Around the Big 12: Week 9

By Steve Lansdale

It’s crunch time, around the Big 12 and around the country. Teams are now two-thirds of the way through the season, and at this point in the year, every win and every loss makes a clear impact on the postseason, whether it means conference championships or the process of determining what teams play in which bowl games.

Texas, of course, [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]lost at TCU, but depending on the rest of the results around the conference, remains very much in the postseason conversation.

So … how did the rest of the conference fare over the weekend?

Kansas State 48, No. 5 Oklahoma 41
Quarterback Skylar Thompson passed for 213 yards and ran for four touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a home upset of the nation’s fifth-ranked team. In the process, without a little help from other teams at the top of the national polls, the Sooners might have watched their chance of reaching the College Football Playoff evaporate.

The victory improved Kansas State’s record to 5-2 overall, and 2-2 in games against Big 12 opponents, while Oklahoma suffered its first loss of the season, falling to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 games. What that means is that OU falls a game behind idle Baylor, which sits atop the conference standings at 7-0 overall and 4-0 in conference games. With their loss at TCU, the Longhorns are tied with Iowa State at 3-2 in Big 12 games. Texas still has to play Kansas State, Iowa State and Baylor in successive weeks in November, meaning victories could effectively erase K-State from the conference championship game and theoretically set up a rematch with the Sooners in the conference title game.

KSU running back James Gilbert led all rushers in the game — Thompson scored his four touchdowns on just 39 rushing yards — with 105 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries.

Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts had a game that would be a season highlight for just about anyone else in the country, completing 19 of 26 passes for 395 yards and a touchdown, while rushing 19 times for 96 yards and three scores. Wideout CeeDee Lamb caught five passes for 135 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown.

Oklahoma is off next week, while Kansas State travels to Kansas.

Oklahoma State 34, No. 23 Iowa State 27
The Cowboys snapped a two-game losing streak, ended Iowa State’s three-game winning streak and knocked the Cyclones out of both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Poll top 25 with their victory in Ames. Freshman quarterback Spencer Sanders threw for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Oklahoma State improved its record to 5-3 overall, and 2-3 against Big 12 teams, while ISU dipped to 5-3 overall and 3-2 against conference foes.

Running back Chuba Hubbard ran 22 times for 116 yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Tylan Wallace hauled in eight passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

The Cowboys benefited from three interceptions by their defense — one each from safety Malcolm Rodriguez, who had a game-high 11 tackles, linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga and safety Tre Sterling.

Iowa State is off next week before heading to Norman to face Oklahoma, while Oklahoma State hosts TCU Saturday.

Kansas 37, Texas Tech 34
After a would-be 40-yard field goal was blocked, Kansas kicker Liam Jones got a second chance and drilled a 32-yarder to lift the Jayhawks past the Red Raiders in Lawrence.

Tech’s Nick McCann blocked Jones’ 40-yard attempt into the arms of teammate Douglas Coleman, but instead of simply falling on the ball and playing for overtime, Coleman inexplicably tried to pitch the ball to linebacker Xavier Benson … and missed by several yards. Kansas recovered, setting up Jones’ successful mulligan.

The improbably victory boosted Kansas to 3-5 overall and afforded the Jayhawks their first Big 12 victory under new head coach Les Miles. Texas Tech stumbled to 3-5 overall, and 1-4 in conference games. Each team now must win three of its final four games to become bowl-eligible.

Quarterback Carter Stanley completed 26 of 37 passes for 415 yards and three touchdowns for the Jayhawks, who spotted the Red Raiders a 17-0 lead before rallying. Wide receiver Stephon Robinson led all receivers with six receptions for 186 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while fellow wideout Andrew Parchment caught seven passes for 109 yards and a score.

Backup quarterback Jett Duffey completed 23 of 34 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Tech offense, while running back Sarodorick Thompson paced the ground game with 20 carries for 80 yards and a score.

Texas Tech has next weekend off before heading east for a road game at West Virginia, while Kansas will host in-state rival Kansas State in the 117^th “Sunflower Showdown.”
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