By Tom C. "Midnite" Burke
It wasn’t pretty, but when you’ve been dealing with such
consistent adversity and criticism like the TCU football team has over the
course of its 2025 roller-coaster season, beauty definitely is in the eye of
the beholder.
And a hooked 38-yard field-goal attempt that wobbled outside
of the left upright off of the foot of elite University of Houston senior field-goal
kicker Ethan Sanchez with 46 seconds remaining in the football game between the
Frogs and the then-No. 23 Cougars on Saturday, November 22, was a welcomed and
much-needed sight of beauty for the Horned Frogs.
It was Sanchez’ second missed field goal within the final
seven minutes of the Big 12 Conference football game. The inexplicable flubs
enabled TCU to escape TEDCU Field with a hard-fought, improbable 17-14 victory.
“When I saw Ethan after the game, I patted him on the back,”
said Houston head football coach Willie Fritz. “He’s won some games for us. You
know, you don’t want it to have to come down to a field goal. So … “
The matchup between the Frogs and the Cougars came on
Houston’s Senior Day. A Senior Day that was memorable in the worst way for Sanchez.
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| Tom C. "Midnite" Burke |
Coming into the game, Sanchez, who is a transfer from Old
Dominion and is a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which is given annually
to collegiate football’s top kicker, had made 19-of-22 field-goal attempts.
The 19 field goals were the most in the Big 12 and
fourth-most nationally.
Sanchez had been clutch late in games. This season, he has
kicked three game-winning field goals either as time expired, in overtime or
with under three-minutes to play.
“You know, it was a hard-fought … It’s hard to win in the
Big 12,” said a relieved TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes, who was named CBS
Sports College Football Big 12 Head Coach of the Week. “Hard to win on the
road. Hard to win on the road against a top 25 team.
“Got to give our defense credit. Got a stop when we needed
to. I assumed the guy (Sanchez) was going to make the kick. We were talking
about what we were going to do after we got the ball back with about 40 seconds
left in the game. Fortunately, we (cornerback Vernon Glover) pressured him a
little bit and he missed the kick.”
Frogs Get a Kick Out of Winning
On the opposite end of the emotions scale, TCU field-goal
kicker Nate McCashland made what became a game-winning 29-yard field goal early
in the fourth quarter for the Horned Frogs.
“Nate kicked a big field goal,” said Dykes. “Credit Nate for
kicking that field goal, which obviously was the game-winner. It was huge for
us. It was good for us to make plays on special teams to help us win.”
The three points from McCashland’s field goal were TCU’s
only points of the second half and the first since the Frogs scored 14 points
in the first quarter, on their first and third possessions of the game.
The Horned Frogs’ first touchdown came on a 33-yard
touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Hoover to wide receiver Eric McAlister,
who is a semifinalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which annually is given
to college football’s top receiver.
About nine minutes later, Hoover connected with wide
receiver Jordan Dwyer on a 17-yard touchdown pass.
The Horned Frogs could have had additional points, but Hoover
had two touchdown passes nullified by penalties.
A second-quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Joseph
Manjack IV was nullified by a holding penalty on Dwyer.
A touchdown pass to Dwyer in the third quarter was nullified
by an illegal block by tight end Chase Curtis.
TCU’s offense also committed four turnovers – three
interceptions and a lost fumble.
Thankfully, the Horned Frogs’ defense held Houston’s offense
to only two touchdowns, one in the second quarter and the other in the third
quarter, with both coming through the air.
“We were plus-two (three) in turnovers,” said Fritz.
“Usually, an indication you are going to win the game. We just didn’t make the
plays when we needed to. Had some opportunities to win it or tie or whatever
the case may be and we just didn’t quite do it. Disappointed. A really good
balanced league. Got to play well every single night. If not, you’re going to
have this type of outcome.”
With the win, TCU broke a two-game losing streak and
improved to 7-4 overall, 4-4 in the Big 12.
The victory marked TCU's first win over a ranked opponent
since it defeated No. 2 Michigan in the 2022 College Football Playoff
Semifinal.
