Can Jeremy Payne continue his Hot Start against Grambling?

Payne Lit Up the Box Score against UNC

Payne had an amazing start to his 2026 season, rushing for 142 yards on 25 carries. Payne had a burst of speed on his second run of the day that went for 48 yards, his longest of the game. Payne clearly set himself apart from the rest of the Horned Frog offense with his efficiency both carrying the ball and in the passing game. Payne tallied 5 catches for 27 yards in the air.

As the offense struggled to gain consistency throughout the game, Payne provided a punch when his number was called; however, he alone couldn’t drive the bus as TCU struggled to put points on the board after the first quarter.

How can Grambling stop Payne?

An ideal scenario for Grambling is that TCU continues to struggle on the offensive side of the ball. Whether quarterback Jaden Craig continues to miss passes or the wide receivers continue to drop passes, the Tigers will look to stifle the Frogs’ attack. Payne provided enough plays two weeks ago to steal enough attention away from the other elements of TCU’s offense, and the Tigers will primarily focus on stopping Payne.

Grambling comes into this matchup after two weeks of dominant football. The Tigers faced Clark Atlanta and shut their offense down, holding the Panthers to 7 points and less than 255 total yards, winning 49-7. The next week, the Tigers faced Central State of Ohio and held the Marauders to 26 points and 386 total yards. One trend in both games was how Grambling handled the run game. Clark Atlanta had 94 rushing yards, and Central State had 138.

What would a good offensive performance look like for TCU?

Even though Grambling has put up some good defensive performances, TCU should get back on track on Saturday. What would an acceptable performance look like for the Frogs? First is the overall consistency of drives. If TCU can manage short third downs, it will make its rush attack more potent since it will remain a viable option. Committing fewer penalties will stop killing drives before they begin. The Frogs, as a team, committed 11 penalties for 90 yards, and on offense, some were preventable: unsportsmanlike conduct and false starts.

If TCU wants to bring the energy back to Fort Worth, the offense will have to fill the scoreboard up and do it with ease.

TCU's Jeremy Payne — TCU's Offense struggle to score after the First Quarter. | Charles McQuillan / Getty Images

What are Payne's expectations for Saturday?

When Jeremy Payne gets over fifteen carries, good things happen. Last season, the TCU running back eclipsed fifteen carries only twice, and when he did, Payne rushed for a hundred yards both times. Including his recent performance against North Carolina, giving the ball to Payne numerous times will pay dividends.

The other running back on TCU’s roster could steal some carries from Payne; Jon Denman had 8 carries for 19 yards two weeks ago and scored the lone TCU touchdown. Payne is the lead back by far, and the team might need to find the balance of giving him the ball when they can and giving the running back a rest.

The offensive line did an amazing job in the first half at run blocking the North Carolina defense but then struggled to contain them in the second half. Payne had more rushing yards in the first quarter than he did in the second half. While the pressure might be on TCU’s passing game, the overall performance of the offensive line will show whether TCU can fix its problems.

TCU needs to take a step forward

These early-season matchups against lesser opponents are supposed to help the team work out any problems and get things right. After a brutal loss to begin the year, TCU will have a chance this weekend to get back on track and smooth things out on the offensive side of the ball. TCU has problems on offense, and we’ll have to see if Jeremy Payne is the solution on Saturday.

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