CFB-FBS: Big 12 Conference Week 6 Release and Previews

WEEK 6 GAME SCHEDULE

Friday October 4, 2024

Houston Cougars vs TCU Horned Frogs

ABOUT THE GAME

TCU hosts Houston on Friday, Oct. 4, at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Horned Frogs and Cougars are in the same conference for the third time. The Horned Frogs and Cougars were previously together in the Southwest Conference (1976-95) and Conference USA (2001-04). Former Houston Head Coach Dana Holgorsen is on TCU Head Coach Sonny Dykes’ staff as a consultant. Dykes and Holgorsen worked together for seven seasons (2000-06) as assistant coaches under Mike Leach at Texas Tech. Dykes is 4-2 as a head coach against Houston. He is 1-0 at TCU while going 2-1 at SMU and 1-1 during his time at Louisiana Tech.

Houston Notes:

Horned frog Notes:
THE DYNAMIC DUO 4Quarterback Josh Hoover ranks third in the FBS in passing yards (1,774) while tying for fourth in touchdown passes (14). 4Hoover is on pace to set TCU season records for completion percentage, yards and touchdown passes. He has thrown for at least two scores in eight consecutive games. 4Wide receiver Jack Bech is the only player to rank in the top three nationally in receiving yards (2nd, 647) and touchdown catches (T-3rd, 6). He’s also tied for seventh in receptions (35). 4Bech has topped 100 yards in four of five games, including a 200-yard effort against UCF that ranks third among Power Four Conference players this season. 4Bech is en route to breaking Josh Doctson’s TCU season records from 2015 for receptions, yards and touchdowns.

FAMILIAR FACES 4Four members of the TCU coaching staff have ties to Houston. 4Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks Coach Kendal Briles is a 2005 graduate of Houston. In two seasons (2004-05) with the Cougars, he totaled 70 receptions for 680 yards and a touchdown. He then returned to his alma mater in 2018 as Associate Head Coach/ Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach. 4Also on the Houston staff in 2018 as an offensive analyst was current TCU Assistant Head Coach/ Outside Receivers Coach Malcolm Kelly. He was a graduate assistant for the Cougars in 2017. 4Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach A.J. Ricker was an offensive analyst in 2016. 4TCU Inside Receivers Coach Doug Meacham was Houston’s offensive coordinator in 2013.

SERIES HISTORY 4TCU has won the last nine meetings with Houston to even the all-time series at 13-13. 4Prior to last season’s 36-13 Horned Frogs victory at Houston, the most recent previous game saw Andy Dalton outduel Case Keenum in a 20-13 TCU win in the 2007 Texas Bowl. 4The Cougars’ last victory in the series was a 49- 46 win in Houston in 1992. 4TCU is 6-6 at home against the Cougars, 6-7 on the road and 1-0 at neutral sites. 4The first game in the series was a 49-21 Cougars win in Houston in 1976, their first year in the Southwest Conference.

THE GIFT 4TCU Head Football Coach Sonny Dykes and his wife Kate have donated $1 million to TCU Athletics. 4The Dykes’ gift will be split between honoring former TCU offensive lineman Jamal Powell with his name in the weight room in the new Mike and Brenda Harrison Football Performance Center as well as recognizing Shirley Enis, late wife of TCU Trustee Hunter Enis, with an endowment in her name to support women’s athletics at TCU. 4Powell was a three-year letterman (2000-02) for the Horned Frogs, earning First-Team All-Conference USA honors his senior year. He then began a collegiate coaching career with Dykes hiring Powell as his offensive line coach at SMU in 2018. They worked together for three years until Powell’s passing in April 2021 at the age of 39. ALL IN 4With the upcoming settlement of the House v. NCAA class-action lawsuit, TCU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jeremiah Donati has announced that TCU will fully participate at the maximum level in the permissible revenue sharing plan with its student-athletes.

TCU SUPPORT 4Since it began Big 12 play in 2012, TCU has had nearly $500 million in donor-funded athletics facilities upgrades. 4The most recent project is the $52 million Athletics Human Performance Center Renovation and Expansion projects with the four facilities set for completion in July 2025. 4The Mike and Brenda Harrison Football Performance Center will include the Jamal Powell Weight Room, while the Simpson Family Restoration and Wellness Center will make TCU the only school in the country with a Snow Room.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

TRENDING UP

TCU has had a season-high in offense in each of the last three games:

MAKING HIS MARK

Quarterback Josh Hoover ranks among the NCAA leaders in several categories:

Category Number FBS Rank Comp.

PG 27.8 2nd Passing Yards 1,774

3rd Passing Yards PG 354.8

4th Passing TDs 14 T-4th

Hoover’s 27.8 completions per game trail only the 28.5 by Syracuse’s Kyle McCord. FBS leaders in passing yards: Name Passing Yards Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss 1,815 Cameron Ward, Miami (Fla.) 1,782 Josh Hoover, TCU 1,774

FBS leaders in touchdown passes:

Name TD Passes

Cameron Ward, Miami (Fla.) 18

Chandler Morris, North Texas 16

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU 15

Josh Hoover, TCU 14

Kyle McCord, Syracuse 14

Behren Morton, Texas Tech 14

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado 14

THE PICKLESS STREAK

Josh Hoover began the season with 143 pass attempts before throwing his first interception. It was the longest streak in the nation.

Dating back to his final four passes in 2023, Hoover’s 147 attempts without a pick was second-longest in TCU history (154, Jeff Ballard, 2006).

ON TARGET

Josh Hoover’s 14 consecutive completions against LIU tied a TCU single-game record set by Jeff Ballard against San Diego State in 2006.

Hoover’s 14 straight completions also tie for second overall at TCU, behind only the 16 by Casey Pachall spanning the 2011 Poinsettia Bowl win over Sonny Dykes and Louisiana Tech and the 2012 season opener versus Grambling State.

THE TD MAKER

Josh Hoover has passed for at least two touchdowns in eight consecutive games and in nine of 11 career starts. During that span, Hoover has five games with three or more touchdowns and three contests of four scoring tosses. Hoover’s four touchdown passes against UCF tied a career-high set last year against BYU in his first career start and at Oklahoma.

MR. 300

Josh Hoover has passed for at least 300 yards in three consecutive games and nine of his first 11 career starts.

THE 400 CLUB

Josh Hoover passed for 402 yards against UCF, topping the 400-mark for the third time in his first nine career starts. All three of his 400-yard efforts have been at home. Hoover just missed the 400-mark against SMU by throwing for 396 yards. With his 412 yards passing against Baylor last season, Hoover became the second Power 5 quarterback (C.J. Stroud, Ohio State) since 2019 to pass for at least 400 yards in two of his opening five starts. He was also the first from the Big 12 to accomplish the feat since 2019. In last season’s 44-11 win over BYU, Hoover became the first Power Five quarterback with 400 yards passing and four touchdowns in his first career start since Anthony Gordon for Washington State against New Mexico State in 2019.

