2026 Midnite Madness TCU-West Virginia Game Photos

Photos and text by Tom C. "Midnite" Burke

(photos above and below) TCU hosted Big 12 foe West Virginia for the Horned Frogs' homecoming on Saturday, October 24. Kickoff was at 11 am (Central). ESPN2 televised the game. The Frogs climaxed an embarrassing week for Texas Christian University with a head-scratching 24-20 upset loss to the Mountaineers. On October 22, TCU Chancellor Daniel Pullin resigned, amid numerous unconfirmed allegations. His resignation came less than 17 months after being promoted from the university’s presidency into the school’s top position. Pullin’s predecessor, the highly popular and successful Victor Boschini, Jr., who previously led TCU for 22 years, has returned as chancellor. The Horned Frogs’ exasperating loss to West Virginia hardly was a warm welcoming for Boschini, who is an avid TCU sports fan, or the many TCU alums who had gathered on the TCU campus from around the world to celebrate their homecoming. TCU's next game is a home contest against Big 12 foe Kansas on Saturday, October 31. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm in Amon G. Carter Stadium on the TCU campus in Fort Worth, Texas. FS1 will televise the game.

Former TCU head football coach Dennis Franchione died on October 6, at the age of 75. During pregame ceremonies of the Horned Frogs’ October 24 homecoming football game against West Virginia, Franchione’s life was memorialized, during which he was credited with the rebirth of TCU football by leading the Frogs to a 28-19 victory over USC in the 1998 Sun Bowl, in El Paso, Texas.

TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes (right) and West Virginia head football coach Rich Rodriguez visit prior to kickoff of the TCU-West Virginia game on Saturday, October 24, in Fort Worth.

(photos above and below) God Bless America!

(photos above and below) A flyover prior to the kickoff of the TCU-West Virginia football game featured a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet, which is a supersonic, all-weather, twin-engine, carrier-capable multi-role fighter and attack aircraft.

(photos above and below) Here come the Horned Frogs!

(photos above and below) Here come the Mountaineers!

(photos above and below) TCU Block T honorary captain Max Duggan (left) joined TCU captains Ben Taylor-Whitfield (#56), Hudson Hooper (#37), Ansel Din-Mbuh (#92) and Jaden Craig (#1). Duggan was a TCU quarterback. He led the Frogs to an undefeated regular season in 2022 and to the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship Game in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, after a College Football Playoff Semifinal victory over the University of Michigan in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl.

Against West Virginia, TCU scored in its 427th consecutive game, which is the second-longest streak in NCAA history. Under the leadership of TCU offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis and quarterback Jaden Craig (#1), the TCU offense totaled 484 yards (372 passing yards and 112 rushing yards) and 29 first downs against West Virginia, while possessing the football for nearly 38 minutes of the game’s 60 minutes. But the Horned Frogs only scored two touchdowns. Late in the first quarter against the Mountaineers, TCU's first scoring drive of the game consisted of 16 plays and 91 yards in just over nine minutes.  It was the Frogs’ longest touchdown drive of the year by both plays and duration. It gave TCU a 7-3 lead. “We drove the ball down to their (West Virginia) end of the field over and over and over and over again, and then we shot ourselves in the foot,” said TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes.

(photos above and below) Against West Virginia, TCU fifth-year quarterback Jaden Craig (#1), who is a transfer from Harvard, completed 33 of 47 passes for 372 yards. He threw one interception and was sacked three times. Craig opened the game with 12 consecutive completions, tied for the third-longest streak in TCU football history. He became the first TCU quarterback to post at least 10 consecutive completions since Chandler Morris did so against Nicholls in 2023. Craig completed passes to 10 receivers. The Horned Frogs have had at least six receivers catch a pass in every game this season, and at least seven receivers catch a pass in five games this year.

