TCU gets its first chance to reset Saturday when Grambling comes to Fort Worth for the Horned Frogs’ home opener.
The timing matters. TCU comes in off a bye after opening the season with a frustrating 15-10 loss to North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland, a game that started well enough before the offense went quiet. The Horned Frogs scored on their first two possessions, then didn’t find the end zone again.
Harvard transfer Jaden Craig had a steady debut, finishing 20 of 32 for 175 yards, but he did not throw a touchdown pass. He also coughed up a fumble that turned into a North Carolina field goal. TCU coach Sonny Dykes said Tuesday that Craig has already taken a step forward.
"He's gotten better (since that game)," TCU coach Sonny Dykes said of Craig at his weekly press conference Tuesday. "I think he's more comfortable.
It's the same old thing, the more he plays, the more comfortable he is going to get. The more reps we get in practice, the more comfortable he is going to get."
If TCU is searching for a silver lining from the opener, Jeremy Payne provided one. He ran for 142 yards on 25 carries and gave the Frogs one of the few consistent sparks on the night.
The bigger offensive question for TCU is whether Jordan Dwyer will be available. The wide receiver missed the North Carolina game with a foot injury, and Dykes said he is questionable for Saturday.
Grambling arrives at 2-0 and has been rolling through the early part of its schedule, beating Clark Atlanta 49-7 and Central State 48-26. The Tigers have leaned hard on the ground game, piling up 361 rushing yards against Central State and 644 total yards overall.
That backfield has plenty of options. Jamarion Parker returned from injury against Central State, while Tony Phillips Jr. and Byron Eaton Jr. each ripped off long touchdown runs - 75 yards for Phillips and 58 for Eaton.
"Running the ball for more than 350 yards is awesome, but we've got to continue to build on this and just get better in the passing game against TCU," Grambling coach Mickey Joseph said.
Saturday will be the first meeting between the programs since 2012, when TCU shut out Grambling 56-0.
"We gotta pay the bills at Grambling," Joseph said, alluding to the financial guarantees FCS teams receive to play FBS opponents. "We get to see where we're at. We get a measuring stick outside of a D-II school."
In Other News...
TCU Still Has Two Crucial Starting Jobs To Sort Out
TCUs final stretch of preseason camp has still left a couple of important answers unresolved as the Horned Frogs head toward their home opener against Grambling State. The most visible battle remains at right tackle, where Kilian Registe and Witten Van Hoy have been competing for the same starting role, and the outcome there will help shape how the offense settles in before the games start counting for real.
There is also a crowd around free safety, with Jordan Lester, Devyn Hidrogo and Kaden McFadden all in the mix as the staff sorts out who gives the defense the best fit. Add in the possibility of a linebacker switch, and it is clear TCUs depth chart still has a few moving parts even after the early preseason look, with recent game performance and coaching comments offering clues but not a full answer yet. [Read more 🡒]
TCUs 2027 Commits Are Already Giving Fans A Reason To Dream
TCUs 2027 class is still in its early stages, but the Horned Frogs already have a sizable group of high school commitments giving the fan base something to track well before those players ever arrive in Fort Worth. With 17 pledges already in place, the class has turned into a weekly scouting report for TCU followers, who can keep tabs on how each commit is developing and how their high school teams are faring this fall.
For a program always trying to stay ahead in recruiting, that kind of early momentum matters because it gives coaches a long runway to build relationships while fans get a preview of the talent pipeline. The appeal is obvious: these are all high school players, still years from college football, but their recent performances and upcoming games offer a glimpse of what TCU is betting on as it shapes its future roster. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Must Show It Fixed The Mistakes Dublin Exposed
The opener in Dublin gave TCU a clear list of fixes, and the first home game of the season is less about the final score than about whether the details look cleaner. Against North Carolina, the Horned Frogs were hurt by penalties, late offensive stagnation, shaky red-zone work and special-teams sloppiness, the kind of issues that can linger if they are not addressed quickly.
Grambling State should provide a different kind of test, but it still offers a useful measuring stick for the Horned Frogs. The questions are straightforward: can TCU play a cleaner game, finish drives better and show that the early-season mistakes were a one-week problem rather than a pattern the coaching staff still has to sort out. [Read more 🡒]