Jaden Craig answered TCU’s biggest offensive question with 391 yards and four touchdowns in a dominant bounce-back win over Grambling State.

FORT WORTH – TCU may have found its quarterback.

That’s the biggest takeaway from Jaden Craig’s breakout performance in the Horned Frogs’ 63-7 win over Grambling State, because the sophomore looked nothing like the quarterback who struggled to generate offense in the season-opening loss to North Carolina.

Against UNC, Craig completed 20 of 32 passes for 175 yards with no touchdowns. He protected the football, but TCU’s passing game rarely threatened the Tar Heels vertically. Craig averaged just 5.5 yards per attempt as the Horned Frogs managed only 10 points.

Then came Saturday.

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Craig shredded Grambling State for a career-high 391 yards and four touchdowns on 24-of-31 passing. His completion rate jumped from 62.5 percent against North Carolina to 77.4 percent, while his yards per attempt exploded from 5.5 to 12.6.

The most revealing comparison might be this: Craig threw for 216 more yards against Grambling while attempting one fewer pass.

That’s the kind of efficiency TCU desperately needed to see.

Craig wasn’t simply completing safe throws underneath. He was creating explosive plays, attacking downfield and giving the Horned Frogs a passing attack that suddenly looked dangerous.

Kari Ashley was a major beneficiary, finishing with seven catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Craig also added 53 rushing yards on eight carries, giving TCU another dimension defenses have to respect.

Just as important, Craig still hasn’t thrown an interception through his first 63 pass attempts of the season.

That matters.

Young quarterbacks can pile up yardage against overmatched opponents, but protecting the football while becoming more aggressive is a much more encouraging sign.

There’s still reason for caution. Grambling State isn’t the caliber of opponent TCU will see in Big 12 play, and one huge afternoon doesn’t erase the offensive problems that surfaced against North Carolina.

But quarterbacks are judged by progress, and Craig just took a massive step.

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Against UNC, TCU needed him to make something happen.

Against Grambling, he did.

If Craig can carry even part of Saturday’s explosiveness into conference play, TCU’s quarterback question could turn into one of the Horned Frogs’ biggest strengths.