(photos above and below) TCU fifth-year quarterback Jaden Craig (#1), who is a transfer from Harvard, rushed 12 times for 57 yards against West Virginia, but he netted only 26 rushing yards because he lost 31 yards on sacks.  

(photos above and below) In the third quarter, fifth-year TCU quarterback Jaden Craig (#1), who is a transfer from Harvard, scored a touchdown against West Virginia on a two-yard run. The touchdown and extra point gave TCU a 20-17 lead. The rushing touchdown was the first for Craig as a Horned Frog and the 12th of his career.

(photos above and below) TCU senior wide receiver Jordan Dwyer (#7), who is a transfer from Idaho, was one of 10 TCU receivers to catch a pass in the loss to West Virginia. The Horned Frogs have had at least six receivers catch a pass in every game this season, and at least seven receivers catch a pass in five games.

(photos above and below) Against West Virginia, TCU senior wide receiver Jordan Dwyer (#7) caught 10 passes for 113 yards. For Dwyer, it was his 12th career 100-yard receiving game, the second-most of any Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) player.

(photos above and below) TCU senior tight end Kari Ashley, who is a transfer from Navarro, was the Horned Frogs' leading receiver against West Virginia. Ashley caught six passes for 118 yards.

TCU senior tight end Kari Ashley (#81), who is a transfer from Navarro, had a 37-yard reception, which tied his career long.

(photos above and below) Despite being 6-foot-6, this pass was just a bit too high for TCU senior tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton (#88) to catch in the Horned Frogs' 24-20 loss to West Virginia.

(photos above and below) Against West Virginia, TCU senior tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton (#88), who is a transfer from LSU, caught four passes for 23 yards.

(photos above and below) TCU Senior tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton (#88), who is a transfer from LSU, had TCU's only touchdown reception in the Frogs' 24-20 loss to West Virginia. Pimpton's six-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter climaxed a 16-play, 91-yard drive by TCU and gave the Horned Frogs a 7-3 lead. The touchdown reception was Pimpton's fourth of the year. TCU tight ends have caught seven touchdown passes this season, tied for the second-most by the unit since at least 1996.

TCU sophomore wide receiver Jacobe Hayes (#80) had a career-high 62 receiving yards in TCU's homecoming game against West Virginia on October 24.

TCU junior wide receiver Jeremy Scott (#6), who is a transfer from South Alabama,was held to one reception by West Virginia's defenders. 

(photos above and below) TCU sophomore wide receiver Ed Small (#18) was held to three receptions against the Mountaineers, but in the third quarter he drew an interference call in the end zone against West Virginia junior safety Kameron Reddic (#29). On the next play, TCU quarterback Jaden Craig scored a touchdown on a two-yard run to give the Horned Frogs a 20-17 lead.

(photos above and below) Against West Virginia, TCU sophomore running back Jon Denman (#2) had a career-high 58 yards rushing on 15 carries, boosted by a 21-yard run. 

TCU sophomore quarterback Adam Schobel (#11) fumbled on his only play in the Frogs' loss to West Virginia. Fortunately, TCU senior offensive lineman Cooper Powers (#77) recovered the fumble.

TCU senior kicker Nate McCashland (#99) kicked converted field goals attempts of 39 and 37 yards against West Virginia, but he missed a crucial 43-yard attempt in the second quarter. Those missed three points affected TCU's offensive strategy later in the game. “The missed field goal was really big,” said Dykes. “We’ve got to be able to make those field goals. Those are make-able field goals. That’s something we have to be able to do. It hurt us today.”

Once again, TCU’s defense performed well enough for the Horned Frogs to taste victory. The Frogs held West Virginia to 265 total yards of offense (186 rushing yards and 79 passing yards) and 17 first downs. The Mountaineers had been averaging 497 total yards of offense per game. The TCU defense entered the game ranked third nationally in scoring defense, allowing 12.2 points per game. West Virginia, however, essentially doubled that average, scoring 24 points. Coming into the game against West Virginia, TCU's defense had allowed just eight touchdowns, the least in the Power Four and second in the FBS, and had held Baylor to six points and BYU to 17 points. The Frogs held the Mountaineers to 24 points, but in the crucial second half couldn’t protect TCU leads of 13-10 and 20-17.