The win also snapped a four-game losing streak by the Frogs to ranked
opponents, dating back to the national championship game vs. No. 1 Georgia at
the end of the 2022-23 season.
Houston fell to 8-3 overall, 5-3 in the Big 12.
TCU Hosting Cincinnati
The Horned Frogs’ next game is against the University of
Cincinnati on Saturday, November 29, in Amon G. Carter Stadium, on the TCU
campus in Fort Worth, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm (Central). FOX will
televise the game against the No. 25 Bearcats. It will be the Horned Frogs’ final
regular-season game of the 2025 season.
Cincinnati is 7-4 overall, 5-3 in the Big 12.
TCU is as much as a 4.5-point favorite. The over/under for total points scored in the game is 57.5 points.
Midnite Madness prediction: TCU 20, Cincinnati 17
Domination of Houston Continues
This was the 28th game between TCU and the University of
Houston. The Frogs tied the series at 14 games apiece.
The Horned Frogs have won 10 of the last 11 games against
Houston. In 2024, Houston defeated TCU, 30-19, in Fort Worth, on October 4. Previously,
TCU had won the last nine meetings with Houston.
Dykes is 5-3 as a head coach against Houston. He is 2-1 at
TCU. He went 2-1 against Houston when he was at SMU and 1-1 against the Cougars
during his time at Louisiana Tech.
“I’m proud of these guys for hanging in there and not
listening to all of the negativity and all of the stuff,” said Dykes. “You
know, I thought they did an incredible job of just keeping their head down and
not paying attention to all of the junk that was out there. Just proud of them.
They showed fight.
“We had to overcome a ton of adversity. You know, four
turnovers. Had almost 300 yards of offense in the first half and only had 14
points to show for it. Normally, when you do that and make those kinds of
mistakes, you lose the game. To our guys’ credit, they just strained so hard
and played so hard, they weren’t going to let it happen. Tough, hard-fought
win, and we got it done.”
Big 12 Football Games
Here are results of other recent football games involving
Big 12 teams:
- Saturday, November 22:
- Oklahoma State 14 (1-10, 0-8) at UCF 17 (5-6, 2-6)
- BYU 26 (10-1, 7-1) at Cincinnati 14 (7-4, 5-3)
- Kansas 14 (3-5, 5-6) at Iowa State 38 (7-4, 4-4)
- Arizona State 42 (8-3, 6-2) at Colorado 17 (3-8, 1-7)
- Baylor 17 (5-6, 3-5) at Arizona 41 (8-3, 5-3)
- Kansas State 47 (5-6, 4-4) at Utah 51 (9-2, 6-2)
- Texas Tech (bye)
- West Virginia (bye)
Texas Tech and BYU lead the Big 12, with conference records
of 7-1. Tech owns the tie-breaker over BYU by virtue of its win over the
Cougars earlier this season.
Tied with 6-2 conference records are Utah and Arizona State.
Arizona, Houston and Cincinnati are 5-3.
Iowa State, TCU and Kansas State are 4-4. Iowa State and
Kansas State beat TCU this season.
In the fourth College Football Playoff ranking that was
released on Tuesday, November 25, Texas Tech is fifth, BYU 11th, Utah 13th Arizona State 20th and Arizona 25th.
TCU is not ranked.
In the new Coaches Football Bowl Subdivision top 25 poll,
Texas Tech is seventh, BYU 11th and Utah 14th. Arizona State is 26th, Arizona
is 31st and Houston is 33rd.
TCU is not ranked.
In the new Associated Press (AP) top 25 poll, Texas Tech is
seventh, BYU 11th and Utah 14th. Arizona State is 26th and Arizona is 29th.
TCU is not ranked.
In the new ranking of all 136 college football teams
by The Athletic, the Frogs are 41st, up from 47th in the previous
week’s ranking.
In the new ranking of all 136 college football teams
by USA Today, TCU is 38th, up from 45th in the previous week’s
ranking.