ON PACE

Josh Hoover is on pace to break the TCU season record for completion percentage:

Name Completion Pct.

Josh Hoover, 2024 69.8 (139-of-199)

Kenny Hill, 2017 67.3 (269-of-400)

Casey Pachall, 2011 66.5 (228-of-343)

Andy Dalton, 2010 66.1 (209-of-316)

At 354.8 yards per game passing, Hoover is on target for 4,258 which would shatter the TCU season mark of 3,901 by Trevone Boykin in 2014 when he was fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. Hoover is on schedule for 34 touchdown passes which would break Boykin’s TCU record of 33 set in 2014.

HOOVER DYK

Josh Hoover is tied for third among FBS quarterbacks by throwing for first downs on 47 percent of his pass attempts on 3rd-and-10+ yards. The national average is 23 percent.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

REMEMBER ME?

After playing 40 games over four seasons at Houston, including six starts at nose tackle in 2023, Hakeem Ajijolaiya is in his first year at TCU. He has seven tackles, one for loss, in five games.

STRONG STARTS

TCU is allowing 330.6 yards per game defensively, an improvement of 77.7 over last season: Year Yards Per Game Allowed 2023 408.3 2024 330.6 TCU is on pace for its best overall defensive performance since 2012, its first year in the Big 12, when it allowed 323.9 yards per game for the season. The 330.6 yards per game is the lowest total allowed by a TCU defense through the opening five contests since 2019, when it surrendered 284.0 over the same period.

CRACKING THE LINEUP

Redshirt freshman nose tackle Markis Deal made his first career start in the Kansas game. Deal had a key pass breakup on a 3rd-and-goal from the TCU 6 late in the second quarter, forcing the Jayhawks to kick a field goal. Deal’s older brother, Devean, is an edge rusher who started in the season opener at Stanford.

HE’S BACK

After being limited to four games in 2023 due to injury, Johnny Hodges has returned to action and is second on TCU with 38 tackles. He trails Jamel Johnson (40) by two for the team lead. Hodges was the 2022 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and a Second-Team All-Big 12 selection. He started the opening three games in 2023 before being sidelined and returning to action with another start in his final contest on Nov. 2 at Texas Tech. He recorded at least one TFL in three of his four games. 4A junior from Darnestown, Md., Hodges had a team-best 87 tackles in 2022 as TCU reached the College Football Playoff National Championship. Hodges was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after a season-high 11 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, as TCU held Texas to 199 yards of offense in a 17-10 win in Austin.

THE PATH TO TCU

Johnny Hodges went to Navy to play lacrosse. When COVID hit in 2020, Hodges switched to football. After he entered the transfer portal, TCU was the only FBS program to offer him a scholarship. FCS teams also passed on him. While playing for Navy, Hodges had a career-best 14 tackles against SMU in 2021 and then Mustang Head Coach Sonny Dykes.

BREAKING OUT

While making his first career start and wearing the in-game helmet communication, boundary safety Jamel Johnson totaled a career-high 11 tackles and forced a fumble at Stanford. 4Johnson also had 11 stops versus UCF. His team-best 40 tackles in five games this season have already more than doubled his 2023 total as a true freshman.

RIGHT WHERE HE LEFT OFF

Namdi Obiazor, who led last year’s TCU team with 84 tackles and 4.0 sacks, has had a strong opening to his 2024 campaign. He has a team-best 4.0 tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks to tie Marcel Brooks and Cooper McDonald for the TCU lead. He is third with 27 stops along with his first career interception. Obiazor has started at linebacker all 17 games the last two years. He made two starts at safety during TCU’s 2022 College Football Playoff run. MR. PBU With four pass breakups to go with four solo tackles in his Horned Frogs’ debut at Stanford, cornerback JaTravis Broughton was named by the TCU coaching staff as its Defensive Player of the Game. Broughton’s four PBUs tie for second-most in a game by an FBS player this season. The four PBUs by Broughton were also the most by a Horned Frog since Jeff Gladney had four against Oklahoma State in 2018.

TEAMWORK

Twelve Horned Frogs have a tackle for loss this season with six combining for the team’s 6.0 sacks.

THE SACK MAN

The 17 yards lost on Marcel Brooks’ 1.5 sacks at Stanford rank as the ninth-most in a game in TCU history. Brooks recorded his first sacks since playing as a true freshman on LSU’s 2019 national championship team.

STEPPING UP

Free safety Richard Toney Jr., filling in for an under-the-weather Bud Clark, tied for team-high honors with seven tackles and a pass breakup against LIU in his first TCU start. An Arlington, Texas, native, Toney Jr. played for TCU Linebackers Coach Ken Wilson at Nevada, starting nine games last season.

A GOOSE EGG

The 45-0 win over LIU marked the Horned Frogs’ first shutout since 43-0 over Kansas in 2017, when Sonny Dykes was on the TCU staff as an offensive analyst. The Horned Frogs held an opponent scoreless in the first half for the first time since a 17-10 victory at Texas in 2022. The 127 yards of total offense by LIU were the fewest allowed by TCU since holding Grambling State to 80 yards in the 2012 season opener, the first game in the rebuilt Amon G. Carter Stadium and the Horned Frogs’ first contest as a member of the Big 12 Conference.

THE RETURN GAME

JP Richardson’s 89-yard punt return for a touchdown at Kansas, providing the game’s go-ahead score with 1:46 to play in the third quarter, tied for the fourth-longest punt return in TCU history:

Name Yards

Cy Leland vs. Baylor, 1929 93

KaVontae Turpin vs. Kansas, 2017 90

Jim Shofner vs. Ohio State, 1957 90

JP Richardson vs. Kansas, 2024 89

Danny Colbert vs. Oklahoma State 89

Richardson was just 1 yard shy of the longest punt return in the FBS this season:

Name Yards

Parker Kingston, BYU vs. Kansas State 90

Tiger Bachmeier, Stanford vs. Cal Poly 90

JP Richardson, TCU vs. Kansas 89

Richardson’s 16.3 season average on punt returns is second in the Big 12 and 11th nationally. Richardson had TCU’s first punt return for a touchdown since Derius Davis had two in 2022 with his final one being 82 yards against Texas Tech. 4 Richardson averaged 13.8 yards in 2023. In the LIU game, Jack Bech had an 18-yard punt return on his first collegiate attempt. He finished with two returns for 34 yards.

