By Tom C. "Midnite" Burke
John Denver must be rolling in his grave.
Since West Virginia and the University of West Virginia
adopted Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as their spirit song, despite
the song being about geographical features that primarily are located in western
Virginia, the Mountaineers have seen much better days than this 2025 football
season, when there hasn’t been much sunshine shining on their shoulders.
On Saturday, October 25, before an announced Milan Puskar
Stadium beer-drinking, pepperoni-roll-eating crowd of 54,110 and an ESPN+
television audience, TCU added to the Mountaineers’ recent gridiron woes by defeating
West Virginia, 23-17.
Before this game, the last time the Horned Frogs played on
October 25 was in 2014, against Texas Tech. TCU won, 82-27.
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| Tom C. "Midnite" Burke |
TCU’s nail-biting victory over the Mountaineers’ spoiled
their homecoming and dampened an otherwise festive Coal-Rush evening in
Morgantown, during which the coal industry and coal miners are celebrated for
their contributions to the culture and economy of West Virginia.The best thing that can be said about TCU’s unimpressive victory
is that the Frogs took care of business and won a game for which they were
favored by nearly 17 points and should have easily won.
TCU’s win was not easy, or pretty, but it broke a one-game
losing streak to the Mountaineers.
The last time the Frogs and West Virginia had played was in
2023, when the Mountaineers defeated TCU 24-21, as TCU’s record fell to 5-7 and
the Horned Frogs missed a bowl game.
The last time TCU had played West Virginia in Morgantown was
during the 2022 season. TCU won, 41-31, on its way to an undefeated Big 12
regular-season record and, ultimately, an appearance in the College Football
Playoff National Championship Game.
West Virginia had won five of the past six games between the
two teams, who together were granted entry into the Big 12 in 2012.
The Mountaineers now lead the series with TCU, 8-6. All but
one meeting has come during Big 12 Conference play. That was a 31-14
Mountaineers' win in the 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl at the Astrodome in Houston,
Texas.
The win over West Virginia was TCU’s second win in a row, following
the Frogs’ thrice weather-delayed 42-36 victory over Baylor on October 18.
The Frogs are 6-2 overall, 3-2 in the Big 12 Conference.
With the win over the Mountaineers, the Horned Frogs became bowl-eligible
for the third time in the four-season tenure of head coach Sonny Dykes.
Dykes is 1-1 as a TCU’s head coach against West Virginia.
Beginning with its historic 2022 season, when TCU went 13-2,
the Horned Frogs now have won 33 games overall and 21 conference games, both of
which are the best records in the Big 12.
The Frogs have won 10 of their past 12 games, going back to
the last four games of the 2024 season.
Notably, TCU has not played a ranked team since losing their
last game of the 2023 season to 14th-ranked Oklahoma, 69-45.
After being ranked 34th in the Associated Press Top 25 after
its victory over Baylor last week, TCU is not ranked by the AP this week.
The Associated Press snub probably is indicative of how TCU
struggled to subdue one of the worst football teams in the country, even though
the Horned Frogs were playing on the road.
The Frogs are 36th in the Coaches Top 25. They were 40th in
last week’s ranking.
In a ranking of all 136 college football teams by The
Athletic, the Frogs are 33rd, down from 32nd in the previous week’s
ranking.
In a ranking of all 136 college football teams by USA
Today, TCU is 28th, up from 33rd in the previous week’s ranking.
After playing seven consecutive games, TCU has a bye on
Saturday, November 1, before it begins a gauntlet of four conference games,
including against three of the current top teams in the Big 12.
The Horned Frogs’ next game is against Big 12 Conference foe
Iowa State, in Amon G. Carter Stadium, in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday,
November 8. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm (Central). the game will be televised by FOX.
The Horned Frogs’ narrow victory over West Virginia came
down to TCU sophomore kicker Nate McCashland making three-of-three field goal attempts and the Frogs recovering a late-game onside kick by the Mountaineers.
