80 yards.
The run game, though, remains a problem. TCU entered last week against a defense that was last in the Big 12 against the run and still produced only 33 rushing yards. That’s a hard number to hide.
Defensively, the Frogs had mixed results against UCF. They allowed only 160 passing yards, but Keyone Jenkins completed 19 of 20 throws. TCU did hold the Knights to 106 rushing yards and forced two turnovers.
On the season, TCU is averaging 29.3 points per game and 442 yards per game, with the passing attack carrying most of the load at 303.3 yards per game. The ground game is averaging 138.8 yards per game.
Defensively, the Frogs have been strong, allowing 12.5 points per game and 264.8 total yards per game. They are giving up 86.0 rushing yards per game and 178.8 passing yards per game.
BYU brings a very different profile into Fort Worth. The Cougars are averaging 44.0 points per game and 482.0 yards per game, while allowing 15.7 points and 271 yards per game. Their run defense has been especially stout, giving up just 76.0 rushing yards per game.
Bachmeier has thrown for 642 yards with six touchdowns and one interception, while also adding 64 rushing yards and two scores on 12 carries. LJ Martin leads the ground game with 328 rushing yards and three touchdowns. True freshman Legend Glasker tops the receiving chart with 270 yards and two touchdowns, and Kyler Kasper has 116 yards and two scores.
The game also marks the first time a top-10 team has visited Fort Worth since 2023, when seventh-ranked Texas came in and beat TCU 29-26. TCU’s last win over a top-10 opponent came against No.
2 Michigan in 2022, and its last home win over one came against No. 8 Oklahoma State that same season.
Under Sonny Dykes, the Frogs are 3-1 at home against ranked teams and 8-5 overall in those games. They’ve also won two straight against ranked opponents, finishing last season with victories over No.
24 Houston and No. 16 USC.
TCU still owns the series edge, 7-6.
In Other News...
TCU Faces A Bigger Question Than Expected Before No. 10 BYU
TCUs first availability report for the BYU matchup offered at least a little relief, with starting linebacker Max Carroll and backup offensive lineman Ryan Hughes absent from the list entirely, a sign they may be ready to go. Defensive end Zach Chapman and Perry Cole Jr. did show up as questionable, though coach Sonny Dykes said Chapman is expected to play, giving the Frogs some clarity at one of the more important spots on the defensive front.
Even so, the report adds another layer to a game that already carries real weight with No. 10 BYU coming to town. TCU has to sort through who is truly available and who is still trending toward game-time decision status, and the bigger concern may be how much of the defense is intact when the Frogs try to slow a ranked opponent that will put stress on every level of the unit. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Just Entered An Early Recruiting Battle Worth Watching
TCU has added another young name to its recruiting board, extending a scholarship offer to 2027 defensive lineman Charles Egbo after a conversation with Sonny Dykes. The Iowa Colony High School prospect is already verbally committed to Texas State, but the Horned Frogs are clearly making an early push as they continue to build a relationship and watch his development.
Egbos recruitment is starting to get interesting because TCU is no longer alone in trying to change the picture, with Houston also stepping in recently. For the Frogs, this is the kind of early evaluation battle that can matter down the line, especially with a prospect whose fit and upside are still being sorted out while the process is very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Best Edge At TCU Could Decide This Big 12 Test
BYU comes out of its bye week with a chance to reset the conversation in the Big 12, and TCU is in a similar spot in a different way. The Horned Frogs are still looking for their first win over a power conference opponent this season after falling to UNC and UCF, even as they handled Grambling and Arkansas State, so this meeting has plenty riding on it for a team trying to establish where it fits in the league race.
One of the reasons the Cougars have drawn so much attention is the form of running back LJ Martin, whose recent stretch has given BYU a real edge on offense. Add in the betting expectations around the matchup, and this feels like the kind of test that can swing on a few key plays, with TCU needing to prove it can match up when the opponent brings both momentum and a clear identity. [Read more 🡒]