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College Gameday was in Waco this weekend covering the top conference matchup so far this season. The rest of the games were supposed to be snoozers, did they end up that way?
On to the game summaries -
Texas 20 @ West Virginia (-9.5) 38
West Virginia poured it to Texas in Morgantown to draw within one win of bowl eligibility. A week after a strong outing against Kansas, the Texas pendulum swung all the way from chicken dinner to loser loser.
Texas opened the game by picking off a Skyler pass on the first series but was not able to capitalize on it. The teams traded 3-and-outs until later in the 1st quarter when Texas kicked a field goal. On their next series, Texas tried a multiple handoff reverse trick play that ended up with D’Onta Foreman fumbling the ball into the backfield. West Virginia’s Jared Barber scooped it up and took it 42 yards for the score. Ironically Barbers Jersey number is 42 as well, so all of the stars aligned for that one.
1 play later Foreman atoned for his fumble by taking a handoff 65 yards for a TD to make the score 10-7. The ‘Eers proceeded to take control of the game from there though and rolled off 14 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter with the second TD coming on a 53-yard bomb from Skyler Howard to Jovon Durante.
Texas put together a good drive to open the 2nd half and drew the score to within 4 at 21-17, but West Virginia scored 17 more points to Texas’ 3 and ran away with the game. Howard had a great day, passing for 2 TDs and running for another and Wendell Smallwood racked up 165 yards on the ground for the Mountaineers.
The ‘Eers moved a step closer to bowling at 5-4 and with Kansas on the schedule next week they are looking good for a post-season spot. Texas is bouncing from red hot to ice cold. Only a week after scoring 59 points, the Texas offense gave up 5 turnovers and mounted only one sustained drive of 80 yards. They had another drive that was 65 yards in one play but other than that it was turnovers, punts or field goals on short field drives. D’onta Foreman ran for 147 yards which was good, but Jerrod Heard only threw for 162 yards and 2 interceptions which was bad.
The inconsistency is what is hurting Charlie Strong and his Horns. They can beat a top 10 team, then get blanked at Iowa State, then score 59 points, then give up 5 turnovers in a lopsided loss. Projecting forward, they will play great against Tech in two weeks and then stink against Baylor to close the season.
Kansas 17 @ TCU (-45) 23
For the second year in a row, Kansas’ upset bid of TCU came up just short. The Frogs were a whopping 45-point favorite over the Jayhawks at home, but they don't ask how, they ask how many, and the Frogs escaped with an ugly win.
Josh Doctson saw only limited action due to the wrist injury that he suffered against Oklahoma State and Trevone Boykin left the game early with an ankle injury. He saw no more playing time after making a trip to the locker room and was in obvious pain on the sidelines.
TCU needed a 1st quarter KaVontae Turpin punt return and a 42-yard pass over the middle from QB backup Foster Sawyer to Shaun Nixon in order to win this game. Otherwise the Boykin-less offense was fairly anemic.
The game was tied at ten at the half and was in question until a late game sack on 4th down ended the Jayhawk’s comeback bid. After Boykin went out the Frogs pounded the ball on the ground and racked up 177 yards rushing for Aaron Green but that was the only real highlight.
The question now is how will TCU be able to close the year out. They already had an injury depleted defense and with Oklahoma and Baylor left on the schedule and their two offensive stars slowed by injury as well, can they put up enough firepower to win those games and stay relevant in the league race.
Kansas fans, it is finally here. Congratulations on your #4 preseason men’s basketball ranking and an opening victory over the Northern Colorado Bears.
Oklahoma State (-13.5) 35 @ Iowa State 31
The don't ask how, they ask how many, part 2. After a season defining win last week against TCU the Cowboys were down 24-7 in the second quarter to Iowa State but managed to score 14 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to escape Ames as the Big-12’s only undefeated team.
Iowa State’s Joel Lanning got things started for the Cyclones with a 24-yard run for a TD. Mason Rudolf answered back with a 16-yard strike to Marcell Ateman to draw the Cowboys even at 7. The Cyclones then went on a 17 point run fueled by Lanning. He went on to be the Cyclone’s top rusher at 130 yards and top passer at 162 yards. The Cyclones were in full control at that point and it looked like Oklahoma State was in for a quiet ride home to Stillwater.
The Pokes battled back though and scored just before halftime and again to open the second half to cut the lead to 24-21. Lanning added his second TD run of the night at the end of the 3rd quarter to put Iowa State up by 10 again.
Although Mason Rudolph threw for 327 yards and a TD against no interceptions for the Cowboys, the 4th quarter was the JW Walsh show with him scoring on a 16-yard TD run and throwing a short pass for another TD to Jeff Carr. Those 4th quarter heroics were the difference in this game. That and a late-game, overturned touchdown by the Cyclones that ended up as a field goal.
Somehow OSU is figuring out how to make a 2-QB system work and are the only team in control of their destiny in the Big 12 regardless of how many wins they have via comeback. The Cyclones are mathematically eliminated from the post-season with the loss.
Kansas State 44 @ Texas Tech (-5.5) 59
There wasn't much defense in this game which saw almost 1100 yards of offense and over 100 points scored. Tech jumped out to a 28-7 lead in the 1st quarter but let Kansas State hang around by giving up a kick return for a touchdown, two long scoring drives and a fumble at their own 19 yard-line which gave the Wildcats a short field TD. The game was 35-28 in the 3rd quarter, but Tech finally put it away with a 3 score run extending the lead to 52-28. The teams combined for 4 TDs and a field goal in the 4th quarter alone, but the game had been decided by then.
Patrick Mahomes had a huge day for the Red Raiders as did DeAndre Washington. Mahomes threw for 384 yards and 2 TDs and ran for 14 yards and another score. Washington ran for 248 yards and 3 TDs including an 80 yarder.
Kansas State’s Joe Hubener threw for two TDs and ran for 3 more accounting for most of the Cats’ points. Kansas State can still finish with a bowl berth but will need to beat Kansas, Iowa State and West Virginia to do it.
The Red Raiders have the pressure off at this point and are playing for bowl positioning.
Sunday Morning Quarterback
It was a sad day in Waco, with Jarrett Stidham in pain throughout and looking a bit more like a freshman than in his debut. The Sooners out-schemed, out-coached and out-played the Bears, but it was a tough fought affair, nothing to be ashamed of for Baylor. OU is a top-10 team for a reason and has a single slipup in a rival game. I still think that Baylor and OU are the class of the league right now with OSU and TCU fighting for their lives for wins, but Oklahoma State clearly has the best record and the best outlook with both Baylor and OU still coming Stillwater. There will be a lot of movement in the next two weeks but the Pokes are in the driver’s seat. They don't ask you how…
Go Bears, 8-1…