(photos above and below) TCU senior linebacker Hudson Hooper (#37) and senior safety Jamel Johnson (#2) led TCU's defense. Johnson tied a career-high with 11 tackles. Hooper had a career-high nine tackles.

(photos above and below) In the second quarter, TCU senior safety Kylin Jackson (#6), with some help from teammate senior safety Jamel Johnson (#2), intercepted a pass intended for West Virginia wide receiver Cyrus Traugh (#86). For Kylin, who is a transfer from LSU, it was his first career interception.

(photos above and below) TCU senior defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh (#92), who is a transfer from Washington State, sacks West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins, Jr. (#3), who is a transfer from Oklahoma. TCU's defense sacked Hawkins three times in the Frogs' 24-20 loss to the Mountaineers. Din-Mbuh also had a tackle-for-loss among his five tackles in the game.

(photos above and below) TCU senior cornerback Vernon Glover, Jr. (#1), had five tackles in the Horned Frogs' game against West Virginia. 

TCU senior linebacker Max Carroll (#3) breaks up a pass that was intended for West Virginia freshman running back Amari Latimer (#1), who did not have a reception in the game.

TCU senior safety Jordan Lester (#22) breaks up a pass intended for West Virginia fifth-year wide recever DJ Epps (#2). Lester and TCU's defense prevented Epps from making a catch in the Mountaineers' win.

(photos above and below) West Virginia sophomore quarterback Michael Hawkins, Jr. (#3), who is a transfer from the University of Oklahoma completed only seven-of-15 passing attempts against TCU, and he threw one interception and was sacked three times. Hawkins, Hawkins, however, hurt the Frogs with his running ability. He rushed 20 times for 87 net yards and two touchdowns.

West Virginia sophomore quarterback Michael Hawkins, Jr. (#3), who is a transfer from the University of Oklahoma, scored a touchdown against TCU on a two-yard run in the second quarter. The score and extra point gave West Virginia a 10-7 lead. 

(photos above and below) West Virginia sophomore quarterback Michael Hawkins, Jr. (#3), outran four TCU defenders on the way to a 36-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The score and extra point gave the Mountaineers a 17-13 lead. 

(photos above and below) Former TCU running back Cam Cook (#4) made his return to Fort Worth as a Mountaineer. He entered the game fifth nationwide in rushing yards (833), averaging five yards per carry, with a Big 12 high of 119 rushing yards per game. Cook committed to TCU in the summer of 2022. After playing two seasons for the Horned Frogs, Cook transferred to Jacksonville State, where in 2025 he led the NCAA in rushing, with 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns. He transferred to West Virginia prior to the 2026 season. Against TCU, the senior Cook, who is a senior, rushed 18 times for 90 yards.

Former TCU running back Cam Cook (#4), who is a senior West Virginia running back, caught a 13-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter that was the game-winner for the Mountaineers in their 24-20 victory over the Horned Frogs.

(photos above and below) West Virginia fifth-year wide receiver DJ Epps (#2) had his eyes on the football, but ultimately failed to make the catch. He did not have a pass reception against the Horned Frogs. 

West Virginia fifth-year kicker Jack Cassidy (#42) kicked a 54-yard field goal against TCU in the first quarter of the Mountaineers' 24-20 victory over the Horned Frogs.

Late in the second quarter of the Mountaineers' game against the Horned Frogs, West Virginia fifth-year cornerback Chams Diagne (#7), who is a transfer from Georgia State, intercepts a pass intended for TCU tight end Ka'Morreun Pimpton (#88).

(photos above and below) West Virginia fifth-year cornerback Chams Diagne (#7), who is a transfer from Georgia State, celebrates his interception of a pass thrown by TCU fifth-year quarterback Jaden Craig. 

