Presser Points from Week 5: Takeaways from Tempe

Sonny Dykes expresses his frustrations and offers insights following the Frogs’ loss to the Sun Devils.

TCU head coach Sonny Dykes yells to an official during a game against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 26, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TCU turned in a disappointing performance in its conference opener against Arizona State on Friday night. Following the loss, Sonny Dykes spoke to the media and expressed his frustrations and takeaways.

Frustrated with Offensive Line:

Perhaps the biggest disappointment from Friday’s loss was the TCU offensive line. A line that had been stout and strong throughout the first three games looked as if it was playing with each other for the first time.

The Sun Devils recorded six sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Josh Hoover was constantly under pressure, and the Frogs could not establish the ground game. Trent Battle and Jeremy Payne each scored touchdowns in the first half but were stymied for the remainder of the game.

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Prince Dorbah (32) forces TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) to fumble in the second half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

Dykes said, “We didn’t block them up front. They’re a team that’s built to stop the run. I mean, there’s always an extra guy in the box, so it’s hard to run the football. And that’s why we had a lot of success throwing it, and then we got ourselves into too many long-yardage situations.”

The Frogs finished with just 12 rushing yards. Battle and Payne combined for 50 yards, but the Sun Devils’ six sacks set the Frogs back 38 yards.

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) fakes a handoff to running back Trent Battle (6) against Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

Even when the Frogs found success early on, Dykes felt the team didn’t click the way they typically do. “I never felt like we ever really executed particularly well offensively the whole night… We never really got settled in and comfortable.”

Pleased with Defensive Performance Given the Circumstances:

Despite allowing 498 total yards to Arizona State, Sonny Dykes had nothing but positive words for his defense. “We played hard with our back against the wall,” Dykes said. “I thought we certainly gave ourselves a chance to win with the way we played defense, but we just gave them short fields… the turnovers killed us.”

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; TCU Horned Frogs safety Bud Clark (21) celebrates with cornerback Vernon Glover (26) and defensive end Zach Chapman (0) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

The Sun Devils were simply better than the Frogs in several facets of the game, including the turnover battle as Arizona State forced a fumble and picked off Josh Hoover twice. The late turnovers gave the Sun Devils a short field offensively, which further put the TCU defense in a difficult position.

Defensively, TCU made ASU earn its scores, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the hostile road environment in Tempe.

What’s Next?

The Frogs are headed home and will host the Colorado Buffaloes (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) on Saturday night from Amon G. Carter Stadium. Deion Sanders’ program is coming off a loss to No. 23 BYU. Kick off is set for 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised on FOX.