A PUNT RETURN SCHOOL

The following are the seven Horned Frogs with punt returns for touchdowns since 2012:

Name Season

Deante’ Gray, vs. Grambling State 2012

Cameron Echols-Luper, at Kansas 201

KaVontae Turpin, vs. Kansas 2015

KaVontae Turpin, vs. South Dakota State 2016

KaVontae Turpin, vs. Kansas 2017

Desmon White, vs. Stanford 2017

Derius Davis, vs. Southern 2018

KaVontae Turpin, at SMU 2018

Jalen Reagor, vs. Kansas 2019

Jalen Reagor, vs. West Virginia 2019

Derius Davis, at Baylor 2020

Derius Davis, at Kansas 2020

Derius Davis, at Colorado 2022

Derius Davis, vs. Texas Tech 2022

JP Richardson, at Kansas 2024

The returns by White, Davis and Turpin (2017- 18) make TCU the only FBS school in the nation since 1996 with a punt return for a touchdown by three different players in three consecutive games. Major Everhart had a 22.3-yard average on kickoff returns last year. His 29 attempts ranked third for a season in TCU history: Name Kickoff Returns Greg McCoy, 2011 32 Cory Rodgers, 2004 31 Major Everhart, 2023 29 4 Everhart had a career-long 86-yard kickoff return against Colorado last season to set up TCU’s go-ahead score with 7:00 remaining. It was the Horned Frogs’ longest kickoff return since current Los Angeles Charger Derius Davis returned the game’s opening kick 100 yards for a touchdown versus West Virginia in 2021. Everhart had a 14.0 average on two kickoff returns at Stanford. He has been sidelined the last four games. Jordyn Bailey had a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at SMU negated by a penalty. He has an 18.0-yard average on four attempts.

THE NEW GUYS

After fifth-year seniors Griffin Kell and Jordy Sandy concluded their careers at place-kicker and punter, respectively, last season, TCU debuted new specialists this fall. Kyle Lemmermann, from Southlake, Texas, was the nation’s top kicker in the 247Sports Composite. He was also rated the No. 285 recruit in the state of Texas while being selected to the All-American Bowl. He was First-Team District 4-6A, making 8-of-10 field goals as a senior with a long of 50. He also converted all 92 of his PATs. Serving as Southlake Carroll High School’s kickoff specialist, he totaled 88 touchbacks on his 128 kickoffs. Lemmermann’s 29-yard field goal with 3:02 to play against Kansas sealed the 38-27 victory at Arrowhead Stadium. Lemmermann had a season-best 48-yard field goal against LIU. He made field goals of 31 and 24 yards against UCF and connected from 22 and 42 yards at Stanford on his first two collegiate attempts. Lemmermann is 6-of-10 on field goals for the season. Ethan Craw has taken over as the punter. He went to the same Pro Kick Academy in Australia as Sandy. Craw attended Alabama-Huntsville for one year and played high school basketball in Alabama. Craw is at 42.1 yards on 12 punts and is just below the top averages in a season at TCU: Name Average Chris Becker, 1986 46.1 Ethan Perry, 2012 44.5 James Gargus, 1981 44.2 Chris Becker, 1987 44.0 Jordy Sandy, 2021 43.3 Sam Baugh, 1935 43.0* *Led the nation Craw averaged 49.7 yards on three punts against UCF. 4 Five of Craw’s 12 punts this season have gone inside the 20 with just one touchback.

THE CAPTAIN

While TCU has a new place-kicker and punter, Brent Matiscik is in his third season as the starting snapper and sixth in the program. Matiscik was voted a captain by his teammates. He is on the watch list for the Patrick Mannelly Award, presented to the nation’s top snapper. Matiscik’s older brother, Ross Matiscik, snaps for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

BLOCK THAT KICK

TCU is tied for the national lead in blocked kicks:

Team Blocked Kicks

TCU 3

Boise State 3

Eastern Michigan 3

Georgia Tech 3

Louisville 3

Purdue 3

TCU blocked three kicks against UCF, the most on record for a game in program history. Caleb Fox and LaMareon James blocked field goals, while Bud Clark got his hands on an extra-point attempt versus the Knights. The last previous school to block three kicks in a game was Oklahoma State (2 field goals, 1 PAT) in its 2023 season opener against Central Arkansas. Before OSU, it was Miami (Fla.) blocking three field goals at Clemson in 2020. TCU blocked kicks in each of its opening two games last season. Against Nicholls, a block by Trent Battle and 24-yard return by Blake Nowell gave TCU its first blocked punt for a touchdown since Antonio Graves against New Mexico in 2011. Battle had TCU’s first blocked punt since Carter Ware versus Texas Tech in 2020. In last year’s Colorado game, Namdi Obiazor recorded TCU’s first blocked field goal since Ochaun Mathis against West Virginia in 2021.

Saturday October 5, 2024

Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Arizona Wildcats

SERIES NOTEBOOK INSIDE THE ARIZONA SERIES

This will be the 34th all-time meeting between the two former Border Conference members and the first as Big 12 Conference foes. Texas Tech has historically dominated the series with the Wildcats, leading the all-time series with a 26- 5-2 advantage, which includes a 13-4-2 mark in Tucson. Texas Tech and Arizona last faced each other as nonconference opponents in 2019 with the Wildcats delivering a 28-14 victory in Tucson. It was the first meeting between the two schools since 1989 when the Red Raiders wrapped a two-game series against Arizona with a 24-14 victory in Lubbock. The return trip from Texas Tech’s 2019 trip to Tucson was postponed a year later due to schedule changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas Tech has been a league member with Arizona once previously as the two schools faced each other regularly as part of the Border Conference from 1931-59 until the Red Raiders were invited to the Southwest Conference. The Red Raiders were 18-2-1 during that span against the Wildcats, winning 15 consecutive matchups from 1937-58 at one point. n Texas Tech and Arizona met 11 times as non-conference opponents from 1971-89 with the Red Raiders going 8-2- 1 during that stretch. Texas Tech has lost its last two trips to Tucson, though, falling, 28-14, in 2019, and then 35-19 in 1988. The two schools also ended in a 17-17 tie in a 1979 meeting in Tucson, meaning Texas Tech’s last victory on the road in the series was a 32-26 win in 1977.

Texas Tech Notes

RED RAIDERS TAKE 2-0 RECORD TO TUCSON

The Red Raiders will look to build on their 2-0 start in Big 12 play on Saturday in a nationally televised game on FOX at Arizona at 10 p.m. CT. It’s Texas Tech’s first Big 12 game on the road this season after claiming its first 2-0 start to league play since 2013 by defeating Arizona State and Cincinnati at home. It will be the first meeting between Texas Tech and Arizona as Big 12 Conference members, but not near a new pairing as the two have met 33 times before, meeting regularly from 1931-59 as Border Conference foes. Tech owns the all-time series lead, 26-5-2.

