TCU gets a quick turn after its Baylor win, and the next test may be even louder. The Horned Frogs are back home Saturday morning for a matchup with West Virginia at 11 a.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium, carrying momentum from a 17-6 road upset in Waco into a meeting with one of the Big 12’s most dangerous offenses.
The numbers tell you why this one feels different. TCU is 3-3 overall and 1-2 in league play, while West Virginia comes in at 4-3 and 1-3. The Mountaineers can score in a hurry, but they also arrive with one of the nation’s weakest defenses, setting up a contrast that should define the afternoon.
TCU may have stumbled into something real against Baylor. After snapping the Bears’ four-game winning streak, the Horned Frogs leaned on explosive passing plays to do it, and quarterback Jaden Craig kept attacking downfield. He connected with Ed Small and Jordan Dwyer for five big completions, and Dwyer finished with 150 yards against a Baylor secondary that had ranked second in the Big 12 in pass defense efficiency.
West Virginia’s offense will bring a different kind of pressure. Former TCU running back Cam Cook returns to Fort Worth after transferring out following the 2024 season, and he’s now carrying the load in a big way.
He leads the country with 168 carries and has rushed for 833 yards. At quarterback, Frisco Emerson product Michael Hawkins Jr., an Oklahoma transfer, has thrown for 1,519 yards and added 749 more on the ground for head coach Rich Rodriguez.
For Sonny Dykes, the Baylor result fits the kind of finish he’s trying to build. He’s hoping it can spark another late-season push like TCU has made the past two years, when the Horned Frogs rallied to 9-4 in 2024 and finished ranked No. 25 in 2025. Senior tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton said a players-only meeting before the BYU game helped the team stay connected.
The challenge for TCU’s defense is obvious. West Virginia plays an uptempo spread option, and the Horned Frogs will try to answer with a unit that has been excellent in conference play.
TCU leads the Big 12 in scoring defense, total defense, third-down conversions allowed and red-zone defense. The Mountaineers also feature a home-run threat in Troy transfer DJ Epps, who leads the nation at 25.3 yards per catch, and only Oklahoma State has kept West Virginia under 31 points this season.
TCU is also dealing with some injury questions. Leading rusher Jeremy Payne left the Baylor game in the first quarter and is listed as questionable, along with tight end Kari Ashley and edge rusher Zach Chapman. Sixth-year back Landon Walker, who stepped in for Payne against Baylor, is listed as doubtful.
In Other News...
TCU Faces A Major Offensive Question Heading Into West Virginia
TCU heads into its matchup with West Virginia with more than the usual Friday-night uncertainty, as the availability report leaves a handful of important names in limbo. Jeremy Payne, Kari Ashley and Zach Chapman are all listed as questionable, while Landon Walker carries a doubtful tag, adding another layer of concern for a roster trying to sort out who will be ready when the Horned Frogs take the field.
The timing matters because the report comes with several other players from both teams marked out, doubtful, questionable or probable, turning the pregame picture into one of the more fluid ones on the schedule. For TCU, the offensive puzzle is especially notable, since the Horned Frogs may have to make adjustments in the middle of a conference stretch against a West Virginia team dealing with its own list of availability questions. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Got The Baylor Reset It Desperately Needed Now Comes The Test
A trip to Waco gave TCU the kind of reset it had been chasing after a rough 2-3 start, and it came in a rivalry game that still carried some extra weight. The Horned Frogs beat Baylor 17-6 to get back to .500, grab their first Big 12 win of the season and keep the Bluebonnet Battle trophy in Fort Worth, with Jordan Dwyer piling up 150 receiving yards and Jaden Craig throwing for 294 yards and two touchdowns.
What made the result feel bigger than a simple bounce-back was how cleanly TCU handled the games critical moments on both sides of the ball. The defense took control by making Baylor one-dimensional and taking away the Bears usual edge, while the offense did enough through the air to separate after a slow start to the season. Now comes the harder part for the Horned Frogs, because one rivalry win can steady a team, but it does not answer whether this is the start of a real turnaround. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces A Week 8 Letdown Test Fans Can't Ignore
As the Big 12 turns into the stretch run, TCU finds itself in a spot that feels familiar: a chance to sharpen its identity in a game that could say a lot about where the program is headed. The Horned Frogs are coming off a stretch in which their defense has helped keep them in the mix, and now they get a home test in Fort Worth against a West Virginia offense that, at least by the numbers, has been the toughest version of the Mountaineers the Frogs have seen this season.
For TCU, this is the kind of matchup that can quietly matter in the standings without always looking like the weekends flashiest game. A solid showing would reinforce what the Frogs have built on that side of the ball and keep them positioned well in a conference race where momentum can change fast. West Virginia, meanwhile, brings an offense capable of making the night uncomfortable, which is exactly why this one feels like more than just another midseason Big 12 date. [Read more 🡒]