KillerFrogs is taking TCU’s remaining regular-season matchups to the virtual field in EA SPORTS College Football 27. All results and player statistics below come from the video game simulation.

So far, this is how our sims have gone:

• Baylor: Baylor won, 46–35.
• West Virginia: TCU won, 23–7.

Last week, we ran a simulation to see how the Horned Frogs would fare against West Virginia. This week, Kansas gets its turn.

Before we get to the virtual action, check out our TCU vs. Kansas scouting report for a closer look at the opponent.

By the Quarter

Kansas started hot in this one, dropping 14 points on TCU in the first quarter with no response from the Frogs. Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall was having his way running the ball, as TCU’s defense couldn’t set the edge. He finished with 137 rushing yards.

For TCU’s offense, it was much of the same: poor offensive line play led to a lack of a running game and left the passing game with little support. The Frogs were slow and methodical in the first quarter, but it didn’t produce any points.

In the second quarter, TCU got on the board with a touchdown as the game slowed offensively. Both teams would drive about 25 to 40 yards, then punt. It wasn’t clean for either team. Kansas was held off the board completely in the quarter.

In the third quarter, TCU showed life, tying this one at 14 apiece. But the fourth quarter was where things fell apart. Kansas scored 14 points to TCU’s three, handing the Frogs a 28–17 loss.

Simulation screenshot caption: Kansas pulls away in the fourth quarter for a 28–17 win over TCU in KillerFrogs’ EA SPORTS College Football 27 simulation.

TCU by the Numbers

• QB Jaden Craig: 35 of 50 passing for 351 yards, 70% completion rate, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
• RB Jeremy Payne: 14 carries for 26 yards and two touchdowns; six receptions for 52 yards.
• WR Ed Small: Eight receptions for 110 yards.
• WR Jeremy Scott: Seven receptions for 97 yards.
• WR Jordan Dwyer: Six receptions for 40 yards.
• FS Jordan Lester: 10 tackles and one tackle for loss.
• Vernon Glover: Eight tackles and one tackle for loss.

By the numbers, TCU just didn’t have what it took to move bodies and establish its running game. Payne averaged fewer than two yards per carry. That’s not going to get it done.

The simulated offensive line struggles also hit a little close to home, given the concerns surrounding TCU’s offense and its scoring struggles. If the Frogs get this kind of production on the ground Saturday, it could be another frustrating afternoon.

The defense had stretches where it did its job, including holding Kansas scoreless in the second quarter. But Marshall’s legs and the Jayhawks’ fourth-quarter finish proved too much.

One positive: Craig didn’t turn the ball over, and neither did the team. Unfortunately, protecting the football wasn’t enough to overcome the lack of a running game.

Kansas by the Numbers

• QB Isaiah Marshall: 12 of 20 passing for 80 yards, 60% completion rate, two touchdowns and no interceptions; 15 carries for 137 yards.
• RB Dylan Edwards: 16 carries for 47 yards and one touchdown.
• WR Nik McMillan: Five receptions for 36 yards and one touchdown.
• WR Cam Pickett: Two receptions for six yards.
• LB Trey Lathan: 10 tackles and two tackles for loss.
• SS Taylor Davis: 10 tackles and one tackle for loss.
• DT Eamon Smalls: Three tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks.

By the numbers, Kansas doesn’t look like an offensive juggernaut. Other than Marshall’s gaudy rushing numbers, the production was pretty limited. He managed just 80 passing yards, but his two touchdown passes and turnover-free performance helped get the job done.

The Kansas defense was all over the Frogs in this one. The Jayhawks finished with 14 tackles for loss as a team, a massive number that kept TCU from establishing anything on the ground.

Kansas’ defensive front deserves credit, but that number also says plenty about how poorly TCU’s offensive line played in this simulation. The standout was Smalls, whose two sacks had Craig running for his life.

Will Saturday Tell a Different Story?

What do you think? Is the simulation onto something, or will Saturday tell a different story? See how the virtual result compares with our KillerFrogs staff’s TCU vs. Kansas score predictions.

Then head to the Scott & Wes Fan Forum on KillerFrogs.com for the game day thread, score predictions and more. KillerFrogs has been bringing TCU fans together since 1997, giving the Frog faithful a place to celebrate, vent and talk Horned Frogs.

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