In its gritty 31-7 nonconference victory over Arkansas State on Saturday, September 19, in Fort Worth, the TCU football team probably thought it had come up with a novel way to keep 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.
By late in the third quarter, the Horned Frogs had used a goal-line stand to thwart a potential game-tying drive by Arkansas State and then beautifully scripted and executed a 99-yard touchdown drive to ignite their eventual 24-point victory over the stubborn Red Wolves.
By then, the home crowd resembled that of a Texas high school football game on a Friday night, even though the announced attendance was a sellout crowd of 46,139. Even the usually loyal and raucous contingent of TCU students had scattered into the Cowtown night.
Alas, perhaps because TCU was as much as a 20.5-point favorite over Arkansas State, suggesting a runaway Horned Frogs victory, many fans had made additional plans for the evening during 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 Week 0 loss 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. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Central on 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," TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said. "They played really hard. I knew that they would. That's what you see on film over Butch's 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. 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 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, 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 fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line and TCU responded with its backbreaking 99-yard touchdown drive.
Jones also noted the difficulty of managing momentum in hostile road environments against Power Four opponents and the necessity of sustaining drives and avoiding catastrophic mistakes.
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 Arkansas State in 1999, legendary TCU running back and NFL and College Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 269 yards. A year later, in a 52-3 win over the Red Wolves, LT rushed for 140 yards.
TCU's honorary captain and a young Horned Frogs fan join the pregame festivities before TCU's matchup with Arkansas State at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | Tony Beblowski for KillerFrogs.com
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 anchored by senior safety Five Hamilton and sophomore linebacker Joe Drew, who recorded 12 tackles apiece.
Junior Jeremy Payne led the TCU running backs with 86 rushing yards and one touchdown.
The Horned Frogs enjoyed more success through the air, even though Arkansas State entered the game allowing an average of only 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, catching seven passes for 164 yards and one touchdown.
TCU wide receiver Ed Small (18) turns upfield during the Horned Frogs' 31-7 victory over Arkansas State. | Tony Beblowski for KillerFrogs.com
Those performances were central to TCU's 31-7 victory over Arkansas State .
Houston 26 (2-1, 0-1) at Texas Tech 28 (3-0, 1-0)
Tulane 20 (1-2) at Kansas State 31 (3-0)
Bowling Green 7 (0-3) at Iowa State 55 (2-1)
Arizona State 24 (2-1, 1-0) at Kansas 17 (1-2, 0-1), in London
Miami (Ohio) 31 (1-2) at Cincinnati 35 (3-0)
Utah State 0 (0-3) at Utah 33 (3-0)
Louisiana Tech 19 (1-2) at Baylor 36 (2-1)
Murray State 0 (1-3) at Oklahoma State 59 (2-1)
Georgia State 30 (2-1) at UCF 44 (2-1)
Colorado 7 (2-1) at Northwestern 41 (2-0)
BYU 41 (3-0, 1-0) at Colorado State 23 (2-1)
West Virginia 38 (3-0) at Virginia 27 (2-1)
Northern Illinois 17 (1-2) at Arizona 42 (2-1, 0-1)
Early-season results are beginning to replace preseason assumptions, giving TCU a clearer picture of the problems awaiting the Horned Frogs against their Big 12 opponents .
TCU and Baylor are the only Power Four teams in Texas that are not ranked in this week's Associated Press or Coaches Top 25 polls.
Big 12 teams ranked in the AP Top 25 after Week 3 are BYU at No. 9, Texas Tech at No. 11, Utah at No. 15 and Houston at No. 25.
West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Arizona and Kansas State also received votes.
The University of Texas is ranked first. SMU is ranked 22nd, and Texas A&M is ranked 23rd.
Big 12 teams ranked in the Coaches Poll are BYU at No. 9, Texas Tech at No. 10 and Utah at No. 15.
Houston, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Arizona also received votes.
Texas is ranked first. Texas A&M is ranked 20th, and SMU is ranked 25th.
This was TCU's third win in three games all-time against Arkansas State and its first against the Red Wolves with Dykes as head coach.
TCU is 5-0 against teams from the Sun Belt Conference and 15-5 against nonconference opponents under Dykes.
Arkansas State's loss to TCU was its 21st game against a Big 12 opponent. The Red Wolves are now 2-19 against Big 12 competition.
Arkansas State's most recent victory against a Big 12 opponent came in 2020, when the Red Wolves defeated Kansas State 35-31 in Manhattan, Kansas. The other win came in 2008 at Kyle Field, when Arkansas State defeated then-Big 12 member Texas A&M 18-14.
Arkansas State played in Texas for the 67th time in program history . The Red Wolves are 35-32 in the Lone Star State.
Arkansas State's coaching staff featured two former Horned Frogs.
Kenny Hill is the Red 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, during which he led the Horned Frogs to an 11-3 record, an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game and a 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 quarterbacks coach in 2021.
Garret Altman is the Red Wolves' offensive coordinator. Altman was an offensive lineman at TCU from 2013 to 2017 and a Horned Frogs graduate assistant for four seasons from 2018 to 2021.
"I'm proud of the way we stepped up in big moments," Dykes said. "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, a fifth-year senior transfer from Idaho, and junior Dozie Ezukanma.
Dykes said Dwyer could return for the Frogs' game against UCF.
Against Arkansas State, TCU scored in its 423rd consecutive game, the second-longest streak in NCAA history behind Florida's 475 games.
