By Tom C. "Midnite" Burke
In its gritty 31-7 nonconference victory over Arkansas State on Saturday, September 19, in Fort Worth, Texas, the TCU football team probably thought it had come up with a novel way to keep its home stadium of Amon G. Carter Stadium full of supportive fans after halftime.
After all, since the Frogs only led the three-touchdown underdog Red Wolves 14-7, wouldn’t true football fans delight in a one-score, hard-fought game that would be decided in the second half, even if they were again having to endure oppressive heat?
Evidently not. The usual halftime exodus of thousands of TCU fans from the stadium took place as the TCU band marched onto the field.
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| Tom C. "Midnite" Burke |
Alas, perhaps because TCU was as much as a 20.5-point favorite over Arkansas State, foretelling perhaps a runaway Horned Frogs victory, many fans had made additional plans for the evening, since it was “Family Weekend” on the TCU campus.
Midnite Madness had predicted a 45-17 TCU victory.
With the week 3 win, TCU improved to 2-1, including a 63-7 week 2 win over Grambling State and a 15-10 loss in week 0 to North Carolina in the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, in Dublin, Ireland.
The Horned Frogs begin Big 12 Conference play on Saturday, September 26, against UCF, which is 2-1, in Orlando, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm (Central). The game will be televised by FS1.
The loss dropped Arkansas State to 1-2. The Sun Belt Conference Red Wolves play defending Conference USA champion Kennesaw State, which is 1-2, on Saturday, September 26, in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
“Give Arkansas State a lot of credit,” said TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes. “They played really hard. I knew that they would. That’s what you see on film over Butch’s (head coach Butch Jones) tenure there. They’re just gonna play hard. They just do. Arkansas State is a good football team. I would expect them to have a chance to win the Sun Belt.
“To me, the biggest moment in the game was the goal line stand, obviously. That fourth down stop was key. And then the offense strung together a 99-yard drive. That’s what we needed to do to separate.
“In college football, it’s hard to win. Just look around. There were a bunch of big favorites that lost today (Saturday, September 19). Very, very difficult to win college football games. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. I’m proud of the way we stepped up in big moments. They (Arkansas State) played with a bit more of an edge in the first half than we did. I was a little disappointed by that. It’s a good learning experience for us.”
In assessing the loss by the Red Wolves, Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones emphasized missed opportunities on critical downs, particularly the pivotal third-quarter sequence when the Red Wolves were stopped on a fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line and TCU responded with its back-breaking 99-yard touchdown drive.
Jones also noted the difficulty of managing momentum in hostile road environments against Power 4 opponents, thus the necessity of sustaining drives and avoiding catastrophic mistakes in order to win such games.
TCU Passes the Red Wolves
TCU fans might have expected the Horned Frogs to run amok and enjoy an easy win over Arkansas State.
In a 24-21 TCU win over A-State in 1999, legendary TCU running back and NFL and College Football Hall of Famer La Dainian (LT) Tomlinson ran for 269 yards. A year later, in a 52-3 win over the Red Wolves by the Frogs, LT rushed for 140 yards.
Arkansas State entered Saturday’s game ranked 124th out of 138 FBS teams in rushing defense, allowing 203.5 rushing yards per game.
TCU managed only 131 rushing yards and a long rush of 11 yards against an aggressive, physical Red Wolves’ defense that was anchored by senior safety Five Hamilton and sophomore linebacker Joe Drew, who had 12 tackles each.
Junior Jeremy Payne led TCU running backs with 86 rushing yards and one touchdown.
The Horned Frogs enjoyed more success through the air, despite that A-State entered the game allowing only an average of 181 passing yards per game.
Fifth-year quarterback Jaden Craig threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns.
Sophomore receiver Ed Small had a career day, with seven receptions for 164 yards and one touchdown.
Other Week 3 Games Involving Big 12 Games
· Friday, September 18
o Houston 26 (2-1, 0-1) at Texas Tech 28 (3-0, 1-0)
· Saturday, September 19
o Tulane 20 (1-2) at Kansas State 31 (3-0)
o Bowling Green 7 (0-3) at Iowa State 55 (2-1)
o Arizona State 24 (2-1, 1-0) at Kansas 17 (1-2, 0-1) (in London)
o Miami (Ohio) 31 (1-2) at Cincinnati 35 (3-0)
o Utah State 0 (0-3) at Utah 33 (3-0)
o Louisiana Tech 19 (1-2) at Baylor 36 (2-1)
o Murray State 0 (1-3) at Oklahoma State 59 (2-1)
o Georgia State 30 (2-1) at UCF 44 (2-1)
o Colorado 7 (2-1) at Northwestern 41 (2-0)
o BYU 41 (3-0, 1-0) at Colorado State 23 (2-1)
o West Virginia 38 (3-0) at Virginia 27 (2-1)
o Northern Illinois 17 (1-2) at Arizona 42 (2-1, 0-1)
Rankings After Week 3
TCU and Baylor are the only Power 4 Conference teams in Texas that are not ranked in this week’s Associated Press top 25 poll or the Coaches top 25 poll.
