What Sonny Dykes Expects on Saturday Against West Virginia

The Horned Frogs look to earn their first conference road win when they travel to Morgantown to face the Mountaineers.

Oct 18, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes on the sidelines against the Baylor Bears during the second half of a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

While the TCU Horned Frogs (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) are heavily favored going into Saturday’s showdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers (3-4, 0-4 Big 12), they will have to overcome the hostile environment that is Milan Puskar Stadium.

It is no secret that the Frogs have struggled in conference road games this year. Just go back to the crushing loss at Arizona State and the frustrating afternoon at Kansas State. While both of those results are in the rearview mirror, the learnings must not be. Instead, the learnings from those losses must be applied this weekend from the moment of kickoff.

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Elijah O'Neal (9) sacks TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) in the first half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

Saturday will mark the first time TCU has traveled to West Virginia since the 2022 season, but the first for many players on this year’s roster. Sonny Dykes said, “The guys that have been around our program and have played at West Virginia, they understand what it’s like to go there and play, how difficult it’s going to be, how tough-minded this football team’s going to be, how physical they’re going to be.”

Nineteen Frogs were a part of the team that traveled in 2022, including Josh Hoover, Namdi Obiazor, Bud Clark, Trent Battle, Chase Curtis, DJ Rogers, Quinton Harris, Paul Oyewale, Major Everhart, Micheal Ibukun-Okeyode, Franklin Estrada II, Blake Baldwin, Connor Lingren, Luke Lingard, Gannon Gaubert, Keagan Cunningham, Parker Clark, and Easton Black.

Dykes alluded to how his team needs to start the game well, or the Mountaineers will feed off the environment’s energy and take control of the game. “It’s going to be critical for us to get off to a good start this week on the road,” he said. “It’s always important to start good in a football game, but it’s particularly important to start well on the road.”

Oct 11, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Eric McAlister (1) is tackled by Kansas State Wildcats linebacker Rex Van Wyhe (28) and safety Wesley Fair (18) on a kick off in the fourth quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

While West Virginia has yet to pick up its first conference win of the season, their gritty 31-24 win over Pittsburgh (5-2, 3-1 ACC) in September tells you all you need to know about the Mountaineers. They are a tough team, especially when playing at home. On paper, the Frogs should come home with a win, but nothing is ever guaranteed in the Big 12. It remains one of the most competitive conferences, week in and week out, where any team can beat anyone on any given day.

What’s Next?

TCU and West Virginia will kick off at 5:00 p.m. CT from Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+.