Incoming Big 12 Teams and How They Fared in Week Four

Wyoming: 24 at No. 19 BYU: 38 

Anytime BYU hosts a group of five team in front of a packed crowd, fans of the game would assume that the Cougars would take an early lead. Unfortunately, this was not the case on Saturday night. Wyoming held the lead until Brayden Cosper caught a touchdown with five seconds left in the first half. However, in the third quarter, the Cougars built an 18-point lead. Jaren Hall put the exclamation point on the contest when he threw a 68-yard bomb to Keanu Hill with five minutes left in the game. Hall passed for 337 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Cougars to their third win of the season. BYU keeps their number 19 ranking in the latest AP poll as they travel to take on Utah State Thursday night. 

Up Next for No. 19 BYU: at Utah State 

Indiana: 24 at Cincinnati: 45

Although it took a quarter for the Bearcats to find their footing, the points came in bunches when they got back on track. Cincinnati put up 28 points in the second quarter and went into halftime with a scoop and score courtesy of Dominique Perry. Although the Bearcats’ offense cooled down in the second half, putting up only a touchdown, their defense contained the Hoosiers’ offense. Ben Bryant threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns, all of which came in the first half. Tyler Scott also had a monster day for Cincinnati, catching ten passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns. If Luke Fickell and the Bearcats can put a streak together, they could soon find themselves back in the top 25. 

Up Next for Cincinnati: at Tulsa

Rice: 27 at Houston: 34

If you could describe Houston’s season in one word, it would be disappointing. Ranked as a top 25 team at the beginning of the season, the Cougars squeaked out a win against UTSA, lost in a thriller to Texas Tech, and lost to Kansas by 18 at home. Beating Rice by a touchdown will not reassure Houston fans about their team either. The Cougars did not get off to a fast start as they trailed Rice by four points at halftime. However, the second half proved to be a back-and-forth matchup. The turning point came when the Houston defense sacked quarterback TJ McMahon and returned the fumble for a touchdown. Although the Cougars get by the Owls, they will look to play up to their full potential against Tulane Friday night. 

Up Next for Houston: vs. Tulane

Georgia Tech: 10 at UCF: 27

This week, the resounding theme for all incoming Big 12 teams was slow starts and rebounding in the second half, and UCF was not the exception. The Knights blocked a punt at the end of the second quarter to give them a six-point lead. However, Georgia Tech only hurt themselves as they missed two field goals in the first half which would have tied the game at halftime. UCF’s defense also came alive in the third quarter as they stopped the Yellow Jackets in the red zone on 4th and 3. The Knight’s offense also bounced back in the 4th quarter, scoring two touchdowns to give UCF a 14-point lead with 10 minutes to play. This game was a total team win for UCF as they earned their third victory of the season. 

Up next for UCF: vs. SMU

Photo by Rob Gray / USA Today Sports