In the longest standing rivalry in the state of Texas, fans were treated to another exciting installment of TCU vs Baylor on Saturday. In a game that lasted nearly six hours through lightning delays, the Frogs staved off a late and unthinkable comeback from the Bears, resulting in a 42-36 win.
42. 466. Final. 36. 460. 10-18
The weather played a big factor in this game. The first half was met with heavy rain which altered both offensive game plans. With 13:46 left in the fourth quarter, the game entered its first lightning delay which lasted an hour. The second delay hit with 6:42 left and lasted an hour and 15 minutes.
TCU Horned Frogs running back Kevorian Barnes (2) carries the ball against the Baylor Bears during the first half of a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
TCU’s offense under coordinator Kendal Briles has had its ups and downs. When it’s been great, Josh Hoover has been able to stretch the opposing defense and light up the scoreboard. However, their inability to run the ball has been their primary sore spot.
On Saturday, the offense made an effort to feed Kevorian Barnes and it worked. On TCU’s first scoring drive, Barnes ran the ball five times for 27 yards. The result was a touchdown pass from Hoover to D.J. Rogers to make it 7-7.
Later in the second quarter, they went right back to the UTSA transfer and he cashed in on a five-yard score to give TCU a 14-7 advantage. His second touchdown came on a direct snap in the fourth quarter. Barnes finished with 25 carries for 106 yards, and the two touchdowns.
One of the biggest momentum shifts arrived on the ground in the fourth quarter. As Baylor began to crawl back, cutting the deficit to seven on a field goal, Hoover handed the ball to Trent Battle and he scampered 65 yards to the house to give the Frogs a 35-21 lead.
THAT BOY GONE 💨 pic.twitter.com/iqjFV8JUXB
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) October 18, 2025
The offensive line deserves a lot of credit. They looked more cohesive on Saturday, and Hoover didn’t have much pressure the entire game. According to Steven Johnson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, head coach Sonny Dykes said he thought the OL played outstanding today. He said they’ve been hard on the unit this season and it’s paying off.
TCU Horned Frogs safety Austin Jordan (1) reacts to a defensive play against the Baylor Bears during the second half of a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Coming into Saturday’s game, Baylor boasted one of the best offenses in the Big 12. The Bears led the conference in passing yards per game and second in total offense. Sawyer Robertson had been playing at a high level and slowing them down was a tall task for Andy Avalos’ defense.
A critical play happened on fourth and three in the fourth quarter. With the Frogs leading by 14, the Bears elected to go for it. Robertson took the snap and tried to take off, but was met by Perry Cole Jr. That was the theme all day, as the defensive front showed out.
🚫 ACCESS DENIED 🚫 pic.twitter.com/DxMKKC7IR3
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) October 18, 2025
Of course, the rain helped the Horned Frogs’ defense a lot but they were flying all over the field. Devean Deal had a tremendous game, pressuring Robertson consistently. He finished with a sack and four QB hits.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr and Jamel Johnson made their mark on the game. Elarms-Orr had a team-leading 16 total tackles, while Johnson stopped multiple run plays and intercepted Robertson in the fourth quarter.
Baylor’s gun-slinger did not have his best stuff on Saturday. He overthrew several Baylor receivers and was simply not on the same page. Robertson dropped back 52 times and completed 25 of his passes for 318 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Coming off a rough performance in Manhattan, Hoover seemed to find his mojo against the Bears. He went 22-31 with 231 yards and three touchdowns. After the touchdown pass to Rogers, he found Jordan Dwyer for a last-second touchdown before the end of the first half. In the third quarter, he lofted a pass to Ka’Morreun Pimpton for his first score of the season.
The TCU Horned Frogs offensive line stands on the field between plays against the Baylor Bears during the first half of a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
It wouldn’t be a TCU vs Baylor game if it didn’t display the dramatics. With 3:27 left in the game and the Frogs leading 42-21, Robertson was picked off by Vernon Glover. What seemed like a game-clinching interception actually became the exact opposite.
One of the few blemishes to Hoover’s performance came on the next play as he fumbled the ball and Baylor got a scoop and score. The Bears got the ball back quickly and methodically moved the ball down the field. Robertson found Kole Wilson for a 35-yard touchdown to make it 42-36, but there was 30 seconds left.
All TCU needed to do was recover the onside kick, and sure enough, Baylor recovered. With an opportunity to possibly take the lead, Robertson was intercepted by Namdi Obiazor to end the game. According to JD Andress, Coach Dykes said, “Interesting ballgame to say the least. The ending obviously wasn’t what we wanted.”
In a must-win game for TCU, the Frogs delivered in front of the home crowd. It was a wildly entertaining game that didn’t follow a traditional timeline with all the delays. They weathered the storm and improved their record to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play. They’ll travel to Morgantown to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. WVU (2-5, 0-4) is coming off a 45-13 loss to UCF.
Kickoff is set for Saturday, October 25th, at 5:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+.