Midnite Madness Sees TCU Light Up Grambling State

TCU Athletics used new LED lighting to “light up” storied Amon G. Carter Stadium on the TCU campus in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, September 12.

The Horned Frogs reciprocated by lighting up the scoreboard during their 2026 home opener and earning their first victory of the season, 63-7 over Grambling State University, a Historically Black College and University and member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

TCU, of the Big 12 Conference, has had a lot of offensive success in home openers, scoring at least 30 points in its last 19 openers in The Carter. In the 21st century, TCU is 24-3 in home openers, with two of the three losses coming to power-conference opponents.

Midnite Madness had predicted a 38-13 TCU victory. TCU was nearly a 45-point favorite over the Football Championship Subdivision Tigers.

With the win, TCU improved to 1-1. The Horned Frogs’ next game is at home against Arkansas State on Saturday, September 19. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPNU and will take place during Family Weekend on the TCU campus.

TCU will begin Big 12 Conference play on Saturday, September 26, against UCF in Orlando, Florida at 2:30 CST.

With the loss, Grambling State fell to 2-1. The Tigers have a bye on September 19. On September 26, Grambling will play its SWAC opener against Prairie View A&M in the Cotton Bowl in the State Fair Classic. The State Fair of Texas opens in Dallas on Friday, September 25.

The LED lights, as well as the enhancement of the south end zone scoreboard, were the latest updates to TCU’s historic football stadium, where the first football game was played on October 11, 1930. TCU defeated the University of Arkansas 40-0.

There also were Big 12 and Monster Energy logos and Spectrum logos displayed on the field.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Big 12 is requiring each conference team to display a Monster Energy logo on its field and wear the logo on its uniforms as part of a sponsorship agreement reportedly worth about $1 million per conference member.

TCU Athletics and Spectrum recently announced a multiyear partnership naming Spectrum the Official Internet, Wireless and Television Service Provider of TCU Athletics. Spectrum also was named the presenting sponsor of the Frog Walk, a pregame tradition before every TCU home football game.

The much-ballyhooed new LED lights were underwhelming, and their use during the break between the third and fourth quarters was bizarre and utterly bewildering to longtime football fans.

Thankfully, the Frogs and the Grambling band did not disappoint.

The “World Famed” Grambling State Marching Band, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, dazzled the game’s 37,600 broiled spectators with the type of jazzy and gyrating halftime show that seldom rocks a TCU football crowd.

After the performance, much of the crowd exited the stadium in search of cooler environments, despite an ensuing performance by the TCU Marching Band, which is the largest in school history.

The temperature at kickoff was 100 degrees, the hottest recorded game in Amon G. Carter Stadium history, and many attendees had tailgated for several hours in temperatures that reached as high as 104 degrees.

TCU Aggressive Against Grambling

The heat didn’t bother the Horned Frogs. TCU aggressively took control by scoring a touchdown on its first drive and never letting up. The Frogs led 28-7 at halftime. TCU scored two touchdowns in the third quarter and three in the fourth to post its highest point total since scoring 63 against Jackson State in 2017.

The dominating Week 2 victory was exactly what the Horned Frogs needed after opening their season on August 29 with a lethargic 15-10 upset loss to the University of North Carolina in the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland.

Despite its aggressive approach, particularly on offense, TCU had only five penalties for 60 yards against Grambling. This was a much-needed improvement from the 11 penalties the Frogs accumulated in their embarrassing loss to the Tar Heels.

Before the game against Grambling, TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes said, “It has been a long two weeks after the loss. We are ready to get the bad taste out of our mouths.”

Against Grambling, the Frogs replaced the bad taste of defeat with the sweetness of victory by better showing off the play-calling abilities of new offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis, the passing and running of new quarterback Jaden Craig and the quickness and physicality of their continuously improving defense under defensive coordinator Andy Avalos.

“I was proud of our team,” said the 56-year-old Dykes, who is in his fifth year as TCU’s head football coach. “I was encouraged by our maturity and the way we continued to focus and pay attention to details and do things the right way as the game went on.”

TCU Remembers September 11

Saturday night’s festivities also included a remembrance of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

Honoring the lives lost and the heroes who served. TCU Army and Air Force ROTC, alongside students, gathered before sunrise for a commemorative 9/11 stair climb at the Carter. pic.twitter.com/wQyMYFeHhU
— TCU (@TCU) September 11, 2026

Before the game, TCU fans, some of whom were not yet born 25 years ago, were reminded of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Hijackers seized four airplanes, crashing two into the World Trade Center towers in New York City and a third into the Pentagon. The fourth, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew members attempted to regain control of the aircraft.

