TCU had the game in its hands Friday night, then let it slip away in the most painful way possible.
The Horned Frogs carried an eight-point lead late against No. 22 Arizona, only to watch the Wildcats rip off an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that cut the margin to two.
TCU still had a chance to steady itself after stopping the 2-point try, but the next mistake was the one that broke it open. Ed Small muffed a short kick, handed possession right back to Arizona and set up the go-ahead 37-yard field goal with 38 seconds left.
That left Jaden Craig with one more shot to rescue the Horned Frogs, and he couldn’t do it. His first throw of the final drive sailed past his receiver and straight to cornerback Tyrese Boss, ending TCU’s hopes in a 29-28 loss. It was another rough finish for Craig, who had also turned it over in the closing moments against North Carolina, UCF and West Virginia, even after helping TCU win last week with a last-minute rushing touchdown against Kansas.
The loss drops TCU to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12, with three games left and bowl eligibility still hanging in the balance. The Horned Frogs now need to win two of their final three to get there.
For all the late-game chaos, TCU had chances earlier and couldn’t cash in. Kyle Lemmermann missed a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter, then had a 50-yard try blocked in the third.
That left him 1 for 3 this season and 19 for 28 in his three-year TCU career. The special teams issues didn’t stop there, either.
The offense leaned heavily on Kari Ashley and Jordan Dwyer, who kept TCU afloat throughout the night. Ashley finished with 14 catches for 95 yards, while Dwyer had nine receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Amante Martin added eight carries for 35 yards, but the run game never got going. TCU finished with just 49 rushing yards on 21 attempts, a 2.3-yard average, and Craig was sacked three times as Arizona recorded six tackles for loss.
Hudson Hooper’s pick-six gave TCU its defensive highlight, but the unit couldn’t hold up over four quarters. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns, and the Wildcats finished with a 441-281 edge in total offense. It was the highest point total TCU has allowed in a game this season.
Two games after firing offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator AJ Ricker, the Horned Frogs still haven’t shown much improvement up front. Now they head into a tough closing stretch, with Kansas State and No. 2 Utah coming to Fort Worth before TCU finishes the season at Texas Tech later this month.
In Other News...
TCUs Undefeated Start Suddenly Comes With A Real Concern
TCU kept its undefeated start intact with a 100-92 double-overtime win over UL Monroe, but the game came with a sharper edge than the record suggests. Micah Robinson delivered a career-high 27 points and helped carry the Horned Frogs through a night that demanded far more than a routine nonconference finish, with the outcome still hanging deep into the second extra period.
Jamie Dixon and several players pointed to the late-game execution that finally separated TCU from a stubborn opponent, and that is where the real concern begins to surface. The Horned Frogs found a way to win, but a game like this also leaves a reminder that the margin for error shrinks quickly once the competition tightens, and TCU will have to clean up the details if it wants the unbeaten run to mean more than just a clean record. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Is Rallying Around Ed Small After A Brutal Moment
TCU spent the days after its loss to Arizona trying to turn the page, but the conversation around the program kept circling back to sophomore wide receiver Ed Small. The critical onside kick recovery error became one of the defining moments of the defeat, yet coach Sonny Dykes and teammates have made clear they are not letting one play define a player they value for much more than a single snap.
As the Horned Frogs prepare for Kansas State, the message inside the building has been about support and response rather than blame. Smalls teammates have rallied around him, pointing to his character and the work he has put in, and TCU now faces the familiar challenge of carrying a difficult moment forward without letting it linger into the next game. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Season Suddenly Feels Very Different Under Joe Klanderman
With three weeks left in the Big 12 regular season, the league picture is starting to sharpen, and Baylor has quietly become one of the more interesting teams in it. Under interim coach Joe Klanderman, the Bears have won two straight, locked up a bowl berth and suddenly look far more stable than they did a few weeks ago, a notable turn in a conference where Utah is still unbeaten and six Big 12 teams are sitting in the College Football Playoff rankings top 25.
The broader league race has only added to the intrigue, especially with Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker putting together a historic performance that has NFL scouts paying close attention even as his future in Stillwater remains uncertain. For TCU, fresh off a loss to Arizona and bracing for possible changes in the coaching staff or roster, Baylors surge is another reminder of how quickly the balance can shift in the Big 12, and how much can still change before the season is over. [Read more 🡒]