College Athletics News
- In the third round of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament, TCU’s
women’s second-seeded soccer team defeated defending national champion North
Carolina, at the Horned Frogs’ Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium on Monday,
November 24. The Frogs and Tar Heels were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation and
after two overtime periods. TCU secured a 4-3 advantage on penalty kicks to earn
a trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals. TCU will face Vanderbilt, on the Commodores’
campus in Nashville, Tennessee, in the Elite Eight on Saturday, November 29, at
6:30 pm (Central). This will be the Horned Frogs’ second appearance in the NCAA
Quarterfinals. The first time was in 2020. TCU had advanced to the NCAA Third
Round for the fourth time in school history and hosted the NCAA Third Round for
the first time in program history. TCU advanced to the third round by beating
Grambling State 7-0 in first round and Memphis 4-0 in second round. TCU (17-2-2,
9-1-1 Big 12)
- TCU Cross Country's Johnson Lagat represented the
Distance Frogs at the 2025 NCAA National Championship Meet on Saturday,
November 22, finishing 117th overall in the field of over 250
student-athletes. Lagat became the first TCU individual to compete at the NCAA
Cross Country National Championships since Gracie Morris (2023) and the first
male since Festus Kigen (2010).
- North Texas head football coach Eric Morris has been named
the new head coach at Oklahoma State. North Texas is 10-1 this season and could
qualify for the College Football Playoff. Morris will finish the season at
North Texas.
- The University of California has fired ninth-year head
football coach Justin Wilcox. He was 48-55 and had not finished with a winning
record since 2019. The Bears currently are 6-5.
- Baylor President Dr. Linda Livingston has announced that head
football coach Dave Aranda will be retained for the 2026 season. “After careful
consideration, we have decided to retain coach Dave Aranda as the leader of our
football program. We recognize this decision will generate strong opinions. Let
me be clear: Baylor expects excellence, accountability and competitiveness at the
highest level. We are not complacent, and we are not settling for mediocrity,” said
Dr. Livingstone.
- Baylor University and athletic director Mack Rhoades have
come to agreement to end his time there. Rhoades resigned from a position he
held for the past nine years.
- Former Baylor head football coach Art Briles been hired as
the new head football coach at Eastern New Mexico, a Division II school located
in Portales, New Mexico. Briles, who is 70 years old, was Baylor’s head
football coach from 2009 through 2015. He hasn’t coached in college since
Baylor fired him in 2016, after an investigation indicated Baylor’s football
program was tied to a sexual assault scandal. Briles went 65-37 at Baylor. He
also coached at the University of Houston, where he compiled a record of 34-28. Art Briles is the father of TCU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kendal Briles.
- The NCAA will not allow athletes and staffers to bet on
professional sports, since a majority of Division I schools have voted to
overturn a recent rule change would have allowed gambling on professional
sports. As a result of the vote, players and staffers in Division I,
Division II and Division III are still prohibited from betting on all sports
TCU’s Offense Starts Fast, Fizzles
TCU won the coin toss preceding kickoff of its game against Houston and, unexpectedly, elected to receive.
It was the first time this season the Frogs have won the toss
and elected to receive, rather than defer.
The change in strategy worked.
The Horned Frogs scored a touchdown on their opening drive
of the game, on a pass from Hoover to McAlister, and also a touchdown on their
third drive of the game, on a pass from Hoover to Dwyer.
Presto!
14-0, TCU.
It was the first time since the third game of the season,
against SMU, on September 20, that TCU had scored a touchdown on its opening
drive of a game.
Also, the 14 points tied the second-most points scored by
TCU in the first period of a game this season.
“We wanted to take the ball first,” explained Dykes. “We
felt like we’ve been really slow to start, so it was an emphasis for us to take
the first possession and go down the field and score.
“I thought we had a great game plan. I thought we executed it
well. Offensive line protected well, all night. I thought they played extraordinarily
well. When you play Houston, you got to run the ball, and we did.”
After the second touchdown, TCU’s offense fizzled, scoring
only three additional points because of penalties that nullified two touchdowns,
and a career-high three interceptions by Hoover and a lost fumble by Jordyn
Bailey that ended offensive possessions.
Through 11 games, Hoover has thrown 13 interceptions, which
is the most in the Big 12.
Hoover’s three interceptions in the game against Houston were
TCU’s first three-interception game since the Frogs threw four interceptions
against Iowa State on October 7, 2023.
