TCU is moving past a rough opener, but the Horned Frogs aren’t moving away from Jaden Craig.
After a 15-10 loss to North Carolina in Dublin, the senior quarterback is still drawing full support inside the program, even after a debut that didn’t go the way anybody wanted. Craig, the Harvard transfer, finished with 175 passing yards and no touchdowns, and his fumble to open the second half turned into points for the Tar Heels.
That’s the kind of start that can shake a quarterback’s confidence. It hasn’t shaken TCU’s.
“He’s been great. He’s obviously disappointed.
I think we’re all disappointed,” head coach Sonny Dykes said Tuesday. “I think we’re all embarrassed.
That’s not how we practiced and prepared going into the game. Typically, you play like you practice, good or bad.
We practiced really well and didn’t play particularly well.
“But from a state-of-mind standpoint, he’s great. He’s gonna bounce back. The guy had practiced incredibly well and prepared incredibly well.”
The challenge for Craig was never just about one game. He was stepping up from the Ivy League into a Power Four league, learning a new system and doing it without two starting outside receivers, Jordan Dwyer and Dozie Ezukanma, against North Carolina. Craig had built a strong connection with Dwyer during fall camp, so the timing of those absences mattered.
Now TCU gets a little breathing room. The bye week gives Craig extra time to sort through the tape from the opener, and the staff believes that process will matter.
Dykes said the quarterback has handled preparation the right way, which is why the Horned Frogs expect a better showing when they face Grambling State on Sept. 12 at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
“He’ll [prepare well] for next week’s game, and he’ll go out and play better,” Dykes said.
One area TCU expects to see more from is Craig’s legs. His ability to create as both a runner and a thrower was a big part of why the Horned Frogs liked him in the transfer portal, but that part of his game never really got rolling against North Carolina. He was sacked three times and finished with -22 rushing yards.
Dykes pointed to the Tar Heels’ coverage looks as part of the reason Craig didn’t have many chances to break free.
“I think it just worked that way with what we saw from a defensive standpoint,” Dykes said of Craig’s limited scrambles. “They played a lot of coverage in this game, so he didn’t have a ton of opportunities to run. Just one or two chances he certainly had that we didn’t, but he’ll have more opportunities as the season rolls along.”
The belief around Craig isn’t coming only from the coaching staff. Senior tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton, who hooked up with Craig on a 40-yard completion for the quarterback’s longest throw against the Tar Heels, said the trust inside the huddle is still strong.
“That I’m behind him,” Pimpton said when asked about his message to Craig. “At the end of the day, man, I got you.
I don’t think you’re in this alone, don’t think that. We’re all gonna be right behind you.
He’s our quarterback and behind him 100%. He’s an amazing player.
He’s a great leader.”
Pimpton also pointed to the way Craig keeps working after the game, in practice and in the film room. For him, that’s part of why the offense isn’t backing off.
“He goes out there every day and puts a lot of weight on his shoulders,” Pimpton said. “At the end of the day, I’m telling him, ‘I got you.’
I can help you with that. That’s how all of us are with him because we know it takes all 11 of us and not just him.”
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