TCU scored on its opening possession to take a 7-0 lead. The Frogs led 14-7 at halftime before outscoring the Red Wolves 17-0 in the second half.
The Horned Frogs have scored on their opening possession in every game this season.
TCU accumulated 468 total yards, with 337 passing yards and 131 rushing yards.
TCU tight end Kari Ashley (81) breaks into the open field during the Horned Frogs' 31-7 victory over Arkansas State. | Tony Beblowski for KillerFrogs.com
Craig was efficient, if not spectacular, at quarterback. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns. He threw one interception, was sacked once and ran for a net 20 yards on seven carries.
It was the second consecutive 300-yard passing game for the Harvard transfer. It was also the second consecutive game in which Craig surpassed 300 yards on fewer than 35 pass attempts.
Seven TCU receivers caught passes.
Small recorded a career-high 164 receiving yards on seven receptions. He caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. His receiving total was the most by a TCU player since Eric McAlister recorded 254 yards in a 35-24 win over SMU on September 20 last year.
The touchdown was Small's first of the season.
As the team's leading receiver through three games, Small has already surpassed his freshman-season receiving total of 186 yards. He has 330 receiving yards through three games this season.
Senior tight end Kari Ashley, a transfer from Navarro, caught five passes for 87 yards. His 29-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was his third touchdown catch of the season and his career.
The Frogs' 99-yard scoring drive late in the third quarter was their first 99-yard touchdown drive since a 31-28 win over Kansas in Fort Worth on November 20, 2021.
The drive consisted of 14 plays over eight minutes and ended with a nine-yard touchdown reception by senior tight end Ka'Morreun Pimpton, a transfer from LSU. It was his second touchdown catch of the season.
TCU tight ends have accounted for five of the team's 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 carries.
The offense received a strong overall mark in TCU's Arkansas State game grades , even with a rushing performance that left room for improvement.
"Our defense has really played well this year," Dykes said. "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."
TCU defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh (92) brings down an Arkansas State ball carrier during the Horned Frogs' 31-7 victory. | Ansel Din-Mbuh, TCU Football, TCU Horned Frogs, Arkansas State, defensive tackle, Big 12 Football, No 92
Arkansas State's offense entered the game averaging 38 points and 412.5 total yards per game, including 182.5 rushing yards and 230 passing yards.
The Horned Frogs held Arkansas State scoreless on its first six drives, including three three-and-outs. The Red Wolves converted five of 14 third-down opportunities and failed on all three of their fourth-down attempts.
TCU held Arkansas State to 261 total yards, with 133 passing yards and 128 rushing yards.
The Horned Frogs have allowed only 29 points through three games, their lowest opponent point total through three games since 2014, when they allowed 21.
Arkansas State quarterback Trey Owens entered the game completing 72.3 percent of his passes. Against TCU, he completed 11 of 24 passes for a 45.8 percent completion rate. He was sacked twice and did not throw an interception.
The Red Wolves' leading receiver was Hunter Summers, who had 47 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 carries. James Lee and Solomon Baggett recorded 28 and 27 yards, respectively.
TCU senior safety Jamel Johnson, who returned after missing the Grambling State game, senior linebacker Hudson Hooper and senior defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh, a transfer from Washington State, led the Horned Frogs with seven tackles each.
It was the first time Hooper had been a leading tackler in a game for TCU.
When Arkansas State threatened to tie the score on a fourth-and-goal play from the TCU one-yard line in the third quarter, senior safety Jordan Lester broke up a pass in the end zone intended for Red Wolves tight end Tyler Little.
"It was a heck of a play in the end zone," Dykes said. "That's what you've got to do sometimes to win games, make a critical play in a critical situation."
Senior edge Koron Hayward, a transfer from Western Kentucky, recorded a sack for the second consecutive game. Fifth-year edge Paul Oyewale also had a sack.
A closer review of the performance shows how the Horned Frogs handled Arkansas State in the TCU football film review .
Junior punter John Hoyet Chance punted three times for an average of 52.7 yards per punt.
It was the second-highest single-game punting average by a Horned Frog since Joey Biasatti averaged 52.8 yards on five punts in a game in 2001.
Senior placekicker Nate McCashland made his first field-goal attempt of the season, a 29-yarder in the fourth quarter.
The grind-it-out victory over Arkansas State was another early-season, must-have win by the Horned Frogs.
TCU Show Girls perform in week 3, 2026, TCU vs Arkansas State | Tony Beblowski for KillerFrogs.com
It was also another milestone on TCU's journey from a good football team to a great one. Plus, it was the first of three consecutive wins necessary for the Frogs to stoke their fans' belief in the team.
"We just have to continue working and getting better and improve," Dykes said. "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.
The Frogs will face Big 12 foe UCF in Orlando on Saturday, September 26. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Central on 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 vs. UCFhas happened only once. The Knights defeated the Horned Frogs 35-34 on September 14, 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, the TCU football schedule becomes daunting. October begins with ranked BYU in Fort Worth on Saturday, October 3. TCU then faces archrival Baylor in Waco on October 17, surprising West Virginia in Fort Worth on October 24 and Kansas in Fort Worth on October 31.
Entering November, the Horned Frogs will know where they stand in the race for the 2026 Big 12 championship and whether their fans will continue checking out early from home games.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tcu as Midnite Madness: TCU Subdues Pesky Arkansas State Red Wolves .