Unlike in the Frogs’ 42-36 win over Baylor on October 11,
where the Bears recovered an onside kick in the game’s final seconds, TCU
recovered West Virginia’s onside kick to seal its six-point victory over the
Mountaineers.
The crucial moment came with just over three minutes
remaining in the contest.
West Virginia had completed an impressive, seven-play,
75-yard touchdown drive to reduce TCU’s lead to 23-17 and ignite a frenzy among
Mountaineers fans.
When R.J. Kocan’s onside kick caromed off the hands of TCU
wide receiver Parker Clark, the hearts of TCU fans skipped a beat or two, until
Horned Frogs running back Trent Battle pounced on the bouncing football.
TCU’s offense was able to retain the football until the
final seconds ticked off the game clock, thanks particularly to wide receiver
Major Everhart recovering a fumble by wide receiver Eric McAlister.
“You’ve got to credit our guys,” said Dykes. “We made plays.
I think that’s the bottom line. We had to recover an onside kick. Heck of a
play by Trent (Battle). That was a huge play for us.
“We did what we had to do to win the game. We made field
goals. McCashland, I thought, did a tremendous job kicking field goals. We
haven’t called on him that much to do that.
“We knew we were going to get a great effort from them (West
Virginia). I knew what we were walking into. I knew it was going to be very
difficult. I knew it was going to be a battle. A tough environment. You’ve got
to give West Virginia a ton of credit. It was a rough one. My hat’s off to our
players.”
McCashland's 11 points (three field goals and two extra points) in a game decided by six points earned him Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the Big 12 Conference.
McCashland was the only Big 12 kicker to be 100 percent on three field goal attempts or more for the week.
West Virginia lost its fifth straight game and fell to 2-6
overall under first-year head coach Rich Rodriguez, who replaced Neal P. Brown,
who was fired after the 2024 season.
“We played hard. The guys didn’t quit,” said Rodriguez,
whose father and grandfather worked in West Virginia’s coal mining industry.
“We probably are going to be mad when we watch film. Left a lot of stuff out
there. We had chances to win the game. Got a lot of things to clean up.
“Thought our true freshman quarterback (Scotty Fox, Jr.)
acquitted himself pretty well. He made some nice throws. The kid battled. He
competed. He’s a true freshman. But we aren’t going to win a ballgame when we
rush for 40 yards. You kidding me?
“Our defense played hard against a veteran offensive group.
We were physical. We tackled physically. We had a chance there at the end.”
At 0-5 in the Big 12 Conference, the Mountaineers are tied
with Oklahoma State for last place in the conference.
West Virginia’s next game is on Saturday, November 1,
against the University of Houston, in Houston, Texas.
Big 12 Football Games
Here are results of other recent football games involving
Big 12 teams:
- Saturday, October 25:
-
Kansas State 42 (4-4, 3-2) at Kansas 17 (4-4, 2-3)
-
BYU 41 (8-0, 5-0) at 27 Iowa State (5-3, 2-3)
-
Baylor 20 (4-4, 2-3) at 41 Cincinnati (7-1, 5-0)
-
Oklahoma State 0 (1-7, 0-5) at Texas Tech 42 (7-1, 4-1)
-
Houston 24 (7-1, 4-1) at Arizona State 16 (5-3, 3-2)
-
Colorado 7 (3-5, 1-4) at Utah 53 (6-2, 3-2)
-
Arizona (4-3, 1-3): bye
-
UCF (4-3, 1-3): bye
BYU and Cincinnati lead the Big 12 Conference, at 5-0.
Houston and Texas Tech are tied for second at 4-1
TCU, Utah, Arizona State and Kansas State are tied for third
at 3-2.
In the latest Associated Press Top 25, BYU is 10th, Texas
Tech is 13th, Cincinnati is 17th, Houston is 22nd and Utah is 24th.
In the latest Coaches Top 25, BYU is 11th, Texas Tech
is 13th, Cincinnati is 16th, Houston is 22nd and Utah is 24th.
