TCU Football Gets Embarrassed by Kansas State

The Horned Frogs have a Manhattan problem and it all came crashing down on Saturday.

Kansas State Wildcats tight end Garrett Oakley (86) looks to the crowd to celebrate a touchdown in the third quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

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The TCU Horned Frogs have had their fair share of issues in Manhattan, Kansas. They haven't won in Bill Snyder Family Stadium since 2017. In the four contests since, they've lost by a combined 77 points.

Despite Kansas State holding a 2-4 record, the Wildcats had their way with the Frogs earning a 41-28 victory. TCU drops to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

Turnovers Killed the Frogs

Coming into Week Seven, there have been six Big 12 contests decided by one score. Winning the turnover battle becomes even more crucial. The Frogs coughed it up three times while the Wildcats had zero turnovers.

After K-State tied it up at seven in the second quarter, Josh Hoover threw a backwards pass to Ed Small, and it was dropped. Wesley Fair scooped it up and put the Wildcats ahead 14-7.

To start the second half, TCU methodically drove down the field, but on a fourth-and-five, they couldn't convert. On their next drive, Josh Hoover was picked off by Des Purnell, and he took it 25 yards to the house. That allowed Kansas State to remain in control for the remainder of the game.

The final knockout blow came with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter as Hoover's pass was overthrown, tipped by Kevorian Barnes, and intercepted by Purnell. The TCU gun-slinger didn't have his best game on Saturday, completing 26 of his 47 passes for 376 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.

According to Steven Johnson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Hoover acknowledged that if he doesn't play well, then it'll be hard for TCU to win games, and felt that the fumble and pick-six cost them the game.

He also gave what was described as an "intense speech" in the locker room. He mentioned that the defense played their tail of,f and he didn't do enough to help them win.

TCU Abandoned the Run Game

Oct 11, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) takes a handoff to running back Jeremy Payne (26) during the fourth quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

The offense has had a glaring hole this season and it has been the running game. Pairing poor offensive line play and the Barnes injury, making any progress running the football has been a tall task. However, the Frogs found some early success through Barnes.

The UTSA transfer ran the ball 12 times for 81 yards. The caveat is that his last carry on the night came with 10:28 left in the third quarter. Obviously TCU was trailing the entire second half, but completely abandoning something that was working seems out of character for the Frogs.

On the other side, the Wildcats ran for 166 yards. Their leading rusher, Joe Jackson, ran for 114 yards on 27 carries.

Ed Small Stepped Up

Oct 11, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Ed Small (18) is tackled by Kansas State Wildcats safety Mikey Bergeron (17) during a kick-off in the third quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Ed Small saw more action due to Joseph Manjack IV dealing with an ankle injury. The freshman wideout had a couple of drops, but still ended up with 101 yards on six catches. Eric McAlister also eclipsed 100 yards on four catches and two touchdowns.

His first score came on an 85-yard scamper in the fourth quarter. It was a great throw by Hoover and gave TCU some life.

McAlister shakes his defender and takes it to the house! pic.twitter.com/gsjrhe12rb

— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) October 11, 2025

The problem is Kansas State always seemed to have a response. Quarterback Avery Johnson had his best game of the season with 198 yards through the air and three touchdowns. He also added 42 yards on the ground.

What's next?

This is an ugly loss for TCU. There is no other way to put it. For a team trying to compete for a Big 12 title, losses like this are unacceptable. Hopefully, this can be chalked up as bad times in Manhattan and they can bounce back.

The schedule doesn't get much easier as they'll return home for a huge game against Baylor next Saturday. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.