On September 8, 2001, TCU was coming off a 38-10 victory over SMU in Dallas and preparing for a September 15 home game against Marshall. The game was canceled following the attacks and was not rescheduled.

TCU played only 11 regular-season games that year, finishing the regular season 6-5 before losing to Texas A&M in the GalleryFurniture.com Bowl at Houston’s iconic, decaying Astrodome.

Big 12 Teams Have Big Week 2

Here are the results of Week 2 games involving the other Big 12 teams:

Friday, September 11

Missouri 38 (2-0) at Kansas 21 (1-1)

Saturday, September 12

No. 6 Oregon 31 (1-1) at Oklahoma State 39 (1-1)
Washington State 7 (0-2) at Kansas State 34 (2-0)
Arizona State 20 (1-1) at No. 10 Texas A&M 48 (2-0)
UT Martin 7 (1-2) at West Virginia 52 (2-0)
Weber State 21 (1-2) at Colorado 52 (2-0)
Arizona 17 (1-1, 0-1) at No. 15 BYU 28 (2-0, 1-0)
UCF 7 (1-1) at Pittsburgh 12 (2-0)
Southern 6 (1-2) at No. 22 Houston 77 (2-0)
Western Carolina 10 (1-2) at Cincinnati 62 (2-0)
Iowa State 13 (1-1) at Iowa 16 (2-0)
No. 13 Texas Tech 35 (2-0) at Oregon State 24 (0-2)
Prairie View A&M 3 (1-2) at Baylor 44 (1-1)
Arkansas 10 (1-1) at No. 20 Utah 43 (2-0)

The results offered an early look at several teams TCU will encounter during its challenging Big 12 schedule.

New Associated Press and Coaches Polls

TCU and Baylor are the only Power Four programs in Texas that are not ranked in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Four Big 12 teams are ranked in the AP poll following Week 2: BYU at No. 11, Texas Tech at No. 13, Utah at No. 17 and Houston at No. 22.

Oklahoma State, Arizona and Kansas State received votes but did not crack the AP Top 25. Oklahoma State received the 29th-most votes, followed by Arizona at No. 37 and Kansas State at No. 39.

TCU and Baylor also are the only Power Four programs in Texas that are not ranked in the Coaches Poll.

Four Big 12 teams appear in the Coaches Poll Top 25: Texas Tech at No. 12, BYU at No. 13, Utah at No. 17 and Houston at No. 23.

Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Arizona received votes but remained outside the Top 25. Kansas State received the 29th-most votes, followed by Oklahoma State at No. 36 and Arizona at No. 46.

TCU and Dykes Undefeated Against Grambling

TCU is 2-0 overall against Grambling State.

Grambling State last visited Fort Worth in 2012 when the Frogs beat the Tigers 56-0 | Keith Robinson

In their first meeting with the Tigers, the No. 20 Horned Frogs won 56-0 on September 8, 2012. The victory was then-TCU head football coach Gary Patterson’s 110th win at TCU, allowing him to pass Dutch Meyer as the winningest head coach in TCU football history.

The matchup also was the first game in the renovated Amon G. Carter Stadium and the Frogs’ first as a member of the Big 12 Conference. TCU finished the season 7-6 overall and 4-5 in the Big 12.

TCU’s game against Grambling this past Saturday was the Frogs’ first game against an HBCU since 2019, when the Horned Frogs defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 39-7 in the season and home opener on August 31, 2019.

In other games against HBCU opponents, TCU defeated Jackson State 63-0 on September 2, 2017, and Southern 55-7 on September 1, 2018.

TCU is 22-2 overall against FCS teams. TCU’s first loss to an FCS team came on October 18, 1986, when the Frogs lost to North Texas State 24-20 in Fort Worth. The Frogs’ second loss came in 2001, when Northwestern State defeated TCU 27-24 in overtime in Fort Worth.

Dykes is 3-0 against Grambling. In his first game as head coach of Louisiana Tech, Dykes defeated Grambling 20-6 in Shreveport, Louisiana, on September 4, 2010.

Dykes became the head football coach at Cal after the 2012 season. Cal opened its 2015 season with a 73-14 home win over Grambling on September 5.