Other College Football news
- Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond will miss the rest of
the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. The redshirt freshman backup quarterback
hurt the knee in the second quarter of the Red Raiders' win over
Oklahoma State. Hammond was making his second consecutive start in place of
injured starter Behren Morton.
- Despite owing him a $53-million buyout, LSU has fired head
football coach Brian Kelly, amid the rubble of LSU’s 49-25 loss to Texas
A&M on Saturday, October 25. The Tigers fell to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the
Southeastern Conference. When Kelly was hired at LSU ahead of the 2022 season,
he signed a 10-year, $100-million contract. He went 34-14 as the Tigers’ head
coach. Frank Wilson will serve as LSU's interim head coach. Wilson is LSU's
associate head coach and running backs coach. LSU also fired offensive coordinator Joe Sloan.
- Twelve Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs have axed their head football coaches.
TCU Offense Gets Its Kicks
Against West Virginia, TCU’s offense broke a three-game
streak of futility and scored in the first quarter.
The Horned Frogs led wire-to-wire, including 20-7 at
halftime and 23-10 late in the fourth quarter.
TCU's second touchdown drive of the game, which extended the
Frogs’ lead to 17-7, took 5:38 off the clock in the second quarter. It was TCU’s
longest touchdown drive, by time, this season.
TCU has now scored in 415 consecutive games, which is the
second longest streak in NCAA history, trailing only Florida’s 468 consecutive
games.
Against one of the worst defenses in the country, TCU’s
offense could only gain 343 total yards.
The Horned Frogs had been generating 437.3 yards of total
offense per game.
The 23 points are the lowest points the Frogs have scored in
a game this season.
TCU had been averaging 36.3 points per game.
The Frogs scored only two touchdowns, all in the first half.
If not for McCashland’s three field goals, TCU could have
been the victim of one of this season’s biggest upsets.
McCashland converted a 35-yard field goal on the game's
opening drive. It was the longest converted field goal of the redshirt
freshman's career. It also was the first field goal he has made, and just his
second attempted field goal, in TCU’s past four games.
In the second quarter, shortly before halftime, McCashland
kicked a 22-yard field goal.
Late in the fourth quarter, McCashland connected on a
41-yard field goal, to eclipse his previously set career-long field goal.
McCashland has been subbing for the Frogs’ injured starting field
goal kicker, Kyle Lemmermann.
“Credit our guys for finding a way to win,” said Dykes. “The
big thing is we didn’t turn the ball over.”
Under Dykes, TCU is 27-4 when winning or tying the turnover
battle.
TCU quarterback Josh Hoover avoided turnovers, as he had not
previously done in two road losses, but he did not have one of his best games
of the season and essentially was outplayed by West Virginia’s Fox.
Hoover completed 24-of-39 passes for 247 yards. He threw one
touchdown pass and was sacked once.
“We left some points out there in the first half and in the
first drives of the second half,” said Hoover. “We had some opportunities that
we just didn’t hit. Falls back on me. I’ve got to do a better job of getting
our guys ready and getting on the same page so we can make those plays happen.”
Wide receiver Eric McAlister caught Hoover’s lone touchdown
pass, a four-yarder in the second quarter, as the Frogs increased their lead to
17-7.
McAlister, who was targeted 18 times by Hoover, led TCU’s
receivers with nine catches for 124 yards, including a long reception of 28
yards.
The senior, who transferred to TCU from Boise State, eclipsed
100 yards receiving for the third time this season and for the eighth time in
his career.
McAlister leads the Big 12 in receiving yards (727) and yards-per-reception (19.6).
Everhart had four receptions for 45 yards.
Wide receiver Jordan
Dwyer and tight end DJ Rogers had three catches each, for 26 and 23 yards,
respectively.
Coming into the game, West Virginia was surrendering nearly
170 rushing yards per game. Opponents had scored 11 rushing touchdowns.
