photo by: Kansas Athletics

Kansas defensive tackle Kevin Oatis Jr. (88) and linebacker Trey Lathan (4) tackle TCU quarterback Jaden Craig on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Kansas football team held a 13-point lead midway through the third quarter on Saturday afternoon and looked poised to extend it to 20 when it had a first-and-goal from TCU’s 6-yard line.

Instead, the Jayhawks turned the ball over on downs, and the next time they got it back, Cole Ballard, starting in place of an injured Isaiah Marshall, threw an interception that was returned for TCU’s first score of the day.

By the end of the third quarter, KU had lost its lead altogether, and by the end of the fourth it had suffered a brutal 22-16 loss at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

Ballard had his moments and benefited from brilliant performances from Nahzae Cox and Cam Pickett, but his interception and a fourth-quarter fumble turned the tide in the Horned Frogs’ favor — he also had a second pick-6 called back due to a penalty.

TCU quarterback Jaden Craig was kept in check through the air, but he carried the ball 15 times for 87 yards and the eventual game-winning touchdown with just over a minute remaining.

Neither team could run the ball with any level of consistency, and KU running back Dylan Edwards managed just 42 yards on 20 carries.

KU forced a quick stop on TCU’s first drive thanks to a quarterback hurry by Leroy Harris III. The Jayhawks went three-and-out on Ballard’s first series as a starter since 2023, but Ed Small muffed the punt and it was recovered by Jalen Todd.

After a 15-yard run by newly healthy wide receiver Keaton Kubecka got KU inside the 5-yard line, Edwards went backwards on consecutive carries and Martin Connington missed a chip-shot field goal.

After another TCU punt, KU crossed midfield on a third-down quarterback draw by Ballard and then picked up another conversion with Edwards. After mixing in some trickery with reserve quarterback Chase Jenkins, the Jayhawks went ahead when Connington converted from 34 yards away.

The Frogs recorded just 20 yards and one first down with three punts in the first quarter, but they got a first down on their first play in the second. However, a false start derailed the drive.

When KU got the ball back, the Jayhawks were able to overcome a holding penalty with a 35-yard completion from Ballard to Cox, but following a botched screen pass on third down, they had to settle for another field goal by Connington to make it 6-0.

The Jayhawks took possession again in short order, and Kubecka took off running for 40 yards on another jet sweep to set up a 29-yard catch-and-run by Pickett for the first touchdown of the day.

TCU gained some traction with a 12-yard pass from Craig to Jordan Dwyer and then picked up a third-and-short with an inside run by Jon Denman ahead of the two-minute warning.

The Frogs earned another key first down from Craig to Dwyer with 1:18 left in the half to set up first down at KU’s 33-yard line, then got a boost from the Jayhawks’ second defensive holding penalty of the drive.

Roman Pearson bobbled and dropped a potential interception in the end zone. On third-and-goal from the 5-yard line, TCU tight end Kari Ashley picked up three yards around left tackle to set up a decisive fourth-and-goal in the final moments of the half.

Craig fired the ball immediately out to the left to Jacobe Hayes, but Taylor Davis met him and shoved him out of bounds short of the goal line as the Jayhawks preserved their 13-0 shutout entering the break.

KU’s first drive of the third quarter went awry on an ineffective third-and-2 toss play to Edwards. But the Jayhawks caught a break when Hayes was open for a third-down conversion but couldn’t get a foot down in bounds.

Ballard connected with Cox for another 44-yard contested catch, then got first downs with Carson Bruhn and Pickett, only for KU to come up empty on another goal-to-go situation when Max Carroll and Zachary Chapman turned away Ballard on a fourth-and-short run.

The Jayhawks returned to the field in good position after TCU went nowhere. They only went five yards before Ballard’s fourth-down pass was deflected by Kalen Carroll, intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Max Carroll to dramatically change the complexion of the game.

KU didn’t go far before punting back to the team with all the momentum, and Craig immediately hit Ashley for 36 yards down the middle. Ace Theus, a freshman wide receiver with two career catches and no carries, then took a delayed handoff for a 28-yard rushing touchdown to give TCU its first lead of the day at 14-13.

Pickett went for 26 yards on the last play of the third quarter, and KU proceeded into field goal range, only for Ballard to fumble on a strip-sack.

TCU went three-and-out despite the objections of its fans, who wanted a penalty on Corey Gordon. The Jayhawks opened their next drive with a 50-yard completion from Ballard to Cox, and earned a key first down with a carry by Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman.

Ballard sailed a throw for Jailen Butler that was intercepted and returned for another touchdown by Jamel Johnson, but KU got a massive break when Kalen Carroll was called for interference against Butler. The drive ended with a go-ahead field goal by Connington.

TCU had some success running the ball with the quarterback Craig, and then he located Small on the run for a big pass into KU territory. The Frogs then earned two key first downs after the two-minute timeout before Craig scored on a 17-yard run — which actually worked to the Jayhawks’ advantage because the Frogs could potentially have run out the clock and set up for a field goal.

Ballard was able to lead the offense across midfield with about half a minute left. But the Frogs batted away a series of time-consuming deep shots, and KU couldn’t do much else before the clock ran out.

KU fell to 3-5 on the year and will host UCF (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) next Saturday.

How they scored

First quarter

1:32 — Martin Connington 34-yard field goal good. Thirteen plays, 47 yards, 5:46 TOP. KU 3, TCU 0.

Second quarter

6:25 — Connington 42-yard field goal good. Ten plays, 55 yards, 4:14 TOP. KU 6, TCU 0.

4:20 — Cam Pickett 29-yard pass from Cole Ballard. Connington PAT good. Three plays, 73 yards, 1:08 TOP. KU 13, TCU 0.

Third quarter

4:38 — Max Carroll 60-yard interception return. Kyle Lemmermann PAT good. KU 13, TCU 7.

0:26 — Ace Theus 28-yard run. Three plays, 72 yards, 1:15 TOP. Lemmermann PAT good. TCU 14, KU 13.

Fourth quarter

4:59 — Connington 27-yard field goal good. Nine plays, 83 yards, 5:35 TOP. KU 16, TCU 14.

1:09 — Jaden Craig 17-yard run. Two-point conversion good (Jordan Dwyer pass from Craig). Thirteen plays, 84 yards, 3:45 TOP. TCU 22, KU 16.

Box score