With TCU's offense driving in West Virginia territory, the Mountaineers forced a fumble by TCU fifth-year quarterback Jaden Craig (#1), who is a transfer from Harvard. TCU's Major Everhart (#3) couldn't make the recovery, allowing West Virginia sophomore linebacker Cam Torbor to make the recovery at the West Virginia 27-yard line. 

West Virginia senior safety Geimere Latimer II (#1), who is a transfer from Wisconsin, prevents TCU sophomore wide receiver Ed Small from making a reception. The Mountaineers' defense held Small to three receptions and 20 receiving yards.

West Virginia junior linebacker Isaiah Patterson (#16), who is a transfer from UNLV, sacks TCU fifth-year quarterback Jaden Craig (#1). The Mountaineers sacked Craig three times.

(photos above and below) With six tackles, West Virginia senior safety Andrew Powdrell (#0), who is a transfer from UNLV, helped lead the Mountaineers' defense against the Horned Frogs.

(photos above and below) West Virginia's defense came up with the play-of-the-game late in the fourth quarter when TCU was driving for a potential game-winning touchdown. West Virginia junior defensive lineman Nate Gabriel strip-sacked TCU quarterback Jaden Craig on a second-down play.

The fumble caused by the strip-sack of TCU quarterback Jaden Craig was recovered by the Mountaineers' Ben Cutter (#15), a senior linebacker, at the West Virginia 23-yard line, with 34 seconds left in the game. 

TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes (left) and West Virginia head football coach Rich Rodriguez greet each other at the end of the Mountaineers' 24-20 Big 12 victory over TCU. With the loss, TCU fell to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12. West Virginia improved to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12.

During TCU's homecoming game with West Virginia on October 24, the TCU Showgirls, who premiered in 1976, celebrated their 50th anniversary. began in 1976! To celebrate 50 years, a performance during a timeout in the game featured Showgirls from every decade since the 1970s.

The Riff-Ram video played during a timeout in the TCU-West Virginia featured Derek Hough, who is an Emmy Award-winning dancer and Dancing with the Stars judge. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the ABC dance competition series Dancing with the Stars, winning the show a record-breaking six times with his celebrity partners. Hough recently was a guest speaker on the TCU campus, during which he connected with students, the TCU Showgirls and various student groups. 

TCU's next football game is a Big 12 home contest against the University of Kansas on Saturday, October 31. Kansas is tied with TCU at 1-3 in the Big 12 and 3-4 overall. The Jayhawks will be come into Fort Worth following an emotional 25-24 homecoming win over Baylor in Lawrence on October 24. In the closing seconds of the game, the Jayhawks preserved their victory by blocking a potential game-winning field goal by the Bears. Kansas snapped Baylor's streak of six straight games of allowing 20 or less points by collecting 25 points on 421 yards of offense. The Jayhawks had 209 rushing yards and 212 passing yards. On the Sunday following the Bears’ loss to Kansas, Baylor fired head football coach Dave Aranda. TCU leads the series with Kansas, with 27 wins, nine losses and four ties. The Frogs have won 11-of-12 games played between the two teams since TCU joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012. TCU’s first Big 12 Conference game was a 20-6 victory over KU in Lawrence, Kansas, on September 15, 2012. The last time the two teams played, the Horned Frogs defeated the Jayhawks, 38-27, on September 28, 2024, in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City, Missouri. TCU has five consecutive wins over Kansas. Going into this game with the Jayhawks, the Horned Frogs rank last in the Big 12 in rushing yards and sacks allowed. TCU ranks 101st nationally in scoring offense and is averaging just 110.3 rushing yards per game. To record a sixth consecutive win over the Jayhawks and remain optimistic of a winning season, the Horned Frogs will need to convert offensive production into points and avoid the offensive mistakes that have contributed to their four losses this season.