TCU got exactly what it needed against Baylor: a win, some breathing room and a little proof that this season still has a pulse.
The Horned Frogs came out of a tense, ugly first half with a narrow edge and then stretched it into a 17-6 victory, snapping back to .500 after last week’s loss to BYU dropped them to 2-3. It was the first Big 12 win of the year for TCU, and it came with the kind of defensive performance that can carry a team for stretches if the offense keeps sputtering.
Jordan Dwyer was the biggest playmaker on the field, hauling in six catches for 150 yards. It was his second 100-yard receiving game since returning from a foot injury.
Ed Small kept doing what he’s been doing, finishing with eight receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. Jaden Craig had his issues, including an interception, but still threw for 294 yards and two scores, pushing his season total to 1,694 passing yards.
The defense did the heavy lifting. Koron Hayward piled up a team-high three sacks, Jamel Johnson added an interception and Chad Woodfork got to the quarterback as well.
More than anything, TCU completely took away Baylor’s ground game, holding the Bears to 54 yards on 34 carries, a 1.6-yard average. The Frogs also bottled up Florida transfer DJ Lagway, limiting him to 22 completions on 53 attempts and fewer than 5 yards per throw.
The win means TCU keeps the Bluebonnet Battle trophy and continues to have Baylor’s number. The Bears are now 2-10 against the Horned Frogs over their last 12 meetings. Just as important for TCU, the result keeps the team from sliding deeper toward the bottom of the Big 12 after a rough start.
Still, the offense has real problems, and the run game is at the top of the list. When TCU hired offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis, there was hope the rushing attack would take a step forward after Kendal Briles left for South Carolina.
That hasn’t happened. Against Baylor, the Horned Frogs managed only 33 rushing yards on 30 carries, and lead back Jeremy Payne got just one attempt before leaving with an injury.
Payne has been productive when healthy, with 88 carries for 429 yards and two touchdowns, but TCU’s team rushing average sits at just 3.3 yards.
Jon Denman has 29 carries for 90 yards and is averaging 3.1 yards per carry in his sophomore season. Division II transfer Landon Walker showed up late against Baylor, but he has barely been used otherwise.
Joe Pitchford, a walk-on, is the only other back who has seen meaningful work this season. With eligibility concerns out of the way, TCU has to think hard about getting freshmen Amante Martin and G’Ivori Graham more involved.
Martin was one of the program’s top recruits and had looked good in limited action earlier this year.
The offensive line is another question mark. Sonny Dykes said the staff shuffled pieces before the Baylor game, moving Noah McKinney from right guard to left guard, sliding Witten Van Hoy into his spot, putting Kilian Registe at right tackle and benching seventh-year guard Cade Bennett.
The tweaks didn’t fix much. Craig was sacked four times by Baylor, matching the four sacks he absorbed against BYU and UCF.
More changes up front would not be a surprise. TCU may have won, but the line issues are still sitting there, waiting for the next test.
In Other News...
TCU Faces A Major Offensive Question Heading Into West Virginia
TCU heads into its matchup with West Virginia with more than the usual Friday-night uncertainty, as the availability report leaves a handful of important names in limbo. Jeremy Payne, Kari Ashley and Zach Chapman are all listed as questionable, while Landon Walker carries a doubtful tag, adding another layer of concern for a roster trying to sort out who will be ready when the Horned Frogs take the field.
The timing matters because the report comes with several other players from both teams marked out, doubtful, questionable or probable, turning the pregame picture into one of the more fluid ones on the schedule. For TCU, the offensive puzzle is especially notable, since the Horned Frogs may have to make adjustments in the middle of a conference stretch against a West Virginia team dealing with its own list of availability questions. [Read more 🡒]
TCUs Baylor Momentum Faces A Real Test Against A Familiar Threat
The Horned Frogs get a quick turn from a gritty 17-6 win over Baylor to a tougher stylistic test at Amon G. Carter Stadium, where West Virginia arrives with an offense built to stress defenses in a different way. TCUs passing game gave the team a needed lift last week, but the challenge now is keeping that rhythm while preparing for an opponent that wants to play fast, spread the field and force mistakes in space.
West Virginias attack also comes with a familiar face in former TCU running back Cam Cook, now paired with quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. in a system that can punish any hesitation on defense. For TCU, the concern is not just scheme fit but depth, with several players already carrying injury questions into the matchup as the Horned Frogs try to build on the Baylor momentum without letting one win turn into a letdown. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces A Week 8 Letdown Test Fans Can't Ignore
As the Big 12 turns into the stretch run, TCU finds itself in a spot that feels familiar: a chance to sharpen its identity in a game that could say a lot about where the program is headed. The Horned Frogs are coming off a stretch in which their defense has helped keep them in the mix, and now they get a home test in Fort Worth against a West Virginia offense that, at least by the numbers, has been the toughest version of the Mountaineers the Frogs have seen this season.
For TCU, this is the kind of matchup that can quietly matter in the standings without always looking like the weekends flashiest game. A solid showing would reinforce what the Frogs have built on that side of the ball and keep them positioned well in a conference race where momentum can change fast. West Virginia, meanwhile, brings an offense capable of making the night uncomfortable, which is exactly why this one feels like more than just another midseason Big 12 date. [Read more 🡒]