TCU heated up late to lock down the 31-7 win over Arkansas State and the scoring surge for the Horned Frogs was sparked by another strong defensive effort.
TCU earned its second straight win after dispatching Arkansas State in Fort Worth 31-7 on Saturday.
While it took a while for the Horned Frogs to pull away on the scoreboard, they were able to impose their will on the RedWolves throughout most of the matchup.
With TCU clinging to a slim 14-7 lead, the Horned Frogs made a pivotal goal line stand and turned that into a touchdown on the ensuing drive to begin its march toward the eventual win.
From that moment on, TCU outscored Arkansas State 10-0 and were able to turn a once close outing to an assured victory and it was all linked back to that massive defensive effort.
Much noise was made in the offseason about the reloaded offense for TCU headed by transfer quarterback Jaden Craig following the departure of Josh Hoover to Indiana.
However, it seems that the defense was the unit worth keeping an eye on all along.
In its three matchups this season, TCU has allowed three touchdowns and only one to each opponent, even in its loss to North Carolina.
Many of the issues faced by the Horned Frogs in their debut in Dublin against the Tar Heels could be traced back to the offense and it appears to moved past those early woes.
Since being held without a touchdown pass by the Tar Heels, Craig has shined in his following two starts and racked up seven scoring strikes with only one interception.
And he has been able to find this success without one of his top targets on the field, as touted receiver Jordan Dwyer has remained sidelined with a nagging foot injury.
Granted, TCU has yet to see another opponent on the caliber of North Carolina since the opening weekend, but the schedule is about to ramp up for the Horned Frogs.
The first test for TCU to prove this new look is not just a facade comes this Saturday with UCF in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
The Knights have caused problems for the Horned Frogs in their short stint in the conference.
Most notably in the 2024 meeting, which saw UCF erase a 28-7 gap and stun TCU 35-34 in Fort Worth.
A win over UCF this year would put to rest those bad memories from the last meeting and reverse the negative perception of this year's team from early in the season.
TCU will head out to Orlando to do battle with UCF on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 2:30 p.m. CT on FS1.
