TCU quarterback Jaden Craig has put up impressive numbers through four games with the Horned Frogs, but he has struggled to turn those big performances into wins for the team.
Through four games this season, TCU posts a balanced 2-2 record and the Horned Frogs have looked like two completely different teams in their wins and losses.
Much of that up-and-down nature starts under center with touted transfer quarterback Jaden Craig, who has looked impressive but cannot quite get over the hump week to week.
Following his four starts with TCU, Craig leads the Big 12 with over 1,200 passing yards and ranks sixth nationally in yardage through the air.
While he has lit up the skies in Fort Worth and abroad, Craig has struggled to cap off those drives with an exclamation mark.
He has thrown only seven touchdown passes in the four outings for the Horned Frogs, which includes two outing that saw Craig put up a zero in that column.
Granted, stellar running back Jeremy Payne creates a reliable red zone option that takes the ball out of the hand of Craig in those situations.
However, Payne has only reached the end zone twice this season, which obviously does not account for the significant decline in offense in the two Horned Frog defeats.
In the two victories for TCU this year over Grambling State and Arkansas State, Craig had almost 750 passing yards, all seven of his touchdowns and only one interception.
Compare that to the two losses to North Carolina and most recently UCF, which saw Craig go for just under 500 yards but be held out of the end zone and throw two more picks.
The question now becomes how can TCU unlock the best version of Craig each time he sets foot on the field?
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes addressed Craig's performance and concerns about his ability to come up in big moments during his weekly media availability.
"I think he's playing well. I really do," said Dykes. "He's in a strange position. He's a first-year guy that's a senior [and] a starting quarterback."
When asked what he thought Craig needs to do to remove these blemishes, Dykes had a simple response.
"He's got to be Jaden. He's got to be who he is," he expressed.
Another factor in these polar opposite performances for the team has been location, as the road has not been favorable to Horned Frogs.
And both of the wins for Craig and TCU have come within Fort Worth.
Thankfully, the Horned Frogs get to return home for arguably the toughest test of their entire season, with No. 10 BYU coming to town on Saturday.
It may take a bit more than home field advantage for TCU to pull off the upset, but if Craig can find his edge once again, it could be a much closer affair than many expect.
