TCU Looks for Answers Against Top 15 Team

In some ways, TCU’s loss against a depleted Iowa State team last Saturday is a reflection of college football’s current landscape.

“I think everybody's upset and dissatisfied that we lost a game that we felt like we should have won on Saturday,” TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said at his weekly press conference. “You look around college football, it's pretty interesting right now. … I think three teams ranked in the top 25 this week that were 6-2 that lost to teams that, you look at it before the game and you go, man, they probably shouldn't lose to these guys.”

It’s true many teams have fallen short of expectations during the 2025 season. Dykes cited preseason national title contender Penn State (3-6) as an example of how the new college football landscape - i.e. NIL and the transfer portal - is closing the gap between the top-tier and lower-tier teams.

“I think they've lost six straight,” he said. “And so, I mean, that's never happened. Those kind of things were impossible in the old world of college football. It's just a different game now.”

Parity explains a few things, yet it doesn’t take away the fact that the Horned Frogs have struggled with turnovers and offensive line play throughout the season or that they are no longer chasing down a spot in the Big 12 title game.

TCU (6-3 overall, 3-3 Big 12) can still post a nine-win season, make a decent bowl game and perhaps spoil BYU, Houston or Cincinnati’s Big 12 title game hopes, but that's not the goal anymore. Missing the bus to Arlington again stings, particularly given the preseason expectations.

The season must go on, though, and a night game in Provo awaits this weekend. Perhaps a road win over a top-15 team could put a much more positive spin on a season full of “what ifs.”

No. 12 BYU (8-1, 5-1) is coming off its first loss of the season last week against Texas Tech. Despite the 29-7 score, the defense held its own, allowing only six points off three BYU turnovers.

The Cougars have the Big 12’s best red zone defense, giving up scores on 24 of 33 trips (11 field goals, 13 touchdowns), and boast one of the Big 12’s best scoring defenses (18.3 points per game). Linebackers Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glasker lead BYU with 18.5 tackles for loss, including 10 sacks.

BYU — Oct 3, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Diore Hubbard (20) runs against Brigham Young Cougars linebacker Jack Kelly (17) during the first quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

“They're a really talented defense,” TCU quarterback Josh Hoover said. “Their d[efensive]-coordinator does a good job, and they do a good job of executing what they do. I think that's a reason they've been so successful, is that they are able to go out there and execute and play well and play fast and tackle.”

Hoover’s first career start came against BYU in 2023. He threw for 439 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-11 blowout win. Watching the tape from that game, Hoover gleaned a few things that could help on Saturday.

“I think I was just catching it and throwing it and throwing it all over the field, just trusting my eyes,” he said. “That's always a good lesson, is to go back and look at some of that and just look at the freedom that you play with. But there's always a balance. … just going back and watching it, take away is just we've got to play fast.”

Hoover played with a glove on his throwing hand last week against Iowa State, but he doesn’t expect to wear the glove against BYU. He hurt his thumb against West Virginia on October 25.

On defense, TCU will face one of the best young quarterbacks in the country. Freshman Bear Bachmeier has thrown for 1,881 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions with a 62.3% completion rate while running for 420 yards on 105 carries.

“He plays within himself,” Dykes said. “He doesn't try to do too much. You can tell he's got a lot of confidence in his teammates, got a lot of confidence in the defense.He doesn't play impulsive. He just makes really, really good, mature decisions with the football.”

If the Horned Frogs hope to pull the upset and be on the positive side of those eyebrow-raising games, they must put pressure on Bachmeier, force turnovers and limit their own turnovers. In all three losses this season, TCU has lost the turnover battle.

Another key is getting off to a fast start. TCU has failed to score during the first quarter in four of the last five games.

“It's kind of taken a couple plays to get going and so I think that starts at practice, starts with our preparation, the urgency and that's something that we're focused on this week,” Hoover said. “Starting fast, being completely ready and tuned up from the jump, and not wasting drives.”

Kickoff between TCU and BYU is set for 9:15 p.m. from LaVell Edwards Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.

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