BROOKS CONTINUES TO POWER OFFENSE

Tahj Brooks continues to prove why he’s one of the nation’s top running backs as the senior is coming off his fourth-consecutive 100-yard performance after finishing with 172 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the win over Cincinnati. Brooks will be playing in his 50th career game as a Red Raider on Saturday as he enters this week ranked fourth in the FBS for rushing yards per game (137.8). He needs only 59 rushing yards against the Wildcats to move into the top three in Texas Tech history, surpassing Ricky Williams for third in the process.

TURNOVER MARGIN KEY FOR RED RAIDERS

If there is one metric that represents Texas Tech’s recipe for success this season, it would be the turnover margin. The Red Raiders are plus-2 in the turnover margin for the season but are plus-5 in their four victories this season as Texas Tech has turned takeaways into 50 points thus far, including 42 in the past three weeks alone. It marks the most points off turnovers through five games since 2015 as Texas Tech is a combined 14-2 under Joey McGuire when finishing tied or leading the turnover margin.

WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN SATURDAY…

Texas Tech will be searching for its first 3-0 start to Big 12 play since 2013 and just its fifth in program history Saturday night in Tucson. The Red Raiders previously began their Big 12 schedule with three consecutive victories in 1998, 2005, 2008 and 2013, finishing with at least eight wins in each of the last three occurrences. Texas Tech has reached a bowl game after each of its previous three occurrences with 3-0 starts to Big 12 play as the Red Raiders played in the 1998 Independence Bowl, the Cotton Bowl in both 2005 and 2008 and then Holiday Bowl in 2013. A victory over Arizona pushes Texas Tech to 5-1 overall, one win shy of bowl eligibility for a fourth-straight season and the 42nd time in program history. A victory over the Wildcats would also push the Red Raiders to 5-1 on the season, marking the first time Texas Tech won five of its first six games since that same 2013 season. The start to the season was a point of emphasis for Joey McGuire entering this season as the Red Raiders hoped to improve on the 3-3 starts from each of his first two years.

RED RAIDERS IN LATE-NIGHT KICKS

• Texas Tech fans will have to stay up late for Saturday night’s kick, which is scheduled for 10 p.m. CT in Lubbock. It will be only the eighth time in program history that the Red Raiders have kicked off at 9 p.m. CT or later. Texas Tech is 3-4 all-time in those games. • The Red Raiders will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak in late-night kicks as Texas Tech went west to fall at Arizona State in 2016, to Arizona in 2019 and then earlier this season at Washington State. • This will match the latest known kick time for the Red Raiders in program history. Tech played its 2014 road game at UTEP at 10 p.m. CT, as well as in 1988, when Texas Tech and Oklahoma State kicked off at 10 p.m. CT from Tokyo, Japan.

NAIL BITTERS

• Texas Tech has gone down to the wire to secure three of its four wins this season as the Red Raiders are a perfect 3-0 in games determined by eight points or less. The Red Raiders are now 10-3 in one-possession games under Joey McGuire, a drastic improvement for a program that was only 13-20 in similar contests the seven seasons prior to his arrival. Texas Tech was 4-0 in one-possession games during McGuire’s debut season in 2022 before finishing 3-3 a year ago. • Texas Tech is an impressive 8-1 at home in one-possession games with the lone loss coming early in the 2023 season to No. 13 Oregon. The Red Raiders are 2-2 on the road with wins at Iowa State in 2022 and Kansas in 2023 and losses at both Wyoming and West Virginia a year ago.

Arizona Notes

ARIZONA NOTES & NUMBERS

• The Arizona Wildcats host the Texas Tech Red Raiders. FOX will have the broadcast with Connor Onion (Play-by-play), Mark Helfrich (Analyst), and Allison Williams (Sideline) providing the call. • This is the 34th all-time meeting between Arizona and Texas Tech and the first since 2019. Arizona trails the all-time series 5-26-2 dating back to 1932. The Wildcats won the last matchup 28-14 on Sept. 14. 2019 in Tucson. • Texas Tech enters tonight’s matchup with a 4-1 record and have won three in a row since dropping its second game of the season 37-16 at Washington State. • Arizona and Texas Tech were once members of the Border Conference that began in 1931 and existed until 1962. The conference was comprised of teams from Texas to as far was as Arizona. Member schools included Arizona, ASU, Hardin-Simmons, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Texas Tech, UTEP, and West Texas A&M. • Arizona defeated No. 10 Utah 23-10 last Saturday, marking the first win over an AP Top 25 opponent for Head Coach Brent Brennan. It was the first loss for Utah to an unranked team at home since falling 21-7 to Washington on Sept. 15, 2018. • Last week’s win was the Wildcats first road win at Utah since 2014. Arizona has won back-to-back games over Utah for the first time since rattling off four straight victories from 2012-14. • In the season-opening win over New Mexico, Tetairoa McMillan became the first player in FBS history to have a game with 10-plus receptions, 300-plus receiving yards, 30.0-plus yards per reception, and 4-plus receiving TD.

RENEWING AN OLD RIVALRY:

The Arizona Wildcats (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) host the Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-1, 2-0 Big 12). FOX will have the broadcast with Connor Onion (Play-by-play), Mark Helfrich (Analyst), and Allison Williams (Sideline)providing the commentary. This is the 34th all-time meeting between Arizona and Texas Tech and the first since 2019. Arizona trails the all-time series 5-26-2 dating back to 1932. The Wildcats won the last matchup 28-14 on Sept. 14. 2019 in Tucson. In the 2019 win, Khalil Tate accounted for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Gary Brightwell capped a late 99-yard drive with his second touchdown run and Arizona grinded out a 28-14 win over Texas Tech. Tate led the Wildcats with 185 yards passing and 145 yards rushing, accounting for two touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground in the 2019 win. Texas Tech enters tonight’s matchup with a 4-1 record and have won three in a row since dropping its second game of the season 37-16 at Washington State. Arizona and Texas Tech were once members of the Border Conference that began in 1931 and existed until 1962. The conference was comprised of teams from Texas to as far was as Arizona. Member schools included Arizona, Arizona State, Hardin-Simmons, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Texas Tech, UTEP, and West Texas A&M.

