Coach Sonny Dykes, recently added to the CFB hot seat, and the TCU Horned Frogs came into Week 8's clash with the Kansas Jayhawks at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas with a 3-4 record and made their situation worse as they fell behind early. A sneaky X-factor that could decide Dykes' fate as Horned Frogs head coach was revealed ahead of the matchup.

The Jayhawks jumped out to a 13-0 halftime lead, but the Frogs fought back with 14 points in the third quarter to take the lead. They added eight points to the Jayhawks' three in the fourth quarter, winning by a score of 22-16 in a game Pete Nakos of On3 called a “big win” for coach Dykes' team.

Quarterback Jaden Craig, a dual threat player who was productive both running and passing, helped stake TCU to a 20-16 lead late in the fourth quarter with his thrilling touchdown run.

Jaden Craig and @TCUFootball take the lead!

📺 @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/OCLjHF23ny

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 31, 2026

The TCU quarterback finished with 13-of-29 completions on an efficient passing day, but made up for it with 141 yards passing and 87 yards rushing on 15 carries, including one touchdown on the ground.

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He dueled with Kansas QB Cole Ballard, who completed 20-of-35 passes for 285 yards, one touchdown and one interception as the Jayhawks also attempted, and failed, to even their record at 4-4.

The Horned Frogs have now ascended higher in the Big 12 Conference with their 2-3 mark, away from Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes toward the middle of the conference's pack. Dykes is used to playing for bigger and better things, but this doesn't seem to be TCU's year so far. As the season continues to wind down, fans are extracting as much joy from their win over the Jayhawks as possible with an eye toward the future.