TCU walked into its bye week with a frustrating record and a mountain to climb, but the Horned Frogs aren’t treating the season like it’s slipping away.
After last week’s 17-10 loss to No. 8 BYU, TCU sits at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play, a spot that makes the path to the conference championship game look steep. Still, there’s no sign inside the program that the group is packing it in before the calendar turns.
Senior tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton framed the mindset plainly as TCU used the open week to reset before facing Baylor (4-1, 2-0) at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 in Waco.
“We’re coming in this week, and we’re just telling each other let’s go win seven straight,” Pimpton said. “Let’s just go on a run.
We understand that we played really, really hard this game [vs. BYU], and we want to carry that on throughout the season.
The big thing is to just continuing that momentum of playing hard how we did last week.”
That’s the tension with this team: the effort has been there, and the losses still keep piling up. TCU pushed BYU hard and was close to pulling the upset, but the Horned Frogs also ran into the same problem that showed up against North Carolina and Central Florida. Too often, the offense has stalled before it could cash in on what the defense has given it.
The defensive side of the ball has held up its end almost every week. TCU is tied for 13th nationally in scoring defense, giving up 13.4 points per game, and the offense’s struggles stand out even more next to that number. In TCU’s three losses to Power Four conference opponents, the new offense is averaging only 11 points per game.
That’s a rough return for a group with a quarterback who ranks 12th nationally in passing yards, an NFL-caliber No. 1 receiver and a tight end who leads the nation in receiving yards among players at his position. The talent is obvious. The output, less so.
Pimpton still sees the breakthrough coming.
“We’re a play away, a block away, certain steps on routes away,” Pimpton said. “It’s right there.
It’s a small margin of error, but we can get over the hump. I feel like we can put up 40 points these next seven games on offense.
We got a lot of guys, a lot of depth, and we’re bound for a breakout.”
The defense has given the offense room to believe. TCU expected improvement up front with so much return on the defensive line, and the unit has delivered more than expected. The Horned Frogs rank 27th nationally against the run and 12th against the pass, numbers that have kept them in games even when the offense hasn’t done enough.
Senior linebacker Hudson Hooper thinks the group’s identity is showing up more clearly each week.
“I don’t really know numbers-wise, but it feels like the guys are really bought in and flying around,” Hooper said. “This is the third year with [defensive coordinator Andy] Avalos, so we’re really jelling together and everyone knows where they need to fit in the defense.”
Hooper has been one of the defense’s biggest bright spots, leading the team with 27 tackles even though he didn’t start the season opener against North Carolina. His view matches Pimpton’s: TCU is close, just not quite over the line yet.
“We’re just right on the verge. It’s a game of inches, you know?”
Hooper said. “I think if we just keep pushing, keep working and doing our jobs, something will budge.”
That’s where TCU is now - a few plays from a different record, maybe even a different conversation entirely. The Horned Frogs could easily imagine themselves 5-0 and in the Top 25, but that’s not where they are, and nobody in the locker room is pretending otherwise.
Instead, the focus is on what comes next. The bye week offers a needed pause, and Baylor is up after that. For Pimpton, the message is simple: the season is still alive.
“It’s good to get a little break to get some rest in,” Pimpton said. “Plus, going into a rivalry week like it is with Baylor, we’re really excited to just to get ready to just go on a run. ...
We understand that the season is not over, man. I know we’ve had back-to-back losses, but at the end of the day, we still have everything in front of us.”
In Other News...
Baylor Heads Into TCU With Momentum And One Big Question
As Baylor heads into the week off before seeing TCU, Dave Aranda made it clear the Bears still see room to grow even after the recent stretch that has built some momentum. During his weekly media availability, Aranda focused on the teams ongoing improvement, stressing the value of using the bye week well while keeping the current rhythm intact and continuing to sharpen the details that matter in conference play.
Aranda also touched on the health of key pieces, noting encouraging signs up front and better movement from quarterback DJ Lagway. Those updates matter in a matchup like this, where protection and mobility can shape everything Baylor wants to do, but the biggest question now is how much of that progress carries over once the Bears return to action against the Horned Frogs. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Faces A Rivalry Threat That Could Hit Big 12 Hopes Hard
Baylors trip to face TCU carries more weight than a typical rivalry game, even with the Bears installed as the favorite. The matchup has the feel of a measuring stick for both programs, with Baylor trying to keep its Big 12 position intact and TCU leaning on the kind of defensive edge that can make a favorite uncomfortable on the road.
For the Horned Frogs, the stakes are obvious even without much room for error in league play, and that is part of what makes this one so intriguing. Baylor can ill afford a slip if it wants to stay in the title conversation, while TCU has enough on its side to make this a game that could turn quickly if the Bears are forced into a tight fourth-quarter fight. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Faces A Bowl Pressure Game With West Virginia Coming To Town
The Big 12 has set TCUs home matchup with West Virginia for Oct. 24, giving the Horned Frogs another clear checkpoint in a season where bowl positioning is starting to matter. The noon-hour kickoff at Amon G. Carter Stadium will land on ESPN2, and it arrives with both programs searching for traction after uneven starts, with TCUs offense still trying to find more consistency.
West Virginia brings an offense that can create problems, while TCU will be leaning on the fact that Sonny Dykes has handled the Mountaineers well during his time in Fort Worth. For the Horned Frogs, the bigger picture is obvious: this is the kind of midseason game that can shape the rest of October, especially with bowl eligibility hanging in the balance and little margin left for slipups. [Read more 🡒]