How TCU football is trying to turn the page after BYU blowout
TCU football is trying to turn the page after last week’s 44-13 setback to then-No. 12 BYU with another ranked opponent looming when the program plays at No. 25 Houston at 3 p.m. Saturday on Fox.
It was a frustrating performance across the board against BYU, as the Horned Frogs’ offense and defense played their worst games of the season.
There’s nothing that can be done about the performance in Provo now, but a much better showing for TCU (6-4, 3-4 Big 12) against Houston (8-2, 5-2), which is No. 23 in the College Football Playoff rankings, would help alleviate the sting of such a blowout defeat.
“I think our guys were ready to get back out there. I know our coaches were ready to get back out there,” head coach Sonny Dykes said about Tuesday’s practice. “There’s nothing like getting out on the grass, especially after you have a disappointing game like we did against BYU. It’s good to get back out and get it behind and get on to the next one.”
Not letting the frustrations from the BYU blowout linger will be critical to TCU’s chances of upsetting a Houston team that is much improved over the 2024 team that defeated the Horned Frogs 30-19 at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Houston is still formidable defensively, but the Cougars have also made strides offensively with the arrival of Texas A&M quarterback transfer Conner Weigman and Rice running back transfer Dean Connors.
“They’re different. They’re playing with a little more confidence than last year,” Dykes said. “We struggled against them, and they got after us. This is a better Houston team, better offensively. I thought the team last year was good on defense, and I think they’re good on defense this year. I think it’s a better team, better product.”
The Cougars are certainly one of the most improved teams in the country, sticking in the Big 12 title race this late into the season after having already doubled their win total from last year.
One thing that’s made Houston’s rapid improvement so impressive is that the Cougars have ascended to the top of the Big 12 standings with a pair of first-year coordinators.
Houston hired Slade Nagle from LSU, where he was coaching tight ends and special teams, to lead the Cougars’ offense. With the arrival of Nagle and Weigman, Houston has improved its scoring offense, total yards per game and yards per play.
“They throw the ball well. They’re more versatile offensively than they were last year,” Dykes said. “They just execute at a higher level.”
While Houston is significantly improved offensively, it’s too soon to call the unit elite when compared to other offenses in the Big 12. It’s a good opportunity for the TCU defense to bounce back after being picked apart by BYU’s versatile scheme.
“Their emphasis is to get the run game going, and we have to shut that down,” TCU defensive tackle Markis Deal said. “They have a quarterback that can move on the run, so shutting down the run early is going to be the key to stopping them.”
Defensively, Houston brought in Austin Armstrong to coordinate the defense after he spent the past two seasons at Florida.
Even with a significant amount of transfer portal losses, Houston’s production defensively is nearly identical to last year, and the scoring defense is slightly better. The Cougars allowed 22.9 points per game last season, but the number has dropped to 22.1 under Armstrong.
The Cougars use a variety of exotic blitzes to fluster defenses, and TCU will need to anticipate which direction the extra defender is coming from.
“They blitz and try to hide it, hide the corner blitz,” running back Jeremy Payne said. “We’ve gotta keep watching that, call it when you see it and block it.”
TCU won’t have as much as to play for as the Cougars, who need a win to stay alive for the Big 12 championship game, but it’s still an opportunity to secure a win against a ranked team and avenge last year’s defeat — while also showing that the BYU game isn’t a true indicator of how good the Horned Frogs are.
“We’re taking one game at a time. We’re playing for our brothers and the seniors,” Deal said. “This is their last go-around, so I don’t want them to go out with two losses to end the season. We’re all playing for our brothers. One thing about this team is we’re together. We’re going to keep fighting. We’re not going to quit even if we’re down.”
This story was originally published November 20, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