Missing four starting offensive linemen, a tight end and
starting running back Kevorian Barnes at various times during the game, TCU
could only grind out 96 net rushing yards and one rushing touchdown against the Mountaineers.
TCU ranks last in the conference in rushing yards per game, at 124.0.
Against West Virginia, Battle led TCU’s running backs for the second week in a row
with 89 yards on 19 carries. He had a one-yard touchdown run in the first
quarter, and a long run of 46 yards, which was his team-leading fifth explosive
rush of the season (15 yards of more).
Barnes had 27 yards on eight carries.
TCU Defense Grounds Mountaineers
Last year, TCU was one of four Big 12 teams to
allow more than 2,000 rushing yards for the season. The Horned Frogs’
defense has turned things around this season. TCU is allowing the third-lowest
total rushing yards (961) in the league.
West Virginia only gained 41 net rushing yards against the
Frogs’ defense, which was geared to stopping the Mountaineers rushing attack,
which, coming into the game, was the fifth-best in the Big 12.
West Virginia did its offensive damage through the air.
Against a soft TCU secondary that consistently was beaten vertically by
West Virginia’s receivers, Fox completed 28-of-41 passes for 301 yards and two
touchdowns. He was not intercepted. He was sacked twice.
Coming into the game, Fox had completed 11-of-25 passes for
165 yards. He had thrown one touchdown pass and two interceptions.
TCU now ranks 15th in the league in passing yards allowed per game (257.9).
Cam Vaughn led West Virginia’s receivers with six receptions
for 85 yards.
Wide receiver Jeff Weimer and tight end Grayson Barnes
caught touchdown passes for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia kicker Kade Hensley kicked a 28-yard field goal for the
Mountaineers’ other three points.
TCU’s defense limited the Mountaineers to converting
three-of-14 third downs and two-of-seven fourth downs.
Coming into the game, TCU’s defense had been allowing an
average of 26.3 points per game and 382.3 yards of total offense.
TCU senior linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr led TCU’s defense. He
tallied 16 tackles, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss and one sack.
It was the second consecutive game that Elarms-Orr had
recorded 16 tackles. He is the first Horned Frog to record 15 or more tackles
in consecutive games since at least 1995, which, according to TCU Athletics, is
as far back as its records go.
Senior safety Bud Clark had 13 tackles, including 0.5
tackles-for-loss.
Junior defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh had 1.5 tackles-for-loss
and 0.5 sacks.
Sophomore defensive tackle Markis Deal also had 0.5 sacks, plus
0.5 tackles-for-loss.
“Thought we played well defensively,” said Dykes. “Going
into the game, the key was going to be take the run away. We did that. We gave
up some plays in the passing game that we obviously gotta get fixed.
“We gutted it out. We found a way. Last two road games, we
found a way to lose. This time we found a way to win. Proud of the guys for
doing that.”
Additional TCU-West Virginia Game Insight
- TCU-West Virginia box score: here
-
TCU-West Virginia highlights: here
-
TCU postgame press conference: here
-
West Virginia postgame press conference: here
Cyclone Warning for Fort Worth
After playing seven consecutive games, TCU has a bye on
Saturday, November 1, before facing a four-game stretch that will define the
Horned Frogs’ 2025 season.
TCU’s next game is on Saturday, November 8, against Big 12
Conference foe Iowa State, 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.
Iowa State is 5-3 overall, 2-3 in the Big 12. The Cyclones
will carry a three-game losing streak into their November 1 home game against
Arizona State.
After its home game against Iowa State, TCU will have
back-to-back road games against BYU, on November 15, in Provo, Utah, and
Houston, on November 22, in Houston.
The Horned Frogs’ final regular-season game will be in Fort
Worth, against the University of Cincinnati, on Saturday, November 29.
“If we want to go where we want to go, we have to win out
these next four games, and that’s something we think we’re capable of,” boasted
Hoover. “We believe that fully. That’s where our focus is right now, and our
approach will be to take it one week at a time.”