West Virginia Mountaineers vs Oklahoma State Cowboys

THE SERIES

All-Time Series ………………………….OSU leads 10-5

In Stillwater………………………………..OSU leads 4-3

In Morgantown…………………………..OSU leads 5-2

At Neutral Site ……………………………OSU leads 1-0

First Meeting………………………1928, WVU 32-6 (H)

Last Meeting…………………….. 2023, OSU 48-34 (H)

Brown vs. OSU …………………………………………..1-4

Brown vs. Gundy ………………………………………..1-4

Gundy vs. WVU ………………………………………….9-3

SERIES HISTORY WITH OKLAHOMA STATE

• The series between West Virginia and Oklahoma State started in 1928 with a 32-6 WVU win in Morgantown. • The last meeting took place in 2023 in Morgan- town, with the Cowboys winning, 48-34. • The last meeting in Stillwater closed the 2022 season. The Mountaineers won, 24-19, to break the Cowboys’ 14-game home winning streak and stopped a seven-game OSU winning streak over WVU. • The Cowboys lead the series, 10-5, and lead the series in Stillwater, 4-3.

West Virginia Notes

NOTING THE MOUNTAINEERS

• The 2024 season marks West Virginia’s 132nd season of football. The Mountaineers are the 15th winningest program in college football • The 2024 year marks the 45th season of competition for West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU has a 199-77-4 (.718) all-time mark at the facility, which opened in 1980 • WVU is 7-10-1 in games played on Oct. 5, including 3-3 on the road. The last time WVU played on that date was in 2019 against Texas (L 42-31) and the last time on the road was in 2013 (L 73-42) at Baylor • Since 2002, the Mountaineers are 100-15 when winning the turnover battle • Overall, the Mountaineers are 29-9 in the Neal Brown era when rushing for at least 100 yards • West Virginia has surpassed at least 140 rushing yards in 19 of the last 20 games, dating back to 2022 • West Virginia is tied for No. 1 nationally in fourth-down conversions (10) • The Mountaineers are ranked No. 8 nationally for highest fourth-down conversion percentage (.833). • WVU is ranked No. 4 nationally in fewest penalties (16) and No. 5 for fewest penalties per game (4.0) • The Mountaineer offense is producing 13.85 yards per passing completion, ranking No. 25 nationally • WVU is ranked No. 37 nationally for most tackles for loss per game (6.8) • West Virginia is ranked No. 44 nationally for most sacks per game (2.25) • The Mountaineers have held their opponents to 14.29 yards per kickoff return, ranking No. 16 nationally • WVU quarterback Garrett Greene is ranked No. 19 nationally in passing yards per completion (14.3) • Greene is ranked No. 34 nationally in total offense, averaging 277.8 yards per game • Greene also is ranked No. 47 nationally in yards per pass attempt (8.13) • Greene is ranked No. 49 nationally in passing yards per game (225.5) • Greene is ranked No. 8 in the Big 12 for average passing yards per game (225.5). • Greene is tied for No. 9 in WVU football history with 24 career rushing touchdowns • Greene is the fourth WVU quarterback in school history to throw for at least 3,500 yards and rush for at least 1,500 yards for his career • Running back CJ Donaldson Jr. is ranked No. 8 in the Big 12 for rushing yards per carry (5.57) and No. 9 in rushing yards per game (71.0) • WVU defensive lineman TJ Jackson is ranked No. 1 nationally in tackles for loss (2.1) • Jackson is ranked No. 16 nationally in sacks per game (0.88) • WVU linebacker Trey Lathan is ranked No. 29 nationally in tackles for loss (1.4) • Jackson and Spur Tyrin Bradley are ranked No. 12 nationally in fumbles recovered (1) • Kicker Michael Hayes II is tied for No. 1 nationally for field goal percentage (1.000).

ON TURF

• Since 1980, West Virginia is 274-129-5 in games played on artificial turf surfaces. • WVU was 57-29 on turf in the 1990s, 66-21 on turf in the 2000s, 61-40 during the 2010s and 25-16 during the 2020s on turf.

AGAINST THE BIG 12

• West Virginia is 75-47-1 all-time against current members of the Big 12 Conference. WVU is 1-1 against Arizona State; 8-4 vs. Baylor; 2-0 against BYU; 17-3-1 vs. Cincinnati; 1-1 vs. Colorado; 0-1 against Houston; 6-5 against Iowa State; 11-2 vs. Kansas; 6-7 against Kansas State; 5-10 against Oklahoma State; 8-5 vs. TCU; 07-6 vs. Texas Tech, 3-0 against UCF and 0-2 vs. Utah. • The Mountaineers will face Arizona for the first time in 2024.

ON GRASS

• Since 1980, West Virginia is 59-73 in games played on natural grass. The Mountaineers were 20-20 during the 2010 decade are 6-7 during the 2020s and are 46-46 since 2000.

AGAINST RANKED TEAMS

• Beginning with a 27-0 loss to Fordham on Oct. 18, 1941, West Virginia has played 172 games against nationally ranked teams. Of those, 51 have been Mountaineer victories. • Since 1999, WVU has posted 27 victories over ranked teams. Penn State was ranked No. 8/9 in the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches Polls when facing the Mountaineers in Morgantown in 2024.

AVERAGE PER DOWN

• Here’s a breakdown of how the 2024 West Virginia offense is operating on first, second, third and fourth down: • On first down, the Mountaineers have run 125 plays and have gained 864 yards for a 6.9 average. On second down, the Mountaineers have run 79 plays for 462 yards and a 5.8 average. On third down, the Mountaineers have run 46 plays for 257 yards and a 5.6 average gain. West Virginia has run 12 plays on fourth down for 57 yards and a 4.7 average. • WVU’s touchdowns have come six times on first down (4 rush/2 pass), six times on second down (4 rush/2 pass), three times on third down (0 rush/3 pass) and one time on fourth down (1 rush/0 pass).

OFFENSIVE ANALYSIS

• Breaking down the West Virginia offensive numbers for the 2024 season shows that the Mountaineers have run 262 plays, 147 on the ground and 115 through the air. • The rushing game has totaled 726 yards, an average of 4.9 yards per carry and nine touchdowns. The passing attack has totaled 914 yards, 7 touchdowns and an average of 13.8 yards per completion. • Combine the two and the Mountaineers have turned in 1,640 yards of total offense, 16 touchdowns, an average of 6.3 yards per play and an average of 31.8 points per game. • Deeper analysis shows that the Mountaineer offense has gained 43 first downs by the run and 41 via the pass. On average, West Virginia has totaled 181.5 yards per game on the ground, 228.5 yards per game passing and 410.0 yards per game of total offense.

TAKEAWAYS

• Over the last 10 years, West Virginia has produced 169 takeaways, tied for No. 41 among Power 4 schools. • Clemson has the most during the 10-year period with 228 while Alabama has 214 and Iowa has 212.

FOR STARTERS

• In 2024, 42 Mountaineer players finished with at least one game of starting experience. • Tops on the list are Anthony Wilson Jr. (53), Brandon Yates (38) and Wyatt Milum (36).