This is the first time TCU has turned the ball over four or
more times on the road and come away with a win since a 24-23 victory at Kansas
on October 8, 2016.
Since 2023, TCU is 4-9 in games where the Frogs had multiple
interceptions.
TCU won a game where the Frogs threw three or more
interceptions for the first time since the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl, when the Frogs
threw four and Cal threw five.
It's the first time TCU has won a game where they threw
three or more interceptions while securing just one or fewer since a 17-7
victory over Tulsa in 1998. TCU quarterback Jeff Dover went 3-for-9 with three
interceptions in the win.
TCU, which played against Houston without starting running back
Kevorian Barnes, starting left offensive tackle Cade Bennette and running back Trent
Battle, scored for the 418th consecutive game, the second longest streak in
NCAA history, trailing only Florida, which has scored in 471 consecutive games.
Hoover completed 24-of-33 passes for 293 yards and two
touchdowns.
TCU sophomore running back Jeremy Payne, who is from Missouri
City, Texas, which is about 20 miles from Houston, ran 18 times for 103 yards. It marked the first time in his career
that he crossed the century mark. The 18 rushes were a career game-high for
him.
The Frogs’ leading receiver was Manjack, a transfer from the
University of Houston. He had nine receptions for 95 yards.
Hoover has 752 career completions. He has passed Max Duggan
on the school's all-time completions chart. Only Andy Dalton, with 812
completions, and Trevone Boykin, with 830 completions, have more.
McAlister caught four passes for 79 yards. For the year, he
has 1,020 receiving yards, which is good for fifth on TCU’s single-season
receiving chart.
McAlister is the sixth TCU receiver to post a 1,000-yard
season; the seventh 1,000-yard season all-time. Josh Doctson had two
1,000-receiving-yards seasons.
McAlister’s 56 receptions are the fewest required to reach
1,000 receiving yards for a Frog receiver.
McCashland’s game-winning field goal was his career first.
TCU’s Defense Holds Off Cougars
With TCU’s offense shooting itself in the foot after the first
quarter, it was imperative that the Frogs’ defense keep Houston’s prolific
offense under control.
The Horned Frogs responded with one of their best
defensive games of the season, even with having to play without injured
preseason All-Big 12 safety Bud Clark.
The Frogs started strong, holding an opposing offense
scoreless on its opening drive for the first time in two games
Throughout the game, TCU’s third-down defense was excellent.
The Horned Frogs limited Houston to 4-for-17 on conversion attempts.
Houston was held to 391 total yards: 230 rushing yards and
161 passing yards.
Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman was limited to 15 completions
on 29 passing attempts. He threw two touchdown passes and one interception
The interception was especially costly for Houston.
On a fourth-and-goal play in the second quarter, Weigman was
picked off by TCU true freshman Julius Simms, who teamed with sophomore Jordan
Lester to replace Clark in the Horned Frogs’ defensive backfield. The
interception preserved a 14-7 lead by TCU at intermission.
Houston’s 14 points were the second-least points the Cougars
have scored in a game this season. Their least number of points scored came in
a 35-11 loss to Texas Tech.
Houston’s offense came into the game against TCU averaging 29.5
points per game.
Senior linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr led TCU’s defense with 15
tackles. It was his fifth double-digit tackle game of the season and third
15-plus-tackle game of the year.
Against Baylor and West Virginia,Elarms-Orr was the first
Frog to post consecutive 15-plus-tackle games since at least 1995 (records do
not go back further).
“Both the offense and the defense played really well,” said
Dykes. “Both made plays. Defensive line showed a lot of guts. When you play
Houston, you got to stop the run, and we did.
“Really, really proud of them. Can’t say enough about how
hard they competed. They fought. They played with confidence. They never panicked.
It was awesome to see.”
Additional TCU-Houston Game Insight
- TCU-Houston box score: here
-
TCU-Houston game highlights: here
-
TCU post-game remarks: here
-
Houston post-game remarks: here
Horned Frogs Hosting Bearcats
The Horned Frogs’ next game is against the University of
Cincinnati on Saturday, November 29, in Amon G. Carter Stadium, on the TCU
campus in Fort Worth, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm (Central). FOX
will nationally televise the game against the No. 25 Bearcats. It will be the Horned
Frogs’ final regular-season game of the 2025 season.
