TCU is three games into the season, and the Horned Frogs have already started sorting out what this team is and what it still isn’t.
Saturday night’s 31-7 win over Arkansas State moved TCU to 2-1 and gave Sonny Dykes’ group a clean finish to the non-conference slate after the opening loss to North Carolina. It also offered a clearer picture of where the Horned Frogs are headed as Big 12 play opens Saturday at Central Florida at 2:30 p.m. in Orlando.
Dykes didn’t try to dress it up.
“The objective is to win. We’re 2-1, we’re disappointed that we’re not 3-0,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said Saturday night.
“There’s nothing we can do about that. We just have to continue working and getting better and improve.
We’re nowhere where we need to be. And I’m confident we’re nowhere near where we’re gonna be.”
That’s the reality now: the first quarter of the season is done, the loss to UNC is in the rearview mirror, and the next stretch will say a lot more about what this team can become. With that in mind, a few truths have already surfaced - along with a few major questions.
Jaden Craig has settled in
The first start against North Carolina was rough for the Harvard transfer. The last two games have looked much more like the version TCU needed.
Craig threw for 391 yards against Grambling State, then followed with 337 more against Arkansas State for his second straight 300-yard game. He has flashed the arm strength to hit deep throws, and against the Red Wolves he also showed better touch while moving on the run. He has been more willing to use his legs, and that seems to be helping him find a rhythm.
The competition level will rise fast, but Craig’s numbers are already piling up. He ranks 11th nationally in passing and is tied for 22nd in passing touchdowns with seven. That has come even without two starting wide receivers, which makes his growth over the last two weeks even more notable heading into UCF.
Young targets are starting to deliver
TCU entered the season needing production from inexperienced receivers after injuries to senior wideout Jordan Dwyer and junior Dozie Ezukanma. The early returns were messy. The opener was shaky, and there were at least five drops against Grambling State.
That changed against Arkansas State, where the wideouts had no drops and two players continued to separate themselves.
Sophomore slot receiver Ed Small has put together back-to-back 100-yard games, including a career-best 164 against Arkansas State. He has already doubled his freshman-year production, a season that was cut short by injury.
Junior tight end Kari Ashley has been just as important. He has averaged 103 yards per game over the last two weeks and looks like one of the most dangerous receiving tight ends around because of his speed and ability to create yards after the catch. With Dwyer expected back, TCU could have even more room for those two to keep building.
The run defense has held up
Losing two NFL linebackers could have left a dent. So far, it hasn’t.
TCU is allowing just 79.3 rushing yards per game, and even if Grambling State is removed from the conversation, the Horned Frogs are still giving up only 106.5 yards per game while holding Arkansas State and North Carolina under four yards per carry.
Senior linebacker Max Carroll leads the team with 17 tackles in his first season as a starter. Senior defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh has been a steady force up front, and junior strong safety Kaden McFadden has also made an early impression with 13 tackles.
TCU was top five in the Big 12 against the run last season, and the early signs point to more of the same.
The offensive line still needs a real answer
The Horned Frogs are still shuffling pieces up front. Against Arkansas State, Cooper Powers started at left guard instead of Cade Bennett, while Killian Registe got the nod at right tackle for the second straight week over Witten Van Hoy.
There have been stretches when the line has looked good - the first half against UNC, or the fourth quarter against Arkansas State - but the unit hasn’t been dominant. Dykes said after the Arkansas State game that he thought the offensive line took a small step back, and the numbers back that up. TCU managed only 3.4 yards per carry.
Against FBS competition, TCU is averaging just 118.5 rushing yards per game despite having Jeremy Payne in the backfield. Until the Horned Frogs settle on their best five linemen, the ground game is going to keep leaving something on the table.
The pass rush still hasn’t found a steady edge
TCU has seven sacks through three games, including two against Arkansas State, but the overall pressure picture is still uneven. That total is middle of the pack nationally, far from the relentless standard set by the nation’s top fronts.
The issue is the boom-or-bust feel. Sometimes the quarterback is swallowed up.
Other times he has too much time. That kind of swing is dangerous, especially as the schedule toughens.
Arkansas State quarterback Trey Owens had plenty of time to work in the pocket, and TCU was fortunate his accuracy was off in the first half. Without senior edge rusher Zach Chapman, who could still be weeks away, the Horned Frogs need somebody to step into the role of dependable pass-rush threat.
The secondary has pieces, but it’s still being sorted out
There is real talent on the back end. All-Big 12 safety Jamel Johnson is one of the best in the country at his position, and sophomore Gil Jackson is emerging as another key piece.
Beyond that, the picture is less settled.
Senior Jordan Lester was pushed into a starting role after the dismissal of Jacob Fields and had some trouble against North Carolina. He responded with a huge pass breakup on fourth-and-goal against Arkansas State.
Sophomore Julius Simms had a rough outing against the Tar Heels but bounced back against the Red Wolves. Senior corner Vernon Glover intercepted a pass against Grambling and held up well in coverage Saturday night.
TCU has enough talent in the secondary to feel encouraged. The question is how quickly the rest of the unit can catch up to the two standouts already anchoring it.
In Other News...
Former TCU Quarterback Suddenly Faces A Tough Question At Colorado State
Hauss Hejnys first season at Colorado State has already brought an unwelcome detour, as the former TCU and Aledo quarterback left Saturdays game against BYU in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. What looked at first like a short-term issue turned into something more serious in the moment, with Rams coach Jim Mora making clear the exit was not precautionary and that Hejny no longer had the mobility to keep playing.
The good news for CSU is that Mora described the injury as not major, but the bigger question is how quickly Hejny can get back to full strength. The extent of the hamstring problem and the recovery timeline are still unclear, leaving the Rams to wait on one of the most important pieces of their offense after a sudden and frustrating setback. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Heads Into Big 12 Play With One Encouraging Shift
TCU closed non-conference play with a 31-7 win over Arkansas State, and while the result never really came into doubt, the Horned Frogs still had a clear mix of good and not-so-good to sort through before Big 12 play begins. Jaden Craig gave the offense a lift by completing 21 of 27 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns, but the attack also showed some uneven stretches, and the front seven had trouble consistently getting to the quarterback.
The most encouraging part for TCU may have been on the back end, where safety Jamel Johnsons return from injury helped stabilize the secondary. The Horned Frogs also cleaned up some of the self-inflicted issues that have hurt them at times, drawing fewer penalties and showing better discipline overall, a useful sign as the margin for error gets much smaller in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Just Got The Encouraging Tune-Up Fans Needed Before Big 12 Play
TCU got the kind of non-conference finish it needed Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium, rolling past Arkansas State 31-7 and leaving with some real momentum heading into Big 12 play. Senior quarterback Jaden Craig looked sharp throughout, throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns while completing more than 70% of his passes, and the offense showed the kind of rhythm the Horned Frogs have been searching for.
The best sign for TCU may have been the way the passing game kept building on itself, with connections improving and receivers making plays all over the field. Sophomore Ed Small was among the notable contributors, and the defense backed it up by shutting out Arkansas State in the second half, a clean stretch that should give the Frogs some confidence as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]