NIGHT GAMES

• West Virginia is 90-77-3 all-time in games played after 5 p.m., including 45-49-1 on the road, 37-17-2 at home and 8-11 at a neutral site. • The first night game in WVU history was played at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh on Sept. 19, 1930, between WVU and Duquesne (W/7- 0).

WEST VIRGINIA OFFENSE

• This season’s offensive roster includes 19 true freshmen, seven redshirt freshmen, three sophomores, 10 redshirt sophomores, one junior, nine redshirt juniors, four seniors and three redshirt seniors • The 2024 offensive personnel includes seven quarterbacks, nine running backs, one fullback, 14 wide receivers, six tight ends and 19 offensive linemen • The Mountaineer offense has scored at least 30 points in 10 of the last 12 games, dating back to Oct. 12, 2023 • Quarterback Garrett Greene posted his 10th career 200-yard passing game against Kansas • Greene’s 295 passing yards against KU were his most since he threw for 391 yards on Oct. 12, 2023 at Houston • Greene led the team with 87 rushing yards on 17 carries against the Jayhawks • Greene’s rushing total was his highest since he rushed for 103 yards on 14 carries against Baylor • Greene’s 17 carries were his most in a game in his career • Last season against Oklahoma State, Greene finished with his third highest career rushing total (117 yards) • Wide receiver Rodney Gallagher III caught the game-winning touchdown against Kansas, marking his first career touchdown reception • Against the Jayhawks, wide receiver Hudson Clement finished with 150 receiving yards on seven receptions • Clement became WVU’s first 150-yard receiver since he had 177 yards against Duquesne on Sept. 9, 2023 • Running back CJ Donaldson Jr. is ranked No. 9 in the Big 12 Conference averaging 71 rushing yards per game • West Virginia is the only team in the Big 12 with three players ranked in the top 16 in rushing (Donaldson Jr., Greene and Jahiem White) • Clement is ranked No. 18 in the conference in receiving yards per game, averaging 57.8 • Clement leads the team this season with 14 receptions for 231 yards • Wide receiver Justin Robinson is tied for a teamhigh two receiving touchdowns • Robinson has caught three passes for 58 yards this season • WVU has reached 100 yards on the ground 38 times under Neal Brown • Overall, the Mountaineers are 29-9 in the Brown era when rushing for at least 100 yards • West Virginia has surpased at least 140 rushing yards in 19 of the last 20 games, dating back to 2022 • West Virginia has scored at least one rushing touchdown in 38 of its last 42 games • Since 2012, WVU has thrown for 300 or more yards 52 times, 350 or more 31 times, 400 or more 10 times and 500 or more four times • The Mountaineers have thrown for 300 or more yards 12 times under Brown • West Virginia is 36-17 when passing for 300 or more yards since 2012 • West Virginia also has produced 29 games with 400 or more yards of total offense under Brown • WVU has gained at least 500 yards of total offense 13 times under Brown, most recently on Sept. 7, 2024, against UAlbany • West Virginia is ranked No. 8 in FBS in fourth down conversion rate at 83.3% • WVU is ranked No. 4 in FBS with only 16 penalties this season • The Mountaineers are tied for No. 5 in the country in penalties per game with four • West Virginia is ranked No. 8 in the country with only 34 penalty yards per game • Greene is tied for No. 9 in WVU football history with 24 career rushing touchdowns • Greene has thrown for 200 or more yards in nine of the last 12 games • Greene is the fourth WVU quarterback in school history to throw for at least 3,500 yards and rush for at least 1,500 yards for his career • At Pitt, Greene became the 12th player in WVU history to account for more than 5,000 yards

WEST VIRGINIA DEFENSE

• This season’s defensive roster includes 20 true freshmen, nine redshirt freshmen, two sophomores, nine redshirt sophomores, one junior, eight redshirt juniors, 10 seniors and two redshirt seniors • This season’s defensive personnel includes 11 cornerbacks, one defensive back, 21 defensive linemen, 12 linebackers, 10 safeties, three spears and three spurs • Defensive lineman TJ Jackson II is No. 16 in FBS in sacks with 3.5 this season • Jackson is ranked No. 2 in the conference in total sacks • Jackson is tied for No. 4 in the country in tackles for loss with 8.5 • Jackson also leads the Big 12 in tackles for loss • Linebacker Trey Lathan is ranked No. 4 in the conference with 5.5 tackles for loss • West Virginia is one of two teams in the conference with at least two players ranked in the top 10 for tackles for loss • Jackson and Spur Tyrin Bradley Jr. are tied for No. 12 in FBS in fumble recoveries with one • Safety Anthony Wilson Jr. and linebacker Josiah Trotter are tied for No. 15, respectively, in total tackles per game in the Big 12 • The West Virginia defense has held 13 of its last 16 opponents to fewer than 300 yards passing • WVU has recorded at least four tackles for loss in 23 out of the last 25 games • WVU’s defense also has recorded multiple sacks in a game in eight of the last nine games • In 64 games under Neal Brown, the Mountaineers have recorded at least one sack 57 times • Through four games, the WVU defense has recorded nine sacks • The Mountaineers have recorded 27 tackles for loss this season • West Virginia is ranked No. 7 in the Big 12 in sacks. • Under Brown, the Mountaineers also have held their opponents to fewer than 300 yards of total offense 16 times • West Virginia has held its opponents to fewer than 300 yards passing in 49 of its last 61 games • West Virginia is ranked No. 37 in FBS in tackles for loss, averaging 6.8 per game • Since 2019, WVU has held opposing teams to fewer than 250 yards passing 39 times, fewer than 200 yards 23 times and fewer than 150 yards 11 times • WVU is 100-15 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle

WEST VIRGINIA SPECIAL TEAMS

• This season’s special teams roster includes two true freshmen, two redshirt freshmen, two redshirt sophomores, one junior, one redshirt junior, one senior and two redshirt seniors • This season’s special teams personnel includes four kickers, three long snappers, three punters and one punter/long snapper • Kicker Michael Hayes II finished 1-for-1 on field goals against Kansas • For his career, Hayes is 105-for-106 on PATs • For the year, Hayes is 5-for-5 on field goal attempts • Hayes is tied for No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference with a 100% conversion rate on field goals this season • Against Kansas, Straw’s longest punt went 41 yards, and had two punts inside the 20-yard line. • Punter Oliver Straw punted the ball four times for 154 yards, against Kansas, averaging 38.5 yards per punt • So far this season, Straw has punted 12 times for 511 yards, averaging 42.58 yards per punt • For the year, Straw has pinned six punts inside the 20-yard line • West Virginia is ranked No. 17 in FBS in kick return defense, allowing 14.29 yards per return • Wide receiver Traylon Ray is ranked No. 10 in the Big 12 in kick returns, averaging 17.7 yards per return • Wide receiver Preston Fox is ranked No. 10 in the conference in punt returns, averaging 8.0 yards per return. Fox is ranked ninth in the conference in punt returns and is ranked eighth in kick returns.

