TCU Lets an Early Lead Slip Away to Arizona State

Big 12 games tend to have a balance of crazy and entertaining football. TCU's conference opener against Arizona State was no different. In a game where the No. 24 Horned Frogs led 17-0, the Sun Devils stormed back to win 27-24.

Late game mistakes cost the Horned Frogs

TCU was on a roll to start the game as Josh Hoover put together a pair of solid drives, which resulted in two rushing touchdowns. However, the Frogs began to unravel in the second half. In the fourth quarter, TCU led 24-17, and Arizona State's kicker missed a 43-yard field goal. With an opportunity to extend the lead, Hoover was sacked three times on the drive, and they were forced to punt.

On the next possession, ASU was faced with a fourth and 11. Sam Leavitt's pass was broken up, but a late flag penalized Channing Canada with a pass interference. Two plays later, Devean Deal was called for roughing the passer on an incompletion, which moved the Sun Devils even closer. Then on fourth and four, Leavitt found his star wideout Jordyn Tyson for the equalizer and made it 24-24.

Pair that with a strip sack fumble to set up the game-winning field goal and an interception by Hoover on the final drive, and the Frogs made too many mistakes, which cost them the game.

Jordyn Tyson and Raleek Brown were the difference makers

Plenty of credit can be given to Sam Leavitt for the performance he had on Friday. His ability to extend plays with his legs and make defenders miss gave TCU problems all night. However, his running back Raleek Brown had a monster game running the ball 21 times for 135 yards.

Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) celebrates touchdown with quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against TCU — Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) celebrates touchdown with quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

Jordyn Tyson continued his incredible 2025 campaign, where he hauled in eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. His 57-yard score in the second quarter was the spark Arizona State needed to mount the comeback.

Kaleb Elarms-Orr balled out for TCU's defense

Despite the loss, there are some positives to take away from this game. One of them was the senior linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr. He led the team with 13 total tackles and two sacks. He also came up with a pass breakup in the red zone. He was flying all over the field and had a big night. Elarms-Orr said he was proud of how the defense fought tonight but said they need to be better with avoiding late penalties.

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 TCU defensive tackles also stepped up. Markis Deal blew up a fourth and two run and Tristan Johnson had a nice night with three tackles and a sack.

STAND UP DEFENSE!

Kaleb Elarms-Orr breaks up the pass in the end zone and ASU turns the ball over on downs. pic.twitter.com/6hcWzVTrZw
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) September 27, 2025

Player and Team Comparisons

TCU was without their starting running back Kevorian Barnes for the second straight game and the results were not great. Trent Battle was the leading rusher with 30 yards, while Jeremy Payne had 20. This game felt similar to the loss against UCF last year, where the Frogs couldn't put away their opponent due to the lack of a running game.

Team Stats	TCU	Arizona State
Total Yards	269	498
Passing Yards	259	278
Rushing Yards	10	220
3rd Down Conversion	5-12	5-16
Turnovers	3	1

Hoover didn't play his best game on Friday. He completed 20 of his 32 passes for 242 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also sacked six times. The pass protection couldn't hold up for their quarterback, and it came crashing down in the fourth quarter. He said there were a lot of missed opportunities, and they have to execute better.

Eric McAlister was MIA for the Frogs

Coming off a career performance against SMU, where he had 254 yards and three touchdowns, Eric McAlister was nowhere to be seen on Friday. He finished the game without a catch. According to Steven Johnson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he was informed that he pulled a hamstring in Friday's walkthrough. He was on the field for a few plays but wasn't involved.

There was a noticeable difference on the field without him. Hoover peppered Jordan Dwyer with targets, but the two couldn't seem to connect. The Idaho transfer was targeted eight times but only caught three passes for 42 yards. Joseph Manjack IV was the leading receiver with six catches for 83 yards.

What's next?

This was obviously a frustrating loss for the Frogs. This game was winnable but TCU couldn't get out of their own way. Lots of credit has to be given to ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham and his team for battling back and winning a critical Big 12 game.

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham celebrates win with defensive back Myles Rowser (4) against TCU Horned Frogs at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

TCU drops to 3-1 and will likely be out of the AP Poll next week. They will return home where they'll host the Colorado Buffaloes. Kickoff is set for Saturday, October 4th at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised on FOX.