Last year, TCU played its season finale in Cincinnati. The
Horned Frogs defeated the Bearcats 20-13.
Cincinnati’s Record
Cincinnati, which features 22 seniors on its roster, will
come into the game against the Frogs stinging from a three-game losing streak
to Utah, Arizona and BYU.
The loss to BYU, 26-14, was at home, on Senior Day, on
Saturday, November 22.
In addition to the loss, in the days following the game, the
University had to apologize to BYU and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints because a group of fans at Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium used “offensive
or religiously derogatory language.”
The fans reportedly shouted an expletive and “the Mormons”
during the game, a three-word chant that in the past has been directed at BYU
teams and fans during road games.
BYU is a private school located in Provo, Utah. It is
sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church and
its mission are central to the university.
The Big 12 has not said if Cincinnati will be fined because
of the incident.
Overall, UC is 7-4. In the Big 12, the Bearcats are 5-3,
tied with Arizona and Houston.
Here are the results of Cincinnati’s 2025 games:
- August 28, lost, 20-17, vs. Nebraska (GEHA Field at
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO)
-
September 6, won, at home, 34-20, vs. Bowling Green
-
September 13, won, at home, 70-0, vs. Northwestern State
-
September 27, won, 37-34, vs. Kansas, in Lawrence, Kansas
-
October 4, won, at home, 38-30, vs. Iowa State
-
October 11, won, at home, 20-11, vs. UCF
-
October 18, won, 49-17, vs. Oklahoma State, in Stillwater,
Oklahoma
-
October 25, won, at home, 41-20, vs. Baylor
-
November 1, lost, 45-14, vs. Utah, in Salt Lake City, Utah
-
November 15, lost, at home, 30-24 vs. Arizona
-
November 22, lost, at home, 26-14, vs. BYU
Satterfield in Third Season
Scott Satterfield is in his third season as Cincinnati’s
head football coach. He is 15-20 overall as the Bearcats’ 43rd head football
coach. Satterfield previously was head football coach for four years at the
University of Louisville, and earlier for six years at Appalachian State.
Cincinnati’s Offense
Cincinnati’s offense is averaging:
- Points per game: 32.55 (fifth in the Big 12) (TCU is 10th in
scoring defense in the Big 12, allowing 25.4 points per game)
-
Total yards per game: 423.5 (fourth in the Big 12) (TCU is ninth
in total yards defense, allowing 375.8 total yards per game)
-
Passing yards per game: 238.8 (fifth in the Big 12) (TCU is 14th
in passing defense, allowing 239.2 passing yards per game)
-
Rushing yards per game: 184.7 (fifth in the Big 12) (TCU is fifth
in rushing defense, allowing 136.6 rushing yards per game)
Cincinnati’s offense has scored 45 touchdowns: 26 through
the air, 19 on the ground.
The Bearcats have thrown five interceptions, lost six-of-10
fumbles and given up four sacks.
Cincinnati’s quarterback is redshirt-junior Brendan Sorsby
(#2), who is from Lake Dallas High School and who is a transfer from Indian. He
has completed 184-of-303 passes. He has thrown 24 touchdown passes and five
interceptions. He has a long completion of 82 yards.
Sorsby also is a runner. He has rushed 90 times for 521 net
yards. He is averaging nearly 50 rushing yards per game. He has nine rushing
touchdowns and a long run of 29 yards.
Senior wide receiver Cyrus Allen (#4), who is a transfer
from Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M, has caught 46 passes for 623 yards. He
is averaging 13.5 yards per catch and 56.6 receiving yards per game. He has
caught 11 touchdown passes. He has a long reception of 44 yards.
Senior wide receiver Jeff Caldwell (#9), who is a transfer
from Louisville and Butler, has caught 28 passes for 436 yards. He is averaging
15.6 yards per reception and 39.6 receiving yards per game. He has caught five
touchdown passes. He has a long reception of 40 yards.