Oklahoma State Notes

The Basics

The Oklahoma State football team (3-2 overall; 0-2 Big 12) returns home this week to face West Virginia (2-2 overall; 1-0 Big 12) in the Cowboys’ final game before their first open week of the season. Kickoff at Boone Pickens Stadium is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

On the Air

The game will be televised on ESPN2 with Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison and Dawn Davenport on the call. It will also be carried live on the Cowboy Radio Network, with Dave Hunziker handling play-byplay, John Holcomb providing analysis and Robert Allen reporting from the sideline. Fans outside of the Cowboy Radio Network can listen to the OSU broadcast for free through The Varsity Network app.

Every Home Game Sold Out in 2024

For the first time in program history, Oklahoma State sold every ticket for every home football game prior to the start of the season. It also marks the second consecutive season sellout for Cowboy football, though last year’s sellouts were not completed prior to the season opener. It continues a trend of Oklahoma State producing one of the best home-field advantages in college football. The Cowboys are 25-4 at home since the beginning of the 2020 season, a top-five home wins total in the FBS during that period. OSU is among the top 10 teams in the FBS in wins since 2010 with 133 and has eight 10-win seasons during that time frame, good for eighth-most in the FBS. The Cowboys have several other accolades in the past 14 years, including an outright Big 12 title, a share of the Big 12 South title and appearances in the Big 12 Championship game in 2021 and 2023. Oklahoma State is also one of only three teams in the FBS to post a winning season every year from 2006-23. Fans still looking to be part of the action can visit SeatGeek – the official partner of OSU Athletics – to purchase for verified resell tickets. Fans can also visit www.okstate.com/tickets to join the wait list for football season tickets.

In the Rankings

The Oklahoma State football team is not ranked this week, but is receiving votes in both the Associated Press poll and the US LBM Coaches Poll. Including the 2024 season, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 15 of the past 17 seasons and has reached the top 10 in 11 of those 17 years. OSU has been ranked in the top 25 in every season since 2008. Although the first College Football Playoff rankings won’t be released until November 5, it’s worth noting that OSU has been part of the CFP rankings in eight of the past nine seasons entering 2024. The Cowboys have also been included in 43 of the 60 all-time CFP Rankings, which is tied for the eighth-most appearances in the country. West Virginia is not ranked.

The Series

Saturday’s game marks the 16th meeting between Oklahoma State and West Virginia in a series that began in 1928. The 2024 season also marks the 13th consecutive year the teams have met. The Cowboys own a 10-5 all-time series advantage, including a 4-3 edge in Stillwater. OSU has won eight of the past nine against the Mountaineers and has won three of the past four games played in Stillwater. Mike Gundy is 9-3 in his career against West Virginia, while WVU’s Neal Brown is 1-4 against OSU.

Oklahoma State from a Distance

Oklahoma State is 3-2 after dropping games against AP Top 25 teams in each of its past two outings. The Cowboys return home this week after a road setback at Kansas State and look to get back in the win column before the first of two bye weeks this season. The biggest standout of the season so far has been safety Trey Rucker, who is second in the FBS and leads all Power Conference players in both total tackles (63) and solo tackles (35) and is 10th among Power Conference players with two interceptions. Preseason All-America linebacker Nick Martin ranks fifth among Power Conference players with 7.5 tackles for loss this season and his 47 total tackles are also fifth in that group. They lead an OSU defense that ranks among the top quarter of the Big 12 in turnovers gained, passes intercepted, red zone defense, fumbles recovered, tackles for loss and third down defense. The turnovers gained, interception and red zone numbers also rank among the top 25 in the FBS. On offense, Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 in both fewest sacks allowed and fewest tackles for loss allowed. The Cowboys also rank No. 11 in the FBS in passing offense with an average of 320.6 passing yards per game. OSU is also one of just 10 teams in the FBS with one or fewer fumbles this year. Individually, wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling has been the biggest standout of late, as he notched 157 receiving yards at Kansas State to become the Cowboy to have multiple 150+ receiving yards games in the team’s first five contests since Justin Blackmon during the 2010 season. He is among the top 10 FBS players in receiving yards with 502 in 2024. Wide receiver Brennan Presley paces the roster in receptions with 33 and touchdowns with five total, while quarterback Alan Bowman surpassed 10,000 career passing yards in his last outing and now ranks No. 7 in the FBS with 1,537 passing yards this year. Preseason All-America center Joe Michalski has maintained his role as the anchor of the offensive line, as his PFF Pass Blocking Efficiency is the second-best among Power Conference players with at least 250 snaps this season. Running back Ollie Gordon II had an explosive first quarter last week with 85 yards on 10 touches and looked much like he did last season when he won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back. On special teams, the Cowboys rank No. 17 in the FBS in net punting, and punter Wes Pahl would lead the nation in yards per punt if he had enough punts to qualify for the NCAA rankings.

Continued Success

• Entering 2024, Oklahoma State has made 18th consecutive bowl appearances and secured 18 consecutive winning seasons, both school-record streaks. OSU’s bowl streak is the sixth-longest active streak in the FBS, and the is longest active streak for any school with the same head coach. • Mike Gundy has coached the Cowboys to five New Year’s Six bowl games since the 2009 season. The Pokes appeared in the 2010 Cotton Bowl, the 2012 Fiesta Bowl, the 2014 Cotton Bowl, the 2016 Sugar Bowl and the 2022 Fiesta Bowl. • Since 2010, Oklahoma State has eight seasons with at least 10 wins, an outright Big 12 title (2011), a share of the Big 12 South title (2010) and two more appearances in the conference championship game. OSU reached the top 10 of the Associated Press poll in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022. • Oklahoma State is one of only four teams to post a winning season every year since 2010, joining Alabama, Boise State and Wisconsin. It is one of only two Power Five teams with winning seasons each of the past 18 years, joined by Wisconsin. • Including 2024, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 15 of the past 17 seasons and reached the top 10 in 11 of those 17 years. • Entering 2024, OSU has finished in the top three of the Big 12 in four of the past five seasons and has finished in the top three 10 times in the 13 seasons since the conference moved away from divisions.

