Big 12 Roundup and Recap: Then There Were Two

#9 West Virginia Mountaineers (5-0, 3-0) 38, Kansas Jayhawks (2-4, 0-3) 22

The Mountaineers faced just that this afternoon in Morgantown, but still escaped with a 38-22 win over the Jayhawks. Will Grier threw three interceptions at the goal line and fumbled the ball once in a game in which he still completed 68% of his passes for 332 yards and 4 touchdowns. We can talk about Will having bad games, but it’s bordering on first-world problems because he’s still putting up elite numbers.

The Jayhawks had a fourth INT in the third quarter on a play that was ruled an incomplete pass on the field, but for some reason the referees didn’t see what everyone at home saw - that the ball never touched the ground - and the Mountaineers went up 28-14 a couple of plays later on the final play of the third quarter, a play that ended up being the back-breaker for Kansas.

#19 Texas Longhorns (5-1, 3-0) 48, #7 Oklahoma Sooners (5-1, 2-1) 45

In the Red River Showdown on Saturday on Dallas, the Horns nearly blew a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter, but sophomore quarterback Sam Ehlinger led Texas on a nine-play, 52-yard drive with the game tied at 45 and the game hanging the balance.

The fact that this game was even remotely close at the end is a miracle. OU’s defense looked hapless for most of the game, managing just one (1) stop through the first three quarters. Unfortunately, the comeback wasn’t enough. The loss is OU’s first of the season, bringing it’s season record to 5-1. It now looks as if Kyler and company will need to win out in order to ensure a birth in the Big 12 Championship game.

Iowa St. Cyclones (2-3. 1-2) 48, #25 Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-2, 1-2) 42

After a rough start, trailing 7-0, Iowa State made a quarterback change to the freshman quarterback, Brock Purdy. This decision changed the game completely, as Purdy played about as well as we could’ve hoped. Purdy made an immediate impact after the ISU defense forced a safety, he threw a touchdown to Hakeem Butler. Both teams traded blows for the remainder of the first half, but the freshman quarterback responded bigger every time.

Taylor Cornelius was outstanding in the loss with 289 yards and four touchdowns in the air and 46 yards and one score on the ground. Four different receivers hauled in touchdowns for the Cowboys, led by Justice Hill’s 66 yard day. Defensively, Oklahoma State was unable to slow the Cyclones, giving up 465 yards of total offense. Iowa State got to Cornelius seven times in the game, and registered 16 tackles for loss for 68 yards.

Baylor Bears (4-2, 2-1) 37, Kansas State Wildcats (2-4, 0-3) 34

Kansas State tied the game at 34 with 4:26 left. Baylor took over and moved the ball well. JaMycal Hasty had a nice day, but he coughed it up on 1st and 10. Fortunately Baylor jumped on the ball. Denzel Mims caught two tough slants to extend Baylor’s drive, and Baylor ensured they’d either win or head to overtime. It hadn’t been Connor Martin’s day. He missed three field goals, including a normally automatic kick from 38 yards. He also missed an extra point. But with eight seconds left, he made a 29 yard field goal to give Baylor the lead.

If we’re forced to point out positives, Alex Barnes led an effective Wildcat offense that, coming into the game, had scored only 98 points on the season—the lowest total through five games since Bill Snyder first walked the sidelines in 1989. The offense actually averaged 1.7 more yards per play than a Baylor team full of explosive skill talent.Now, K-State faces a real threat of missing a bowl, as its likely to be an underdog in all but one of its remaining games.

The West Virginia Mountaineers and Texas Longhorns now stand alone in the Big 12 standings. West Virginia is the lone unbeaten Big 12 team. The Mountaineers and Longhorns will play at Texas on November 3rd. For the season, the Mountaineers have scored more points per game and allowed fewer per game as well has producing more yards per game and allowing fewer.