Tigers Have Successful FCS History

The Tigers have been one of the most prominent programs at the FCS level. Grambling State has won eight SWAC championships and six Black College National Championships since 2000.

Grambling has one win against an NCAA Division I-A, now FBS, opponent. That victory came on September 28, 1985, when the Tigers defeated Oregon State 23-6 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.

TCU’s Offense Against Grambling

The Horned Frogs’ offense was without starting wide receivers Jordan Dwyer, a fifth-year senior transfer from the University of Idaho, and Dozie Ezukanma, a junior, for the second straight game.

The absences of Dwyer and Ezukanma didn’t deter senior quarterback Jaden Craig, a transfer from Harvard. Craig’s passing and running sparked the Horned Frogs’ win.

Craig accounted for 291 total yards and a touchdown in the first half. For the game, Craig completed 24-of-31 passes for a career-high 391 yards. He threw four touchdown passes, which tied a career high, and had a long completion of 57 yards. His average completion went for 16.3 yards. Craig threw no interceptions and was sacked once.

TCU’s team passing line was 24-of-32 because backup quarterback Adam Schobel attempted one pass.

Craig became the fifth TCU quarterback to throw for at least 350 yards and four touchdowns on fewer than 35 attempts. He joined Max Duggan, Kenny Hill, Trevone Boykin and Brandon Hassell.

TCU fans were shocked by Craig’s lack of running in the season opener against North Carolina. He finished with minus-22 yards on four carries in the loss. Three of the carries were sacks by the Tar Heels’ defense.

Against Grambling, Craig ran eight times for a career-high 53 yards. He averaged 6.6 yards per rush. Three of his runs resulted in first downs, and he had a career-long run of 31 yards. That run set up a nine-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton, a transfer from LSU.

Craig completed passes to seven different receivers. Ten completions resulted in gains of at least 15 yards, accounting for 298 of his 391 passing yards.

Craig looked much more comfortable running the TCU offense than he did in his first game as a Horned Frog, and he seemed to thrive in the aggressive nature of the play-calling.

Multiple times, Craig showed flashes of why TCU coveted him in the offseason transfer portal and why NFL teams eagerly await his entry into the NFL Draft.

“There was improvement that we needed to see,” Dykes said. “He took a step in the right direction. Seemed like he was pretty settled in from the get-go. I was glad to see it. That’s what we needed. I thought he ran well when he needed to. We encouraged him to do that, and I think it helps settle him in when he runs.”

TCU had 676 yards of total offense against Grambling and averaged 9.8 yards per play.

TCU scored in its 422nd consecutive game, the second-longest streak in NCAA history behind Florida’s 474 consecutive games.

The Horned Frogs recorded 33 first downs, the 10th-most in program history.

In addition to gaining 391 yards through the air, the Frogs rushed 37 times for 285 yards and four touchdowns. TCU averaged 7.7 yards per carry.

Twelve of the 37 rushing attempts resulted in gains of at least 10 yards, accounting for 197 of TCU’s 285 rushing yards.

Senior tight end Kari Ashley, a transfer from Navarro Junior College, led TCU’s receivers. He had seven receptions for career highs of 119 yards and two touchdowns, covering 29 and 15 yards.

The 29-yard touchdown in the third quarter was the first of Ashley’s career. Ashley is the first TCU tight end to record more than 100 receiving yards in a game since Jared Wiley did so against Baylor on November 18, 2023.

Sophomore wide receiver Ed Small caught five passes for 101 yards. At the end of the second quarter, he had a 57-yard reception, the longest of his career.

Junior wide receiver Jeremy Scott, a transfer from South Alabama, had five receptions for 87 yards and one touchdown, his first as a Horned Frog.

Pimpton caught two passes for 37 yards and one touchdown.

Close-up of TCU tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton in uniform with his orange mouthguard hanging from his facemask and fans behind — TCU tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton (88) takes in the atmosphere during the Horned Frogs’ 63-7 win over Grambling State. | Emma Swinney for KillerFrogs.com

Seven Frogs other than Craig recorded rushing yards against Grambling.

Junior running back Jeremy Payne led all ball carriers with 79 yards on nine rushes. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry and had a long run of 32 yards.

Payne was responsible for TCU’s lone lost fumble. He was running for a touchdown when he was caught from behind. The Grambling defender dislodged the ball, and it rolled through the end zone for a Grambling touchback.

Sophomore running back Jon Denman had six rushes for 41 yards and a touchdown. It was his second touchdown in as many games this season.

