TCU didn’t put on a masterpiece Saturday, but it didn’t need one. The Horned Frogs leaned on defense, got just enough from the offense and snapped a three-game losing streak against Kansas State with a 20-10 win at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
The victory moved TCU to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Big 12, while Kansas State fell to 4-6 and 1-6. It was TCU’s second double-digit win over a Power Four opponent this season, following the 17-6 win over Baylor on Oct. 17.
The game was controlled by TCU from the start. The Horned Frogs built a 17-0 lead early in the third quarter, then had to survive a Kansas State push that made it a one-score game late.
With two minutes left and TCU clinging to a 20-10 lead, junior safety Kaden McFadden delivered the play that ended it, sacking quarterback Dillon Duff and forcing a fumble. Senior defensive tackle Markis Deal recovered with 1:58 remaining.
That finish capped another strong defensive outing for TCU, which finished with five sacks and two turnovers in a must-win game.
The offense didn’t have to carry the load, but it did enough to keep Kansas State from hanging around too long. With the Wildcats down to fourth-string quarterback Dillon Duff because of injuries to starter Avery Johnson and others, TCU still managed only 10 points and 153 total yards in the first half, even with leading rusher Jeremy Payne back in the lineup.
The Horned Frogs finally found some rhythm coming out of halftime. Senior quarterback Jaden Craig led a nine-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half, finishing it with a 5-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Jacobe Hayes. That score pushed TCU ahead 17-0 with 10:14 left in the third quarter.
Kansas State answered with two third-quarter touchdowns to trim the margin to 17-10 heading into the fourth. TCU then needed another drive, and Craig - playing through an ankle injury - helped produce it. He connected with sophomore receiver Ed Small for 22 yards on third-and-6 early in the fourth, setting up Kyle Lemmermann’s 36-yard field goal with 10:15 left to make it 20-10.
Craig finished with 225 passing yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Adam Schobel also got some work, rushing for three yards on three carries while Craig dealt with the injury.
The defense was the biggest reason TCU was able to steady itself. After giving up a season-high 29 points against Arizona, the unit came out sharp and dominated the first half. Kansas State was held scoreless and limited to 90 yards before halftime, with TCU’s pass rush doing most of the damage.
Four different players recorded sacks in the first half: linebackers Max Carroll and Hudson Hooper, plus defensive linemen Markis Deal and Koron Hayward. Hayward also forced a fumble on Kansas State’s second possession, and that turnover led to TCU’s first touchdown.
Kansas State did find some traction in the third quarter, piling up 128 yards and scoring twice to make things interesting. But when the Wildcats reached the TCU 35-yard line in the fourth, the defense forced a punt with 6:07 remaining. Then, after the offense failed to land the knockout blow, McFadden and Deal finished the job in the final two minutes.
Payne’s return mattered, too. The junior running back had been out since the Baylor win on Oct. 17, and TCU’s ground game had struggled without him.
He opened well, gaining 41 yards on eight carries in the first half by finding small creases and making defenders miss. He wasn’t as effective after halftime as Kansas State paid more attention to him, and he left briefly in the fourth quarter after taking a hard hit on third down before returning.
Payne ended with 15 carries for 55 yards.
There was also an unusual backdrop to Kansas State’s trip. The Wildcats were affected by the Federal Aviation Administration’s ground stop order on Friday afternoon and were already on the tarmac when it hit.
Their departure was pushed to Saturday morning, forcing players to wake up around 5:30 a.m. for an 8:30 a.m. flight out of Manhattan, Kansas. They landed at 9:39 and arrived at Amon G.
Carter Stadium at 10:27 a.m., just 2.5 hours before kickoff.
Of the six Big 12 games played Saturday, TCU-Kansas State and Oklahoma State-Texas Tech were the only ones whose kickoff times were not changed by the ground stop.
TCU now turns to a tough closing stretch, hosting No. 2 Utah on Nov. 21 before playing at No.
12 Texas Tech on Nov. 26.
The Horned Frogs need to win at least one of those games to become bowl-eligible.
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TCU Heads Into Texas A&M With One Big Concern Still Lingering
TCU closed out its non-conference tune-up with a 76-64 win over Milwaukee, getting a strong all-around effort before the schedule stiffens. Xavier Edmonds led the way with 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Horned Frogs tightened up defensively after halftime to pull away and finish the game with some needed momentum.
Now comes the real test. Texas A&M will be TCUs first high-major opponent of the season, and that matchup should say a lot more about where the Horned Frogs stand than anything they have seen so far. The win over Milwaukee offered a clean finish to one part of the schedule, but the next stretch will quickly show whether TCUs improved second-half defense can travel against a far tougher level of competition. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Loss Put TCUs Biggest Late-Season Question Under The Spotlight
The Horned Frogs 20-10 win over Kansas State gave TCU a much-needed lift and moved the team to 5-5, but it also served as a reminder that this stretch of the season is about more than just getting back in the win column. The defense did its part by keeping the Wildcats from finding much rhythm, and the offense had enough timely production to make the result stand up, with Kari Ashley and Jeremy Payne both providing useful sparks.
Even so, the bigger question hanging over the Horned Frogs is what this late-season push will really look like when the competition tightens and the margin for error shrinks. TCU has shown it can win with defense and enough complementary offense to get by, but the next few games will say plenty about whether that formula is sustainable or just enough to keep the season alive for now. [Read more 🡒]