Kansas players take the field prior to kickoff against Baylor on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Nick Krug/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas coach Lance Leipold likes to stress that his program must approach each game week the same regardless of the outcome over the previous weekend, and by his account the Jayhawks returned to practice with promising energy and body language after a dramatic 25-24 victory over Baylor.

Now it’s time for KU to take its show on the road. The Jayhawks have a chance to get back to .500 if they can succeed in a place where they rarely have in years past — Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas — and take down TCU on Saturday afternoon.

“As soon as I looked at their film, I went, (expletive), we got our hands full again,” associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki said.

The Horned Frogs, who share KU’s overall and league records, will certainly present a challenge to Kotelnicki’s unit — especially with the uncertain health of KU quarterback Isaiah Marshall, who has been listed on Big 12 availability reports this week. Right now they lead the Big 12 in total defense, allowing an average of 264.3 yards per game, and scoring defense, as they give up just 13.9 points. TCU gives up fewer total third downs and a lower rate of third-down conversions than anyone in the league.

“Their secondary is very active,” Kotelnicki said. “They cover well. They’re playing out there with five defensive backs and all of them, I think, can play pretty well, and they have a very disruptive defensive line and linebacker (room).”

Key players include middle linebacker Hudson Hooper, a former walk-on and special-teams contributor who leads the team with 41 tackles, and safety Jamel Johnson, a preseason all-conference pick who has 40. Fellow safety Kylin Jackson has forced three fumbles and recovered two, and defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh is one of the headliners on an imposing line.

However, it has not been an especially pleasant season in Cowtown — in fact, TCU fired its co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach A.J. Ricker after losing at home to West Virginia on Saturday. It’s not hard to find fans online who think head coach Sonny Dykes should be next (although that might be the case for just about any Big 12 coach). The Frogs rank among the worst offenses in the league, with an injury-marred run game — Jeremy Payne didn’t play against WVU — that sits at 123rd in the country. Ricker’s line has given up 20 sacks, the highest total in the Big 12.

“It’s only an advantage if we make it an advantage,” KU defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald said. “They got pride, too, in what they do. They got a new O-line coach, so you know they’re going to be prideful about not allowing people to do that. And you know, the people we watch on film aren’t usually the people we play on Saturdays. They hear about our D-line, they’re going to hear about it all week, and I’m sure they’re going to come out ready to prove that those 20 sacks aren’t something that we’re going to add (more) to this week.”

He added that adapting to a new coach with his own priorities and emphases will require the Jayhawks to “adjust on the fly.”

When the offensive line does offer sufficient protection, the Frogs have a solid group at the skill positions.

“The quarterback continues to play better and better each and every week,” Leipold said of former Harvard standout Jaden Craig, who has thrown for 2,066 yards with 11 touchdowns and six picks. “Transferring from the Ivy League … to move up to FBS football, Power Four football, has not been big for him. He continues to make all the throws — big-time talent, starting to run the ball of late a little bit more himself, which makes him even more so a dual threat.”

McDonald had plenty of praise for Craig’s passing-game targets, too: “I think No. 18 (Ed Small) is one of the better slots in the league, and No. 7 (Jordan Dwyer), I know he was injured early in the year, but his deep-ball ability is special. It’s very unique, it’s very elite. And then 81 (Kari Ashley), if there’s a better tight end in the league, I’d like to see who it is, man. He’s a special young man.”

Ashley is the highest-graded tight end on Pro Football Focus among regular starters this season with a score of 88.9. He narrowly trails Small for the team lead in receiving yards and has three performances with at least 100 yards this season.

KU has played TCU to a series of close games since Leipold arrived, including a three-point loss in Fort Worth in his first year, a seven-point loss to the eventual national runners-up in the “College GameDay” game in Lawrence in 2022 and then a 38-27 defeat at Arrowhead Stadium in 2024 during which Leipold took significant issue with the officiating. The Jayhawks will hope to reverse that trend this time around.

TCU HORNED FROGS (3-4, 1-3 BIG 12) VS. KANSAS JAYHAWKS (3-4, 1-3 BIG 12)

• Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas, 2:30 p.m.

• Broadcast: FS1

• Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network (in Lawrence, KLWN AM 1320 / K269GB FM 101.7 / KKSW FM 105.9)

• Betting line: TCU -5.5; over/under 46.5

• Series history: TCU leads 27-9-4

KEEP AN EYE OUT

1. Starting five: In a very rare move, KU trotted out the same five offensive linemen for all 92 plays of its win over Baylor: left tackle Calvin Clements, left guard Connor Stroh, center (and first-time starter) Anderson Kopp, right guard Tavake Tuikolovatu and right tackle Nick Morrow. That group, which notably excluded veteran starting guard Amir Herring — Herring sat out his first game since 2024 in what Leipold characterized as a simple coaching decision — and injured center Kasen Carpenter, fared quite well against a strong defensive front and will be tested by another on Saturday. Associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki said that the Jayhawks wanted to build some consistency by sticking with the same five, though offered no assurances as to what KU might do going forward.

2. Bell cow: With regard to Dylan Edwards’ growing workload, Leipold said simply, “Right now, whatever we got to do to win a football game’s going to be the game plan.” The Derby native carried the ball a career-high 30 times against Baylor for 156 yards in an impressive display and has now dramatically exceeded his previous season high for carries. By all accounts he recovered well from his busy outing at the start of KU’s week of practice. The question now becomes how much of a beating the Jayhawks want him to take. They don’t exactly have the ability to spread the ball around like they did when Yasin Willis was healthy. Midseason acquisition Chase Belcher and converted safety Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman are now listed as the top two running backs behind him on the depth chart, ahead of Jalen Dupree.

3. Last line of defense: Injuries in the secondary have been an issue for KU since even before the season started, but they have gotten worse in recent weeks. Safeties Mason Ellis and Jaden Harris couldn’t play in the Baylor game, and Taylor Davis even missed a portion of it; all that required extended action for Georgia Tech transfer Christian Pritchett, who had to play down in the box at times instead of in a more natural coverage safety role. True freshman Trey Brown also had to step in for an injured Elijah Cannon at nickel back. Brown in particular has been a frequent target of opposing quarterbacks when he’s entered games this year. McDonald has praised his preparation since he’s arrived on campus, and he will undoubtedly be under high scrutiny this week if he has to play extended snaps against the talented TCU receiving corps.

SPOTLIGHT ON…

Bam Crouch: After missing some early action with a shoulder injury suffered just a few defensive plays into the season, the weak-side linebacker Crouch has returned and provided a spark to KU’s defense — even though Quincy Davis fared well in his absence. His athleticism and utility both as a pass rusher and to shut down outside runs have been extremely useful to the Jayhawks, and against Baylor he posted a season-best performance with 10 tackles and a sack. Leipold, McDonald and the rest have challenged KU’s linebackers in recent weeks. As TCU battles injuries at running back, this group, with Crouch and Trey Lathan at the forefront, will play a pivotal role in attempting to make the Horned Frogs one-dimensional.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

510: Ashley’s yardage total this season, which leads all tight ends nationally.

7: KU’s ranking in its conference in both total offense and total defense.

6-18: Leipold’s record in Big 12 road games.

PREDICTION

TCU wins 17-15. While KU may be hitting its stride, and can certainly play better than it did in the Baylor game, it’s hard to like the matchup of TCU’s improving passing game against the Jayhawks’ inconsistent secondary, or a stop-and-start KU offense against what ranks as one of the nation’s top defenses. Throw in a hostile road environment and this doesn’t have the initial look of a Jayhawk victory.