TCU didn’t just beat Arkansas State on Saturday night. It spent four quarters showing a sharper, cleaner version of itself in a 31-7 win that pushed the Horned Frogs to 2-1.
The headline numbers told the story fast enough: TCU’s defense has now allowed just one touchdown in each of its first three games, and the 29 points it has surrendered through that stretch is its fewest over a three-game span since 2014. By the end of the night, the Frogs had paired that defensive control with a passing game that finally started popping.
Quarterback Jaden Craig finished with 337 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and a big chunk of that damage came through Ed Small. The receiver turned in a career performance, hauling in 7 of 8 targets for 164 yards. Two of those catches went for more than 40 yards, and one became a 17-yard touchdown.
TCU needed a little time to get rolling, but once Small broke free for a 52-yard catch-and-run into the red zone, the offense found its footing. Three plays later, Jeremy Payne punched in his first touchdown of the season on a rushing score to put TCU on the board.
Small kept driving the night forward on the next scoring march. He came up with another 42-yard grab before Craig found him for that 17-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone.
Arkansas State did manage to answer before halftime. Ezell Jolly scored on a one-yard run with 1:05 left in the second quarter, trimming the Frogs’ lead to 14-7 at the break.
The Red Wolves opened the second half with some momentum, stringing together strong runs and a quarterback keeper to move the ball inside the 10. But TCU’s defense held firm on fourth down, and that stop set up one of the night’s defining drives: 99 yards, 14 plays, eight minutes.
That march ended with tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton catching a nine-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 21-7 after Nate McCashland’s extra point.
The Frogs’ defense tightened even more in the fourth quarter, getting strong pressure on Arkansas State’s quarterback and preventing any kind of comeback push. McCashland added a 29-yard field goal to make it 24-7, then TCU finished the scoring with another strike from Craig, this one a 29-yard touchdown to Kari Ashley with 1 minute and 52 seconds left.
The night also offered a clear sign that TCU’s pass-catchers are starting to look dangerous. After a stretch of questions about drops, the Frogs got production from both receivers and tight ends.
Pimpton said he feels like TCU’s tight end room is “the best in the country,” and added that the group knows what it can do and showed it Saturday. Small said the unit has worked to clean up its issues and build more chemistry with Craig, and he felt that was on display, too.
On the other side of the ball, safety Jamel Johnson pointed to doing their “1 11,” meaning everyone handling his own job. Head coach Sonny Dykes kept the bigger picture in view, saying, “we’re certainly not a finished product,” while stressing his drive to make the team as good as it can be.
Dykes also said receiver Jordan Dwyer is expected back next week as TCU opens Big 12 play. The Frogs will face UCF on Saturday at 2:30 in Orlando, Florida.
In Other News...
Former TCU Quarterback Suddenly Faces A Tough Question At Colorado State
Hauss Hejnys return to game action for Colorado State hit an early snag against BYU, when the former TCU and Aledo quarterback left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. Rams coach Jim Mora said the move was not precautionary, adding that Hejny did not have the mobility to keep playing once the issue surfaced.
The encouraging part for Colorado State is Mora did not describe it as a major injury, but the rest is still unresolved. How long Hejny will be out, and how quickly he can get back to full speed, is now the question hanging over a quarterback situation that had only just started to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Has A Big 12 Problem Starting To Look Very Real
Early-season games around the Big 12 have already offered a useful scouting report for anyone tracking TCUs path through the league. Georgia States offense has shown how a steady ground game can keep pressure on a defense, while UCF and BYU have each flashed the kind of quarterback-driven wrinkles that force opponents to account for more than just the dropback pass. West Virginia has also provided another reminder that turnovers and special teams swings can tilt a game quickly, especially when teams are still sorting out their identity in September.
For the Horned Frogs, the bigger concern is how many different ways league opponents can stress a defense. Mobile quarterbacks change the math on the edge, while special teams mistakes can turn a tight contest into one that feels out of reach in a hurry. TCU does not need a full overhaul to handle that, but the recent tape makes it clear the margin in the Big 12 is thin, and the matchups ahead are shaping up to demand cleaner execution than the Frogs have shown so far. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Gets Timely Boost As UCF Enters Big 12 Opener Shorthanded
TCU is set to get a timely piece back on offense as it heads into its Big 12 opener against UCF, with wide receiver Jordan Dwyer expected to return from a foot injury. For a Horned Frogs team about to start league play, getting a weapon back in the passing game matters, especially in a matchup that can help set the tone for the conference season.
UCF, meanwhile, is working through a more complicated quarterback situation. Starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III is expected to miss the game with a hamstring injury, which opens the door for Keyone Jenkins to take over under center. Injuries have already altered the outlook on both sides, and the way each team adjusts could shape what figures to be an important early Big 12 test. [Read more 🡒]