Late Surge Decides Tight Contest
Jaden Craig’s 87 rushing yards and a decisive late-game drive propelled the TCU Horned Frogs to a 22-16 victory over the visiting Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The home team overcame a three-score deficit in the third quarter to close out the contest with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth, securing their fourth win of the season.
The final whistle marked a 4-4 record for TCU, while Kansas drops to 3-5.
Kansas Builds Early Lead
The Jayhawks struck first in the opening quarter, with Martin Connington booting a 34-yard field goal to establish a 3-0 lead. Kansas extended their advantage to 6-0 in the second quarter when Connington connected on a 42-yard field goal.
The Jayhawks then capitalized on a 29-yard pass from Cole Ballard to Cam Pickett, converting the touchdown with a kick to take a 13-0 lead into the halftime break. Cole Ballard led the Kansas offense with 285 passing yards on 20 of 35 attempts, while Nahzae Cox added 145 receiving yards on five catches.
TCU Responds in Third Quarter
The momentum shifted decisively in the third quarter. Max Carroll returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 13-7 with an extra-point kick by Kyle Lemmermann. TCU then answered immediately with a 28-yard rushing touchdown by Ace Theus, also followed by a Lemmermann kick, to flip the score in favor of the Horned Frogs at 14-13.
This period marked the only time TCU scored in the game, as they had been blanked in the first two quarters.
Fourth Quarter Finish
Kansas tied the game at 16-14 with a 27-yard field goal by Connington late in the fourth quarter. However, TCU answered for the final time. Jaden Craig rushed 17 yards for a touchdown and successfully converted a two-point play, passing to Jordan Dwyer, to seal the 22-16 win.
Craig finished the game with 141 passing yards on 13 of 29 completions and 15 carries for 87 yards. Kari Ashley contributed 50 receiving yards on three catches for TCU, while Keaton Kubecka rushed for 58 yards on three carries for Kansas. Attendance at the venue was 32,549.
Sources
ESPN