Big 12 teams included in the AP poll after week 3 action are: BYU, ninth; Texas Tech, 11th; Utah, 15th; Houston, 25th; West Virginia, 28th, Oklahoma State 30th; Arizona, 36th; and Kansas State, 41st.
The University of Texas is ranked first. SMU is ranked 22nd. Texas A&M is ranked 23rd.
Big 12 teams included in the Coaches top 25 rankings after week 3 action are: BYU, ninth; Texas Tech, 10th; Utah, 15th; Houston, 26th; Kwest Virginia, 29th; Oklahoma State, 31st; Kansas State 37th; and Arizona, 46th.
The University of Texas is ranked first. Texas A&M is ranked 20th. SMU is ranked 25th.
TCU, Dykes Undefeated Against A-State
This was TCU’s third win in three games all-time against Arkansas State and its first against the Wolves with Dykes as head coach. TCU is 5-0 against teams from A-State’s Sun Belt Conference. TCU is 15-5 against non-conference opponents under Dykes.
Arkansas State’s loss to TCU was its 21st game ever against a Big 12 Conference opponent. A-State now is 2-19 against Big 12 competition. A-State’s last win against a Big 12 foe came in 2020, when the Wolves defeated Kansas State 35-31 in Manhattan, Kansas. The other win against a Big 12 opponent came 2008 at Kyle Field, when Arkansas State defeated then-Big 12 Conference member Texas A&M, 18-14.
Arkansas State played in Texas for the 67th time in its history. The Wolves are 35-32 in the Lone Star State.
Familiar Faces on A-State’s Staff
Arkansas State’s coaching staff featured two former Horned Frogs.
Kenny Hill is the Wolves’ running backs coach. Hill was a quarterback at TCU from 2015 to 2017. After concluding a standout 2017 senior season as TCU’s starting quarterback, in which he led the Horned Frogs to an 11-3 record, Big 12 Championship Game appearance and No. 9 final ranking, Hill remained with the Horned Frogs as a member of the coaching staff. He served as a student assistant and then as a graduate assistant, before becoming an offensive analyst in 2020 and a quarterbacks coach in 2021.
Garret Altman is the Red Wolves’ offensive coordinator. Altman was an offensive lineman at TCU from 2013-17 and a Horned Frogs’ graduate assistant for four seasons (2018-21).
TCU Offensive Against Grambling
“I’m proud of the way we stepped up in big moments,” said Dykes. “I told them that after the game. That’s what you have to do. Recognize when it’s a big moment and big-time players make big plays in big moments. I thought we did that. I’m proud of the way we rebounded in the second half offensively. We ran more consistently in the second half.”
The Horned Frogs’ offense again was without injured starting wide receivers Jordan Dwyer, who is a fifth-year senior transfer from the University of Idaho, and Dozie Ezukanma, who is a junior. Dykes says Dwyer could return from injury for the Frogs’ game against UCF.
Against Arkansas State, TCU scored in in its 423rd consecutive game, the second-longest streak in NCAA history behind Florida’s 475 games.
TCU scored on its opening possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead. The Frogs led 14-7 at the half. TCU outscored the Red Wolves 17-0 in the second half.
The Horned Frogs have scored on the opening possession in every game this season.
TCU accumulated 468 total offensive yards: 337 passing yards and 131 rushing yards.
Craig was efficient, if not spectacular, at quarterback. He completed 21-of-29 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns. He threw one interception and was sacked once. He ran for a net 20 yards on seven carries.
This was the second consecutive 300-yard passing game for the Harvard transfer. It also was the second consecutive game Craig surpassed 300 yards on fewer than 35 pass attempts.
Seven TCU receivers caught passes.
Small, who is a sophomore, had a career-high 164 receiving yards on seven receptions. He had a touchdown reception of 17 yards in the second quarter. The receiving yards are the most since Eric McAlister had 254 receiving yards in a 35-24 win over SMU on September 20 of last year. The touchdown was his first of the season.
As the team’s leading receiver through three games, Small has surpassed his season receiving-yards total (186 yards) from his freshman year last season with 330 yards through three games.
Senior tight end Kari Ashley, who is a transfer from Navarro, caught five passes for 87 yards. He had a touchdown reception of 29 yards in the fourth quarter. It was his third touchdown catch of the season and of his career.
The 99-yard scoring drive by the Frogs late in the third quarter was the first 99-yard touchdown drive for the Frogs since a 31-28 win over Kansas in Fort Worth on November 20, 2021. The drive consisted of 14 plays over eight minutes. It was climaxed by a nine-yard touchdown reception by senior tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton, who is a transfer from LSU. It was his second touchdown catch of the season.
