Four takeaways from TCU football’s dominant win in its regular-season finale
TCU football ended the regular season on a high note with a convincing 45-23 win over Cincinnati in the finale Saturday Amon G. Carter Stadium.
It was a much different game than last year’s matchup when TCU defeated Cincinnati 20-13 on a cold, snowy night in Ohio. This time it wasn’t snow, but rain and lightning that had an impact on the game, as there was a lightning delay of 93 minutes midway through the first quarter.
“It’s the most complete game we’ve played since North Carolina [in the season opener],” TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said. “I think we played winning football, and we didn’t turn the football over, and we got some turnovers. We executed at a very high level.”
The Horned Frogs overcame the elements and a solid performance by Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby to end the year 8-4 (5-4 Big 12). They will find out their bowl fate Dec. 7.
The key sequence came in third quarter with TCU leading 31-17 at the Cincinnati 34. The Horned Frogs tried to run a reverse pass with Joseph Manjack, but he was forced to throw it out of bounds and TCU was flagged for an intentional grounding.
On the next play, Josh Hoover threw a perfectly placed pass to Manjack running up the seam for a big gain, but Manjack fumbled at the 2-yard line and the ball rolled into the end zone. Despite multiple Bearcats having an opportunity to recover it, TCU wide receiver Jordan Dwyer made the play of the game by sliding in to recover the ball for a touchdown.
“We’ve had some bad things happen to us,” Dykes said. “Manjack gets to the goal line and fumbles, and we recover because Jordan Dwyer is hustling and playing hard.”
Sorsby led a six-play, 94-yard drive in two minutes to make it 38-23 with 12:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, but sophomore running back Jeremy Payne delivered the dagger on the next drive with a 51-yard touchdown as TCU cruised to its second straight win.
Here are four takeaways from the victory:
QB battle
Hoover and Sorsby put on a quarterback clinic, as they took different approaches to put up big numbers. Hoover responded from a shaky three-game stretch with a stellar first half, completing 12 of 14 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns. He made pinpoint throws to Eric McAlister and Dwyer and, most importantly, didn’t turn it over.
Sorsby got off to a strong start as well by completing his first 12 passes. He was also used his legs to stress the TCU defense as the Bearcats created plenty of big plays with their run-pass-option-heavy offensive scheme. But as the game wore on, TCU’s defense did a much better job of slowing Sorsby.
After a TCU touchdown increased the lead to 38-17 at the 10:50 mark of the third quarter, the Horned Frogs forced a punt and had a crucial fourth-down stop to preserve its lead. After completing his first 12 passes, Sorsby only completed eight of his next 17 as TCU took control of the game.
Meanwhile, Hoover had more touchdowns than incompletions as he finished. 19-of-22 for 306 yards and four touchdowns.
“I just made the simple plays and took the shots when they were there, and it just worked out for us,” Hoover said. “I think it was just a great job by our team being ready to play.”
Eric McAlister makes history
McAlister continued moving up TCU’s record books with another impressive performance against the Bearcats. McAlister had six receptions for 84 yards in the first half, which was good enough to move him to second all-time in program for most receiving yards in a season behind Josh Doctson.
McAlister’s best catch came in the first quarter when he reeled in a jump ball from Hoover for a 17-yard touchdown. McAlister had another grab where he caught a short pass and made two spin moves to elude defenders for a first down in the red zone that helped lead to a field goal.
McAlister had just two receptions in the second half, but still finished with 101 yards. It was his sixth 100-yard game of the season and his fourth in the past five games. Despite being snubbed from being a Biletnikoff Award finalist, McAlister once again showed he’s one of the best receivers in the country.
Jeremy Payne continues to rise
Payne continued his late-season surge with a second straight 100-yard game after rushing for 103 last week against Houston. The Horned Frogs came in with the intention to feed Payne, as seven of the first 13 plays went to him.
He finished with 174 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns.
“I got injured earlier [this season]. It was great to get back on the field and get back in sync with the O-linemen,” Payne said. “Once I get back in sync, I’ve just been trusting them, staying patient in the backfield, and go.”
Shortly after the lightning delay, Payne helped set up TCU’s second touchdown as he took a short pass in the flat and outran the Cincinnati defense for a 44-yard gain. TCU would score on the very next play to take a 14-0 lead. Payne also had an important touchdown just before halftime when he hit the edge and used his speed to race to the end zone for a 9-yard score.
While it was his speed that stood out in the first half, Payne continued to show he can run between the tackles, as TCU leaned on Cincinnati (7-5, 5-4) with the rushing attack in the second half.
It was another statement performance by Payne, who has been behind Kevorian Barnes and Trent Battle in the running back rotation most of the season. But the last four games have shown Payne is capable of being the starter in 2026.
Hectic first half
The first half featured trick plays, highlight-worthy catches and the lengthy lightning delay. But those who endured the rainy conditions were treated to an electric first half as the Horned Frogs and Bearcats traded blows.
TCU surged to a 14-0 lead behind touchdown passes to McAlister and Manjack. The Horned Frogs seemed poised to roll the Bearcats, but the delay helped Cincinnati wake up offensively. Sorsby and the Bearcats finally got on the board with a perfectly timed wheel route by running back Evan Pryor when TCU sent a cornerback blitz.
The Horned Frogs immediately answered with another highlight play as Dwyer snagged a deep pass over a Cincinnati defender for a 69-yard touchdown. Sorsby led another touchdown drive, and the game was on the verge of turning as TCU went three-and-out on its next possession. However, Cincinnati muffed a punt that allowed TCU to take over at the Cincinnati 33-yard line.
It led to a field goal to increase the lead to 24-14, but the Bearcats would respond right back with a well-executed flea flicker that set up a field goal to cut it to 24-17. But there was time for one final score when Payne outran the Cincinnati defense for a 9-yard touchdown with 23 seconds remaining to lift TCU to a 31-17 halftime lead.
In total, the first half featured over 540 yards of total offense, six touchdowns and two offenses that averaged more than eight yards per play.
This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 7:30 PM.
