TCU football was fortunate to face off against another undermanned squad from the Heartland.
Weeks removed from a victory over Kansas and its backup quarterback, TCU did enough to score its fifth win of the season Saturday. Jaden Craig threw for 225 yards and one touchdown, Jordan Dwyer made five catches for 85 yards and the Horned Frogs defeated Kansas State, which started its backup quarterback Dillon Duff, 20-10. TCU committed just one penalty, didn’t turn the ball over and finished with 324 yards of offense
in the win.
Ed Small made four catches for 65 yards, Kari Ashley ran for a touchdown and totaled 51 yards on offense and TCU’s defense compiled five sacks in the game. Five different players (Hudson Hooper, Koron Hayward, Max Carroll, Markis Deal and Kaden McFadden) recorded sacks and TCU’s defense forced two turnovers. In holding Kansas State to 10 points, the Horned Frogs have now held seven opponents to 17 points or less this season.
Kyle Lemmermann bounced back from a rough performance last weekend. The kicker went 2-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points to help the Horned Frogs preserve its lead. John Hoyet Chance was excellent in the punt game, averaging 48.7 yards on six boots with a long of 59 yards. He downed three punts inside the 20.
Now 5-5 on the season and 3-4 in the Big 12, TCU must win one of its final two games, both against ranked opponents, to earn bowl eligibility. Saturday’s performance was a strong bounce-back effort by the defense, which allowed a season-high 29 points and over 400 yards in last weekend’s loss at No. 22 Arizona.
Run-game issues are still there for the TCU offense, which got 55 yards on 15 carries from Jeremy Payne in his return from an injury absence. The Horned Frogs ended Saturday’s game with 99 rushing yards on 35 attempts (2.8 yards per attempt). TCU has gotten creative in recent weeks, giving Ashley carries out of the backfield once again. The tight end took three carries for 22 yards and scored on a 19-yard touchdown run.
