Jeremy Payne’s explosive yardage couldn't mask critical offensive line collapses. Costly sacks and stuffed short-yardage runs now force Sonny Dykes to address haunting protection issues during the bye.
Jeremy Payne ran for 142 yards against North Carolina, which makes what happened when TCU needed him most even harder to ignore.
The Horned Frogs found plenty of room for Payne throughout Saturday's 15-10 loss in Dublin, but their offensive line couldn't hold up in several of the moments that mattered most.
A sack-fumble, an intentional grounding penalty and a fourth-and-1 stuffed behind the line all came during a third quarter in which TCU was trying to erase a five-point deficit.
Payne's performance gave TCU reason to feel good about what it can do on the ground. The way some of its biggest opportunities disappeared up front ... well, that gave Sonny Dykes something else to think about during the open week.
The first costly breakdown came early in the third quarter. Left tackle Ben Taylor-Whitfield was beaten by North Carolina's Melkart Abou Jaoude for a sack-fumble of quarterback Jaden Craig.
North Carolina recovered at the TCU 31 and turned the short field into a 28-yard field goal that stretched its lead to 15-10.
Later, TCU's interior offensive line failed to handle a stunt on third-and-9, resulting in an intentional grounding penalty on Craig.
The third breakdown came after TCU's defense handed the offense an opportunity to take the lead. The Horned Frogs recovered a North Carolina fumble at the Tar Heels' 24 and eventually reached the 5, where they faced fourth-and-1.
Giving the ball to Payne was hardly a questionable choice. He had spent much of the afternoon finding room against North Carolina and finished with 142 yards on 25 carries.
This time ... there wasn't any room to find.
Payne was met behind the line and dropped for a one-yard loss, ending TCU's best opportunity to retake the lead in the third quarter.
That's what makes the offensive line difficult to evaluate based on Payne's numbers alone. There were encouraging moments — including Payne's 48-yard run on TCU's opening possession that helped set up a field goal.
His 142 yards also marked the second time since the start of the 2024 season that a TCU running back eclipsed 135 yards. Payne owns both performances, including his 174-yard game against Cincinnati last season.
But the Horned Frogs are also breaking in Craig after his transfer from Harvard, along with a new offense under coordinator Gordon Sammis. Making life easier for their quarterback becomes a lot harder when things break down up front in the moments TCU needs it most.
One game isn't enough to declare the offensive line a season-long problem — especially after Payne found as much success as he did in Dublin. The timing of the breakdowns, though, gives TCU something it needs to address.
The Horned Frogs now have an open week before returning home to face Grambling State on Sept. 12.
Payne showed TCU has something it can build around on the ground. Making sure its biggest opportunities don't disappear up front ... that's part of figuring out how to build around him.
