Quick Thoughts: TCU 24, Arizona State 27

RIP #HOOVER4HEISMAN

If you want to make excuses: TCU was without it’s leading rusher and leading receiver in this game as Kevorian Barnes was ruled out and Eric McAlister logged one target and no receptions while limited with injury. But the fact remains that the TCU Offense was a failure on Friday night in Tempe. The offensive line had a hideous day at the office; not only was the running game non-existent, but the Frogs were stopped for 13 tackles for loss including six sacks, one of which was the game-losing strip fumble. For as bad as all of that was, it ultimately falls to the QB to take better care of the ball and play situational football to keep drives alive and give yourself a chance in the end. Josh Hoover had rightly earned high praise and hype as a much-improved player with a full command of this offense, able to dice up any defense in his path. He was earning national media attention, entering the Heisman Trophy and NFL Draft discussions. As it turns out, maybe UNC & SMU are just poor ACC defenses that everyone will carve up. On Friday, Hoover became the embodiment of the “it’s time to go back to tha old me” meme: after leading the nation in lost fumbles and among the leaders in most interceptions thrown in 2024, Josh Hoover had a clean 11-2 TD-INT ratio through three games. Against Arizona State, he had three turnovers and zero passing touchdowns. His first interception is probably Dwyer’s fault, a catch he should make or at least not knock straight into the defenders loving arms. But TCU had two possessions in the final minutes with opportunity to go seal a win or tie the game; both ended in Hoover turnovers. First he’s sacked as a bull rush bowls over Benjamin Taylor-Whitfield and snatches the ball right from Hoovers hands, a play that can be blamed some on the OL, but one in which an aware QB either just eats the sack or gets the ball away. Then he tosses a nightmare ball into coverage for the game-ending interception. Hoover had several more turnover-worthy plays – including a sure interception if the defender wasn’t wearing a club cast – and that gunslinger act is far less effective wit Eric McAlister sidelined. The Horned Frogs can bounce back this season, but this game likely ends whatever hope may have existed of the TCU QB reaching New York for the Heisman ceremony this season.

Without a Trace: TCU Run Game

TCU entered Friday’s contest averaging 175 rush yards per game on 5.2 yards per carry. Against Arizona State, TCU gained 10 (TEN!) total net rush yards, good for 0.4 yards per carry. Despite all three of the Horned Frogs’ touchdowns on Friday coming from the ground game, the rushing attack was a whisper in the wind. Sure, the six sacks ASU earned contribute on the negative side, but TCU’s running backs combined for just 50 yards on 15 carries, often getting stuck in the backfield and putting the offense in negative game-script situations. With Kevorian Barnes again sidelined with injury, the carries were given to Trent Battle and Jeremy Payne, with both looking like gods in the first half and turning into pumpkins the rest of the game. This doesn’t even mention true freshman Jon Denman who did not earn a carry with the offense, so chose to try to be a hero and bring the kickoff from deep out of the endzone to begin TCU’s last-gasp opportunity to go get back in the game. With just over a minute left and no timeouts, needing to get your backup kicker into range for a high-pressure game-tying FG, Denman returns the kick to the 12 yard line, costing the Horned Frogs five seconds and 13 yards, both more precious than platinum. An egregious error that will hopefully be a learning lesson, should he ever be trusted to step on the field in such a situation in the future.

Middle Eight Seals Your Fate

It’s often said that the most important minutes of the game that indicate winning football are not the final minutes or the opening moments, but the handful of minutes around halftime: the last several minutes of the second quarter and the beginning minutes of the third quarter. These “middle eight” period is where smart well-coached teams turn close games into runaway wins and bad teams turn big leads into coin-flip contests. TCU entered this zone with a 17-0 lead and had the Sun Devils set up with a 3rd down on its own side of midfield. Leavitt hit Jordyn Tyson for a 57 yard touchdown and TCU answered with a 3 and out. The Sun Devils absolutely dominated this crucial period. The final three drives of the half for the Horned Frogs Offense accounted for eight plays for -11 yards with two punts and the half ending; its first drive of the 3rd quarter resulted in a turnover in the redzone. Meanwhile, the Sun Devils’ four drives during this period resulted in touchdown, touchdown, fumble, field goal. A game that TCU had comfortably in hand became a tie game during the Middle Eight and the Horned Frogs never regained its composure offensively to go take a game it very well could’ve won.

Defensive Stands

Kaleb Elarms-Orr was an absolute menace for the TCU Defense on Friday, leading a unit that was forced to carry the load as the offense couldn’t give it any breathing room and simply couldn’t stop turning the ball over. KEO was the Horned Frogs’ leading tackler with 13 stops, two sacks, and a huge pass breakup in the endzone on a 4th down attempt. It’ll disappear to history given that TCU lost this game and Jordyn Tyson planted his flag as the undisputed WR1 for the 2026 NFL Draft, but the TCU defense delivered in some big moments. Unfortunately the big moments just kept arriving since the offense kept stalling. TCU took one true turnover by recovering a Sam Leavitt fumble, but also made two 4th down stops for turnovers on downs, and forced two missed field goal attempts. The defense effectively forced five turnovers. Yes the late penalties were bad, even if perhaps incorrect calls, or at least very late calls; yes Jordyn Tyson and Raleek Brown and Sam Leavitt accumulated yards and ultimately the points needed to take the win. But the defense did enough to give TCU opportunities to put the game away early or go steal it late and the Frogs just couldn’t get it done.