Freshman running back Amante Martin had 38 yards on four carries and scored the first touchdown of his career.

Junior running back Joe Pitchford had four carries for 25 yards and a touchdown.

Fifth-year senior wide receiver Major Everhart carried the football once for eight yards and the second touchdown of his career.

TCU’s offense was far from perfect. There were several drops by receivers, and the Frogs fumbled three times, losing one. TCU converted only two of seven third-down opportunities but was two-for-two on fourth down.

Still, the offensive performance represented a dramatic response after Dublin. The Horned Frogs’ 63-7 win earned solid grades, even with room remaining for improvement.

TCU’s Defense Against Grambling

Grambling entered the game averaging 48.5 points. The TCU defense held the Tigers nearly 42 points below that average, even though the Frogs were playing without injured preseason All-Big 12 senior safety Jamel Johnson.

The Horned Frogs held the Tigers’ offense to 210 total yards, including 190 passing yards and 20 rushing yards.

TCU edge rusher Paul Oyewale tackles a Grambling State ball carrier at Amon G. Carter Stadium. — TCU edge rusher Paul Oyewale (97) brings down a Grambling State ball carrier during the Horned Frogs' 63-7 victory. | Tony Beblowski for KillerFrogs.com

This was the first time TCU had held an opponent below 25 rushing yards since Purdue had only 23 in a 34-13 loss to the Horned Frogs in West Lafayette, Indiana, in 2019.

TCU defenders allowed only seven first downs, recorded two sacks and multiple tackles for loss, and intercepted two passes, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Thirteen Frogs recorded multiple tackles.

Junior safety Kaden McFadden, who started with Johnson out, led TCU defenders with a career-high six tackles.

Senior linebacker Max Carroll had four tackles, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry.

Senior linebacker Hudson Hooper had four tackles, including one tackle for loss.

Senior linebacker Michael Short, a transfer from North Carolina, had three tackles and a forced fumble. Sophomore defensive end John Schobel also had three tackles and one tackle for loss.

Senior cornerback Vernon Glover had two tackles, including one for loss, and recorded the third interception of his career.

Senior defensive tackle Kelten Mickell, a transfer from Jones College, had two tackles for loss.

Senior defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh, a transfer from Washington State, had two tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack. He also blocked a 20-yard field goal attempt by Grambling’s Diego Alfaro in the first quarter.

It was TCU’s first blocked field goal since Caleb Fox and LaMareon James blocked field goals in a 35-34 loss to UCF in Fort Worth on September 14, 2024.

Senior cornerback Teon Parks, a transfer from Illinois State, had a pass breakup and an interception, which he returned 67 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

It was TCU’s first pick-six since Bud Clark returned an interception for a touchdown in TCU’s 48-14 win over North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 2025.

Sophomore linebacker Dillon Arkansas blocked a punt. It was TCU’s first blocked punt since Shad Banks Jr. blocked one in a 13-7 win over Utah in Salt Lake City in 2024.

Grambling redshirt sophomore quarterback Reginald Johnson, a transfer from the University of Massachusetts, was limited to completing 14-of-20 passes for 190 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and was sacked twice.

Freshman running back Jamarion Parker was the Tigers’ leading rusher with nine yards on five carries.

TCU wasn’t perfect defensively. The Horned Frogs allowed redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jordan Bride and redshirt sophomore running back Byron Eaton Jr. to catch passes of 62 and 52 yards, respectively.

Bride caught four passes for 79 yards. Eaton caught a seven-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter for the Tigers’ lone touchdown.

Still, the defense’s performance was one of several encouraging takeaways from TCU’s victory.

A Much-Needed Victory

The domination of Grambling was a needed victory for the Horned Frogs in the young 2026 season. The win also was an obvious step in the right direction as the Frogs attempt to make the journey from a good football team to a great one.

Plus, it was the first of three consecutive victories necessary for the Frogs to stoke their fans’ belief in the team.

After the victory, the Frogs “lit up” their locker room with youthful boisterousness or, perhaps more correctly, showered it with water from numerous exploding water bottles.

Hopefully, the last person to leave The Carter remembered to turn off the new LED lights!

Stay connected with all things TCU by following KillerFrogs.com, joining the conversation in the KillerFrogs Fan Forum, and following KillerFrogs on X, Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for The Weekly Croak newsletter to receive the latest TCU news directly in your inbox.

Add us as a preferred source on Google