Surprise upsets seem to be the new normal in the Big 12, with conference standings barely reacting to Week 7’s results, despite one ranked team falling.
BYU and Iowa State remain the Big 12’s only undefeated teams, with Texas Tech joining them as the only other without a conference loss. Placements through the middle of the standings moved around, but the identity of the conference proved just as chaotic as before this week.
Utah @ Arizona State: Preseason conference favorite loses second straight
Cam Rising returned for another clash of Big 12 newcomers, but Utah once again fell, making for two straight losses despite the bye week in between. In fact, Rising looked to be much of the Utes’ problem, throwing just 16 for 37 with three interceptions and no touchdowns. Senior linebacker Caleb McCullough caught two of the turnovers, pairing with his season-high 12 tackles. Rising scrambled twice, losing 13 yards total on the ground.
Arizona State’s offense looked solid as well, with running back Cameron Skattebo picking up 158 yards and two touchdowns in 22 carries. Skattebo holds the second most total rushing yards in the Big 12 this season. Redshirt freshman Sam Leavitt was not as much of a difference maker on the scoreboard as he was against Kansas, but his touchdown pass and 154 yards on 11-for-18 passing kept the passing game a threat for Arizona State. As his consistency grows and completion percentage increases, Arizona State’s offense could become one of the most complete in the Big 12.
Arizona @ BYU: Cougars dominate Wildcats again
Arizona’s Wildcats were about as effective as Kansas State’s three weeks ago, with BYU coming out on top 41-19 at home. Of the two undefeated Big 12 schools, BYU had the bigger statement win, gaining a comfortable lead by the end of the third quarter against a projected contender.
The Cougars’ offense was about as productive as Arizona’s, but unlike sophomore Noah Fifita, who threw three interceptions to cut off several scoring opportunities, Jake Retzlaff played poised and got the job done. Retzlaff finished 18-for-32 with two touchdowns and 218 passing yards compared to Fifita’s 275 yards and one touchdown on 26-for-52 passing.
The Cougars remain without a real rushing threat, but they are more than capable of scoring without one. Sophomore Parker Kingston made an impact without much pressure to do so, scoring on his only catch for 20 yards and throwing a 33-yard touchdown on a trick play. Retzlaff found four other receivers for three or more catches and made no player score twice in the same manner. Overall, the Cougars seem well-built and scary.
Quali Conley was limited in the run game for Arizona, with 39 yards on 13 carries. With or without him shining, though, the Wildcats have yet to show the offensive power they had in Week 1 against New Mexico. In the Big 12, no scoring means minimal wins, which would be sad to see from a team pinned as a contender since its first day in the conference.
Iowa State @ WVU: Cyclones find another easy win to stay undefeated
The Big 12’s top-ranked team remains without a major victory this year, but in a league where every game is anyone’s game, there is something to be said about Iowa State beating every opponent it should.
Rocco Becht played well, throwing for 265 yards and a touchdown on 18-for-26 passing. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel combined for 179 yards as Iowa State showed once again to have an effective but limited arsenal at its disposal. Versatility and sheer quantity of threats from other contenders, like BYU, seem more favorable than the Cyclones’ one-dimensional offense, but Iowa State has not run into any problems yet. That is not expected to change next week as they take on UCF.
For West Virginia, the loss is only its first of Big 12 play, but expectations had the Mountaineers a bit better than 3-3 overall, especially with how they look when playing. One-on-one situations are a disaster for WVU’s secondary, and the line’s quarterback pressure rarely converts to quick stops. Becht, and any quarterback West Virginia played this year, had more than enough time to make smart decisions, something WVU will want to address going forward.
Offensively, the Mountaineers struggled behind senior quarterback Garrett Greene. Greene threw 18 completions on 32 attempts for 206 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. After a short burst of success in the run game early, Greene was limited for the remainder, finishing with 87 yards on 10 carries despite his identity as a runner. Without Greene playing particularly well, no other Mountaineer could make much happen, making WVU appear incredibly vulnerable offensively.
Cincinnati @ UCF: Bearcats make considerable jump in conference standings in UCF’s return to Big 12 play
UCF scored 13 once again, falling this time to a conference opponent at home. Cincinnati reaped the benefits of the Knights’ weak offense and is now 2-1 and sixth in the Big 12.
Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby threw a touchdown and two interceptions with 241 yards on 25-for-38 passing. The Bearcats offense was messy and less productive as a whole than UCF’s, but with the Knights failing to score, Cincinnati picked up another easy win. The Bearcats will fight for their first significant win of the year next week against Arizona State, but for now, wins against Houston and UCF keep them in the top half of the league.
The Knights spent the game attempting to find a viable quarterback replacement for the struggling KJ Jefferson, and they found a contender in redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown. Brown came off the bench for freshman EJ Colson and finished 13-for-20 in the passing game with 207 yards and a touchdown to go with 84 rushing yards on 16 carries. He found Kobe Hudson for seven catches, which he converted to 114 yards and a touchdown. Hudson continues to emerge as a top receiver in the conference despite UCF’s offensive woes.
Kansas State @ Colorado: Colorado loses several weapons and its first conference game
Colorado certainly fought against the No. 18 Wildcats, but the cards simply were not in the Buffaloes’ favor. At the end of the day, the team thought to be better came out on top to tie Colorado in conference record.
The 31-28 win was a good way to return from a bye week for Kansas State. The Wildcats are now 5-1, with their brutal loss to BYU looking less embarrassing each week. They continue to lack versatility within each facet of the offense, but with DJ Giddens exploding for 182 yards in 25 carries and Jayce Brown going for 121 receiving yards with two touchdowns on six total catches, the Wildcats were just fine against Colorado. Avery Johnson led well at quarterback, throwing 15-for-23 with 224 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. At the end of the day, though, the result was more of a loss for Colorado than anything.
Shedeur Sanders lost his two best targets, receivers Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr., by the end of the first half to injury. That led to sophomore Omarion Miller carrying the load with eight catches for 145 yards. By the end of the game, Miller also fell to injury, as he left in a wheelchair in the fourth quarter. Seniors Will Sheppard and LaJohntay Wester caught five receptions each and combined for three touchdowns, proving the value of depth in Colorado’s lineup, but the team still suffered significant blows with the injuries.
Perhaps most devastating, though, is that despite the injuries, Colorado still found itself leading late after scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. With just over two minutes remaining, though, Brown made a 50-yard touchdown catch to put the Wildcats up 31-28, where the score stayed. Colorado will now have to recover from the loss on the road, potentially without several threats, against a decent Arizona team. The Buffaloes have officially become one of the most fascinating newcomers in the conference, both for reasons good and bad for coach Deion Sanders.
Photo by David Zalubowski, Associated Press