Junior wide receiver Caleb Goodie (#10), who is a transfer
from Colorado State, has 24 receptions for 417 yards. He is averaging 17.4
yards per catch and 37.9 receiving yards per game. He has caught two touchdown
passes and has a long reception of 82 yards.
Redshirt senior tight end Joe Royer (#11), who is a transfer
from Ohio State, has 371 receiving yards on 26 catches. He is averaging 14.3
yards per catch and 33.7 receiving yards per game. He has caught four touchdown
passes. He has a long reception of 73 yards.
Sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Johnson (#0), who is a
transfer from Western Carolina and Furman, has caught only 11 passes, but three
of them have been touchdown receptions.
Redshirt senior running back Tawee Walker (#3), who is a
transfer from Wisconsin and Oklahoma, has rushed 114 times for 661 yards. He is
averaging 5.8 yards per run and 60.1 rushing yards per game. He has scored four
rushing touchdowns. He has a long run of 54 yards.
Walker also has caught 15 passes, including one touchdown
pass.
Redshirt senior running back Evan Pryor (#6), who is a
transfer from Ohio State, has carried the football 73 times for 514 yards. He
is averaging seven yards per rush and 57.1 rushing yards per game. He has
scored three rushing touchdowns and has a long run of 46 yards.
Redshirt sophomore running back Manny Covery (#29), who is a
transfer from Bradford, freshman running back Zion Johnson (13) and redshirt-junior
running back Chance Williams (#7), who is a transfer from Grambling State, each
have one rushing touchdown.
Cincinnati’s Defense
Cincinnati’s defense is allowing:
- Points per game: 23 (eighth in Big 12; TCU is eighth in
scoring, at 29.5 point per game)
-
Total yards per game: 390.6 (12th in the Big 12) (TCU is
seventh in offense, averaging 414.5 total yards per game)
-
Passing yards per game: 222.9 (12th in the Big 12) (TCU is second
in passing, at 291.5 yards per game)
-
Rushing yards per game: 167.7 (12th in the Big 12) (TCU is 16th
in the Big 12, averaging 123 rushing yards per game)
Cincinnati’s defense has allowed 29 touchdowns: 14 through
the air and 15 on the ground.
The Bearcats have intercepted five passes, recorded 21
sacks, and forced 18 fumbles, of which UC recovered seven.
Redshirt-senior Jake Golday (#11), who is from Arlington,
Texas, and who is a transfer from Central Arkansas, leads Cincinnati’s defense
with 102 tackles. He has been credited with six tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks,
three pass breakups, two quarterback-hurries and one forced fumble.
Redshirt-senior safety Tre Gola-Callard (#6), who is a
transfer from Southern Utah, has made 68 tackles. He has 3.5 tackles-for-loss
and three pass breakups.
Redshirt-junior safety Christian Harrison (#5), who is a
transfer from Tennessee, has made 63 tackles. He has intercepted one pass,
broken up seven passes and recorded 1.5 tackles-for-loss.
Redshirt-junior linebacker Jonathan Thompson (#22) has made 60
tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss. He has been credited with one sack and
two quarterback-hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Redshirt senior linebacker Jack Dingle (#49) has been
credited with four tackles-for-loss, three sacks and five
quarterback hurries.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Jalen Hunt (#90), who is a
transfer from Michigan State, has made 5.5 tackles with loss and 3.5 sacks.
Senior cornerback Matthew McDoom (#0), who is a transfer
from Coastal Carolina, has intercepted one pass and broken up four passes.
Cincinnati's Punter, Kicker
Redshirt-junior Max Fletcher (#31), who is from Melbourne,
Australia, and who is a transfer from Arkansas, is Cincinnati’s punter. He has
punted the football 32 times, for an average of 45.6 yards. He has not had a
punt blocked. He has a long put this season of 66 yards.
Redshirt-senior Stephen Rusnak (#99), who is a transfer from
Michigan State and Charlotte, has converted 12-of-16 field-goal attempts. He
has not had a field goal attempt blocked. His long field goal is 46 yards.
Coaches’ Perspectives
Dykes talks about Cincinnati: here
Satterfield talks about TCU: here
