TCU didn’t find much rhythm on offense against BYU, but the Horned Frogs did keep turning to one dependable answer: Ashley.
The Marietta, Georgia, native has become one of the most useful pieces in the attack, and his production is starting to stand out. He leads TCU in receiving touchdowns this season, and he keeps cashing in whenever the Frogs need a spark.
That was on display Saturday, when a sluggish start from both teams led to a scoreless first quarter. TCU then fell behind after a Jaden Craig interception set up BYU’s first touchdown. On the next key snap, facing third-and-5 and trying to avoid a second straight three-and-out, Craig hit Ashley for a 30-yard gain.
The play was built to create space. TCU lined up with a heavy package, using two tight ends on the left side.
Ka’Morreun Pimpton was inside, Ashley was at wingback, and the Frogs ran a mesh concept with Pimpton and Jordan Dwyer crossing underneath. Those routes pulled BYU’s zone coverage apart just enough to give Ashley room in the middle of the field.
Craig found him beyond the sticks, but Ashley turned it into more. A safety bit too hard, and Ashley spun into open space and carried the ball into BYU territory.
That was only the start of his impact on the drive. Craig found him again later for another first down, this time with TCU in a pistol look and Ashley coming into the route from the backfield. On the final play of the march, Ashley was back at wingback, Pimpton was off the field, and Ashley slipped behind the linebackers on a short wheel route for a 13-yard touchdown.
His role kept shifting as the game went on, and TCU kept asking different things of him. In the fourth quarter, he made a tipped pass intended for Ed Small into a catch, then added another catch and run on second-and-16. Those plays came from different alignments, including the slot and a hybrid slot/wingback spot.
Ashley was like a queen on a chessboard: TCU could move him around and ask the defense to account for him from almost anywhere.
That kind of flexibility has been a theme all season. Before the BYU game, Ashley already had three touchdowns, and each one showed a different way TCU has used him.
Against Grambling, he started at wingback, motioned from right to left, and crossed behind the center before running a wheel route for a wide-open 29-yard touchdown.
Later in that same game, TCU went back to a similar idea to the one it used against BYU. Ashley again came from the wingback spot on a short wheel route and finished in the end zone.
Against Arkansas State, he lined up as the X receiver and beat the defense on a stop-and-go route over the middle for another 29-yard score.
The common thread is obvious: TCU has been able to move Ashley between tight end, wingback and wide receiver, and he has kept making those chances count. With four receiving touchdowns, he’s been one of the Frogs’ most productive scoring threats.
And it isn’t just about touchdowns. Against BYU, he showed how his route running and yards after the catch can help an offense stay on the field.
That performance came against one of the conference’s strongest teams, and TCU still has bigger problems to solve. Entering its second bye week, the Frogs have offensive issues to clean up before they face Baylor on October 17 in Waco. Baylor has won four straight, including a 55-19 win over Arizona State in Tempe, where Arizona State struggled to get its passing game going early and never found much relief as Baylor pulled away.
One area TCU may need to sharpen is how quickly Jaden Craig gets the ball out. That means better protection, better timing and routes that give him a target before pressure arrives.
Quick throws can also create chances after the catch, and moving Ashley around the formation gives TCU a better shot at favorable matchups. His work against BYU showed why using him in different roles matters more than lining him up the same way every time.
Ashley isn’t a cure-all. TCU still needs cleaner protection, more from the run game and fewer empty possessions.
But his production against BYU gave the Frogs something tangible to build on during the bye. If they want to make the trip to Waco count, keeping Ashley involved has to be part of the plan.
In Other News...
TCU Says Goodbye To The Coach Who Changed Everything
Dennis Franchione, the coach who helped change the trajectory of TCU football, has died at 75 in Austin after a yearslong battle with cancer. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2016, later went into remission, and then saw the illness return in 2023, eventually leading to hospice care.
For Horned Frogs fans, Franchione remains tied to a program that was searching for its footing before he helped revive it. His coaching career also took him to Alabama and Texas A&M, but at TCU his legacy was the one that still resonates most, because it marked the start of a different era for the program. [Read more 🡒]