TCU tight ends have accounted for five-of-the-seven touchdown receptions through three games.
Sophomore wide receiver Jacobe Hayes set a career-high with 52 receiving yards on three receptions.
In addition to his 86 rushing yards on 24 carries, Payne scored his first touchdown of the season on a three-yard run in the first quarter.
Junior running
back Joe Pitchford had 26 rushing yards on seven carriers.
TCU Defensive Against Grambling
“Our defense has really played well this year,” said Dykes. “We needed the defense to get off to a fast start after our starts in the first two games and I thought we did that against Arkansas State. Made some big third-down stops on defense. We’ve been good on third down all year.”
Arkansas State’s offense entered the game averaging 38 points per game and 412.5 total yards per game; 182.5 rushing and 230 passing.
The Horned Frogs held Arkansas State scoreless on its first six drives, including three three-and-outs. For the game, the Wolves were five-of-14 on third-down conversions and unsuccessful on all three of their fourth-down attempts.
The Frogs held Arkansas State to 261 total yards; 133 passing yards and 128 rushing yards.
TCU has allowed only 29 points through three games, the lowest opponent point total in the first three games of a season since the 2014 season (21 points).
Arkansas State quarterback Trey Owens entered the game completing 72.3% of his passes. Against TCU’s defense, he completed 11-of-24 passes, for a 46 percent completion rate. He was sacked twice. He did not throw an interception.
The Red Wolves’ leading receiver was Hunter Summers, who had 47 receiving yards on three receptions. Jabari Bush had one catch, for a career-best 46-yard gain.
Owens was Arkansas State’s leading rusher with 58 net yards on seven carriers. James Lee and Solomon Baggett had 28 and 27 yards, respectively.
TCU senior safety Jamel Johnson, who returned after missing the Frogs’ game against Grambling State, senior linebacker Hudson Hooper and senior defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh, who is a transfer from Washington State, led the TCU defense with seven tackles each. This was the first time Hooper had been a leading tackler in a game for the Frogs.
When Arkansas State threatened to tie the score at 14 on a fourth-and-one play from the TCU one-yard line in the third quarter, senior safety Jordan Lester broke up a pass in the end zone that was intended for Red Wolves tight end Tyler Little.
“It was a heck of a play in the end zone,” said Dykes. “That’s what you’ve got to do some times to win games – make a critical play in a critical situation.”
Senior edge Koron Hayward, who is a transfer from Western Kentucky, had a sack for the second straight game. Fifth-year edge Paul Oyewale also had a sack.
TCU Special Teams Contribute
Junior punter John Hoyet Chance punted three times for an average of 52.7 yards per punt, the second-highest punting average by a Frog since Joey Biasatti punted five times in a game in 2001 for an average of 52.8 yards per punt.
Senior placekicker Nate McCashland made his first field goal attempt of the season, a 29-yarder, in the fourth quarter.
Another Must-Have Victory
The grind-it-out victory over Arkansas State was another early-season, must-have victory by the Horned Frogs. The win also was another milestone on TCU’s journey from a good football team to a great football team. Plus, it was the first of three consecutive wins necessary for the Frogs to stoke the fans’ belief in the team.
“We just have to continue working and getting better and improve,” said Dykes. “We’re nowhere where we need to be. And I’m confident we’re nowhere near where we’re gonna be.”
Attaining a third consecutive win will be a tougher task for TCU. The Frogs will be going up against Big 12 Conference foe UCF in Orlando on Saturday, September 26. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm (Central). The game will be televised by FS1.
UCF is 2-1, with wins over Bethune-Cookman (73-6) and Georgia State (44-30) and a 12-7 loss to Pittsburgh.
TCU and UCF have played each other once. The Knights defeated the Frogs, 35 -34, on September 24, 2024, in Fort Worth.
At DraftKings Sportsbook, TCU opened as a three-point favorite over the Knights (betting lines may vary by sportsbook and are subject to change before kickoff).
Midnite Madness predicts a 20-17 UCF victory.
After UCF, TCU has a daunting October schedule, beginning with ranked BYU in Fort Worth on Saturday, October 3, followed by arch-rival Baylor in Waco on Saturday, October 17, surprising West Virginia, in Fort Worth, on Saturday, October 24, and Kansas, in Fort Worth, on Saturday, October 31.
Entering November, the Horned Frogs will know where they stand in the race for the 2026 Big 12 Conference championship and whether their fans will continue checking out early from their home games.
Additional Information
TCU-Arkansas box score: here
TCU-Arkansas State game highlights: here
TCU postgame conference: here
Arkansas State postgame conference: here
Betting Disclaimer
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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