TCU is about to get a hard-edged measuring stick.
For the first time since 2023, the Horned Frogs will bring a top-10 opponent into Amon G. Carter Stadium, and No.
10 BYU arrives for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday on ESPN. TCU is 2-2 and 0-1 in the Big 12 after a 21-13 loss at Central Florida, so the Horned Frogs are chasing a result that can change the feel of their season in a hurry.
BYU, meanwhile, is 3-0 and 1-0, rested after a bye and carrying most of the pieces from last year’s 44-13 rout of TCU.
The Cougars’ ground game still runs through senior back LJ Martin, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Martin piled up 1,305 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns a year ago, added 255 receiving yards, and totaled 122 yards with a score in the win over TCU last season.
He’s picked up right where he left off, too, with 328 rushing yards and three touchdowns this year while averaging 7.8 yards per carry, good for No. 8 nationally. Against Colorado State, he looked every bit like the centerpiece of the offense, rolling up 176 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries.
At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Martin is built to punish tacklers, and he rarely goes down on first contact. That puts plenty of pressure on a TCU run defense that ranks No. 5 in the Big 12, especially with BYU leaning on a veteran offensive line led by preseason All-Big 12 selection Bruce Mitchell.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier is making the leap, too. The sophomore was thrown into action early as a freshman and ended up one of the biggest surprises in the league, helping BYU reach the Big 12 title game while throwing for 3,033 yards, rushing for 527 and accounting for 26 total touchdowns. This season, his numbers have climbed across the board: his completion percentage is up from 64.9 to 71.0, his passer rating has jumped from 139.9 to 187.1, and he has just one interception while throwing for 642 yards and six touchdowns.
Bachmeier is showing more trust in his arm and more comfort attacking downfield and into tighter windows. Some of that growth has come against lighter non-conference competition, with Utah Tech and Colorado State on the schedule, but he also threw three touchdowns and posted a rating of 88.2 out of 100 in ESPN’s QBR metric against Arizona and its veteran defense. He also had one of his best games last season against TCU, throwing for 296 yards and adding 59 rushing yards with two total touchdowns.
BYU’s defense looks every bit the part of a top-20 unit again after finishing there in scoring defense last season. Up front, preseason All-Big 12 selection Keanu Tanuvasa brings size and force at 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, and he had a sack against TCU a year ago.
At linebacker, Cade Uluave arrived from California and has already made his presence felt with a team-high-tying 14 tackles and an interception in the win over Arizona. He’s paired well with Isaiah Glasker, who ranks third on the team with 13 tackles.
The back end has talent, too, with preseason All-Big 12 safety Faletau Satuala covering plenty of ground. Satuala and Glasker were both third-team All-Big 12 selections last season, and BYU already ranks second in the conference with five interceptions.
The other big piece of the BYU puzzle is a freshman receiver who has quickly become impossible to ignore. Legend Glasker was the answer to the Cougars’ biggest offseason question at wideout after they lost their top three receivers, and he has been electric through the first quarter of the season. He leads BYU with 270 yards on 11 catches and two touchdowns, and his 24.5 yards per reception ranks sixth nationally.
Glasker has given BYU a vertical threat it didn’t have last year, forcing defenses to respect the deep ball and making life easier for Martin and Bachmeier. He has topped 65 yards in every game this season, including 74 against Arizona, and the Cougars have even used him on the ground, where he has six carries for 42 yards.
For TCU, the challenge is clear: slow Martin, contain Bachmeier, and keep Glasker from turning the field into a track meet.
In Other News...
TCUs Locker Room Just Sent A Message After This 2-2 Start
TCUs rough stretch has already pushed the Horned Frogs into some self-assessment, and the response came from inside the locker room. After back-to-back losses, the teams captains called a players-only meeting to address the way the Frogs have been playing and to try to tighten the bond in a room that has been searching for a cleaner rhythm through the first four games.
Senior quarterback Jaden Craig was part of that conversation, along with other captains, as the group tried to reset confidence and reinforce unity. Sonny Dykes said he welcomed the initiative and noted that the coaching staff is looking at every part of the program in hopes of turning results around, a sign that the message in Fort Worth has shifted from frustration to accountability with the season still young. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Is Already In Position For A DFW Recruiting Fight
Ben Cornist is only a freshman at Lake Dallas High School, but the 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver is already drawing attention in the kind of way that can shape a future DFW recruiting battle. TCU and SMU have both extended early scholarship offers to the 2030 prospect, a sign that his size and production are turning heads long before most players in his class are even fully on the radar.
For Cornist, though, the process is still very much in its infancy. He remains open to opportunities while working to sharpen the parts of his game he knows matter most, especially route running and yards after catch. With both Metroplex programs involved this early, the Horned Frogs already have a foothold in a recruitment that could become more interesting as his development picks up. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Just Inherited The Big 12 Pressure Fans Have Wanted
Week 4 brought a fresh reshuffling across the Big 12, with Cincinnati handing Kansas State its first loss and Oklahoma State picking up a road win at West Virginia, two results that made the conference picture feel a little less predictable heading into Week 5. With all 16 teams now sorted again by recent performance, the standings reflect a league that still has plenty of room for movement, and the next round of games offers another chance for contenders and surprise teams alike to stake their claim.
For TCU fans, the bigger takeaway is how quickly the pressure points in the Big 12 keep shifting from week to week. The conferences upcoming slate includes several matchups with clear ranking implications, along with game times and broadcast details already in place, so the path ahead is not just about wins and losses but about who can keep pace in a crowded race. [Read more 🡒]