Kansas State and BYU have chance to give Big 12 two more wins in SEC stadiums in Week 3
Published
Things to watch for in the Big 12 Conference in Week 3:
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 15 Kansas State at Missouri. The reigning Big 12 champion Wildcats (2-0) wrap up non-conference play Saturday at former Big Eight and Big 12 rival Missouri (2-0). K-State won 40-12 last year at home in the first meeting since 2011, the final season before Mizzou went from the Big 12 to the SEC.
The Wildcats have scored at least 40 points in each of their last four regular-season games, their longest streak since 2002. And they’ve only allowed 20.4 points a game since switching to a 3-3-5 defensive alignment at the start of the 2021 season.
This is one of two more opportunities the Big 12 has this week to win again in an Southeastern Conference stadium. Texas, in its final season before going to the SEC, beat then-No. 3 Alabama last week. Big 12 newcomer BYU makes its first trip to Arkansas, which won 52-35 in Provo last October.
BEST MATCHUP
TCU goes to league newcomer Houston in the Big 12’s first conference game this season, and only one this weekend. Both are 1-1. TCU coach Sonny Dykes and Houston’s Dana Holgorsen were assistants together for the late coach Mike Leach at Texas Tech from 2000-06. They both coached receivers throughout that time, and were co-offensive coordinators the final two seasons.
Former Southwest Conference rivals Houston and TCU haven’t played since the 2007 Texas Bowl, one of only five matchups between them since the final SWC season in 1995.
IMPACT PLAYER
Linebacker Danny Stutsman goes into 19th-ranked Oklahoma’s game at Tulsa as the Big 12’s leading tackler again. He had 17 tackles (one short of his career high), 2 1/2 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in the Sooners’ 28-11 win over SMU. The 6-foot-4, 241-pound junior led the conference last season with 125 total tackles and ranked 18th nationally with 9.6 tackles per game.
LOOKING FOR NO. 1
The Big 12 has eight undefeated teams, but is also the only Power Five league with two winless teams. Texas Tech and Baylor, both 0-2, are home this week against FCS teams.
The Red Raiders are 0-2 for the first time since 1990 after losing 38-30 to 13th-ranked Oregon, and will try to avoid their first 0-3 start since 1971 against Tarleton State. The Texans are finishing a four-year transition from Division II to the FCS level.
Baylor hosts LIU from New York, a week 12th-ranked and future Big 12 team Utah scored two touchdowns in the final 1:59 to win 20-13 in Waco.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Texas moved from 11th to No. 4 in this week’s AP poll for its highest ranking since finishing second in 2009, when the Longhorns lost to Alabama in the national championship game. They host Wyoming, which opened this season at home with a double-overtime win over Texas Tech. ... Iowa State hasn’t allowed a sack in consecutive games for the first time since 2012. The Cyclones play at Ohio, which has seven sacks. ... Kansas is 2-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2008-09. The Jayhawks’ first game at Nevada will be their first time playing in the Pacific time zone since 2002.
Cincinnati hosts Miami (Ohio) in the 127th Battle for the Victory Bell; the non-conference college football rivalry began with a scoreless tie in 1888. ... West Virginia hosts its Backyard Brawl against Pittsburgh, which last year resumed for the first time since 2011, when both were in the Big East. ... Oklahoma State averaged 44.7 points in its first seven games last season. The Cowboys have dropped to 17.4 points in their eight games since, including the 27 scored in each of their two wins this year.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll