The Good, Bad, and Ugly in TCU's Road Win Over West Virginia

Despite a dysfunctional second half, the Horned Frogs hung on against the Mountaineers to achieve bowl eligibility.

Oct 18, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) under center against the Baylor Bears during the second half of a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

TCU narrowly escaped Morgantown with a win this past weekend. While the Horned Frogs reached bowl eligibility for the second season in a row, their 23-17 win over West Virginia may have raised more questions than answers.

It's important to note that head coach Sonny Dykes and his squad remain in the hunt for a Big 12 title appearance. TCU is tied with Utah, Arizona State, and Kansas State for 5th in the Big 12 standings. Both the Sun Devils and the Wildcats hold wins over the Horned Frogs.

After the win over Baylor, Coach Dykes mentioned in the postgame press conference that he frankly didn't care how the Frogs won. In a conference as hectic as the Big 12, that's likely a healthy mentality to have on a weekly basis. While TCU was able to keep its win streak going into the bye week, there were good, bad, and ugly takeaways from the Frogs' win over the Mountaineers.

The Good- The Backbone of the Horned Frogs Defense

Oct 4, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr (3) reacts after a defensive play against the Colorado Buffaloes during the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

One of the prominent bright spots for TCU in Saturday's win was the performance from linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr. The senior from Hayward, California, totaled 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and one sack in the win over the Mountaineers.

𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐄𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬-𝐎𝐫𝐫…the first Horned Frog since at least 1995 to tally 15+ tackles in consecutive games‼️#GoFrogs 🐸 #ForTheWorthy pic.twitter.com/Oblaq7jgEf

— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) October 27, 2025

Elarms-Orr has quickly become one of the best linebackers in the Big 12 during the 2025 season. The Frogs' linebacker currently leads the conference with 80 total tackles in eight games. Elarms-Orr also had his second consecutive game with 15 or more tackles. During the win over Baylor, the senior totaled another 16 tackles, along with five solo tackles.

While TCU's remaining schedule looks daunting, having a defender like Elarms-Orr certainly helps the Frogs' chances of victory.

The Bad- Playing Down to Your Opponent's Level

Oct 25, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Cam Vaughn (4) celebrates a first down after a catch during the third quarter against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Coming into their matchup against the Mountaineers, the Horned Frogs were favored by over 16 points based on betting odds. While I don't normally bring betting lines into my articles, I feel it's appropriate in this case. West Virginia's defense remains one of the worst in the Big 12. The Mountaineers are towards the bottom of the conference in both passing and rushing defense.

If TCU's explosive offense was going to have a game where they were firing on all cylinders, it likely would have come against West Virginia.

However, there are a couple of silver linings in this week's "Bad" section. First off, finding a win in Morgantown has never been easy for TCU. Expelling their demons of the past could lead to a morale boost that could benefit the Horned Frogs down the toughest part of their schedule.

Secondly, TCU found a way to win despite losing offensive lineman Coltin Deery, a significant piece of the Frogs' offensive line. It's encouraging that Remington Strickland and Witten Van Hoy were able to keep the pocket relatively clean for quarterback Josh Hoover.

The Ugly- Second Half Woes Continue

Oct 25, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes leads his team onto the field prior to their game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

In the first half against the Mountaineers, TCU's offense seemed to be working with efficiency. The Frogs totaled 10 points in each of the first two quarters to take a commanding 20-7 lead at halftime. In the first half, Hoover completed 12 of 20 passing attempts for 114 passing yards. While it wasn't exactly his best first half performance, the junior and his receivers were still making plays when they needed to extend drives.

The thing that irked many viewers was the sudden change in offensive scheme in the second half. It almost seemed as though TCU was trying not to lose, rather than sticking with a style of offense that gave them the best chance to win.

One of the more alarming takeaways from the Frogs' win over West Virginia was their inability to run the football. With Deery going down with an injury early in the game, TCU only managed 96 total yards on the ground. Sixty-eight of those rushing yards came in the first half. With some of the better run defenses in the Big 12 on TCU's remaining schedule, they'll need to figure out something in the run game rather quickly.