An Oklahoma State Win Would …

• Give it wins in 13 of its past 18 and in 26 of its past 34 games following a loss. • Make it 26-4 at Boone Pickens Stadium since 2020, ranking among the top five teams in the FBS in home wins during that time. • Make it 98-24 in its past 122 games vs. opponents outside of the AP Top 25, dating to 2010. • Make it 4-2 or better for a 17th consecutive season and for the 18th time in Mike Gundy’s 20 seasons as head coach. • Give it wins in 12 of its past 16 games. • Improve Mike Gundy’s record in October games to 51-21. • Improve Mike Gundy’s record in Big 12 games to 103-65 and move him to one game away from tying Bill Snyder for the second-most Big 12 wins in conference history. • Improve its all-time record vs. West Virginia to 11-5 and its record vs. WVU in Stillwater to 5-3. • Give it wins in nine of its past 10 games against West Virginia and four of the past five games against WVU in Stillwater. • Improve Mike Gundy’s record against West Virginia to 10-3. • Make it 35-14 in its past 49 games overall, dating back to the 2020 season.

Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Game

• Brennan Presley has a receiving touchdown in four of his past five games. • Brennan Presley has multiple catches in 35 straight games, the second longest active streak in the FBS. • Trey Rucker has recorded at least 10 tackles in four of five games this season. • Oklahoma State is 4-for-4 on two-point conversion attempts this season and the four successful two-point conversions are more than any other team in the FBS. • Ollie Gordon II has rushed for more than 100 yards in 10 of the past 16 games. • OSU and Georgia Tech are the only Power Conference teams who have allowed fewer than two sacks in 2024. • OSU’s offensive line has not allowed a sack in 10 of its past 15 games. • OSU is 13-1 in the past 14 games when winning or tying the turnover battle. • OSU has held 35 of its past 45 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average entering the game. • OSU has won 86 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003 – the longest active stretch of time in the FBS, the longest since at least 1980 and likely the longest in college football history. Including games when opponents have scored 20 points or fewer, the streak begins at the same date and includes 94 games. • OSU has held its opponent scoreless on its game-opening drive in 44 of its past 63 games. • OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50% third down conversion rate in 51 of its past 57 games. • OSU is 40-17 in its past 57 games decided by fewer than 10 points. • OSU is 51-8 in its past 59 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016. • Dating back to 2005, OSU is 49-4 when not committing a turnover. • Dating back to 2008, OSU is 82-9 when winning the turnover battle. • OSU has won five of its past seven overtime games. • Over the past 54 games, OSU has held opponents to 267-for-847 (31.5%) on third down.

Baylor Bear vs Iowa State Cyclones

SERIES HISTORY

• Baylor leads the all-time series with Iowa State, 12-10, with the Bears owning a 7-4 lead in the series in Waco and ISU owning a 6-5 lead in the series in games played in Ames. • Iowa State’s win in 2023 in Waco snapped a two-game BU win streak in the series. In the last meeting in Ames, the Bears posted a 31-24 win in 2022. Baylor has won seven of the last 11 meetings in the series

Baylor Notes

STORY LINES

• Baylor hits the road to face off with No. 16/16 Iowa State in Ames on Saturday. • The Bears are coming off a home loss vs. No. 22/22 BYU, falling behind 21-0 in the opening minutes of the game as the Cougars moved to 5-0. BU rallied, holding the Cougarss to three points in the second half but its game-tying drive fell short as a clinching interception was thrown with just over a minute left. • The Bears are in the fifth year under Coach Dave Aranda, who in 2021 led the Bears to the best season in school history with a 12-2 record, a Big 12 Championship and the 2022 Sugar Bowl. Aranda directed the Bears to the Armed Force Bowl in 2022 and after a 3-9 season in 2023, has taken over defensive play calling duties. • Aranda taking over defensive play calling is his first time directing a defense since he established himself as one of the top defensive minds in football as the defensive coordinator at LSU, Wisconsin and Delta State. He is also directing the inside linebackers. • Baylor’s rugged start to the schedule – including Saturday at Iowa State – that has featured three ranked opponents that have combined to go 22-6, including a 6-1 mark in Big 12 play. Including the matchup at Texas Tech next week, BU will face teams that have combined to go 26-7, and 8-1 in Big 12 play in its first seven weeks of the 2024 season. • Palmer Williams had the best game in program history for a punter, booting it six times at Utah – all over 50 yards – for a 62.7-yard average, including longs of 79 and 76 yards. He leads the nation with a 57.9-yard average. • The Bears have added several key members to its coaching staff, including new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, associate head coach/running backs coach Khenon Hall, tight ends coach Jarrett Anderson, defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield, inside linebackers coach Jamar Chaney and offensive line coach Mason Miller. • Since 2011, combined with football, and men’s and women’s basketball, Baylor leads the nation in wins, owning 46 more wins than the next closest program (UConn). • In the secondary in 2023, Baylor returns Caden Jenkins, who was named a second-team Freshman All-America cornerback in 2023 by The Athletic. Jenkins ranked second in the nation in freshman interceptions a year ago. He and safety Carl Williams IV both finished their 2023 seasons ranked among the nation’s top freshman corners by PFF.

SCOUTING THE CYCLONES

• Iowa State rolls into the matchup with the Bears red hot and boasting one of the nation’s best defensive units. ISU ranks No. 2 in passing defense, No. 10 in interceptions, No. 8 in first-down defense, No. 4 in scoring defense, No. 1 in team passing efficiency defense and No. 11 in total defense nationally. Offensively, ISU is allowing the 12th fewest sacks in college football. • Overall, ISU is scoring 28.3 points and allowing 7.3 points per game, Offensively, ISU is going for 399.3 yards per game, including 236.3 passing and 163 rushing, while allowing only 255.3 yards per game, 102.5 in the air and 152.8 rushing. Rocoo Becht has thrown for 896 yards on 66.4 percent completions with just two interceptions and seven TDs. Abu Sama has rushed 40 times for 225 yards and two scores. ISU boasts two of the best receivers in college football, with Jayden Higgins leading the team with 25 catches for 287 yards and four TDs, and Jaylin Noel owning 19 catches for 353 yards and two scores. One of the nation’s best tight ends is sophomore Ben Brahmer, who has five catches for 96 yards. • The Clones are off to a 4-0 start to the season, with wins over North Dakota, at No. 21 Iowa and vs. Arkansas State, opening league play on Saturday at Houston with a dominating 20-0 defensive performance. • Iowa State is coached by Matt Campbell, who is in his ninth year in Ames after a strong run at Toledo. Campbell set the all-time ISU wins mark with the win last weekend at Houston. He has led the Clones to winning seasons in six of eight campaigns and is coming off a7-6 season that saw ISU go 6-3 in the league and advance to the Liberty Bowl. Iowa State went 9-3 in 2020 including an 8-1 mark in league play and won the Fiesta Bowl. • Campbell’s coordinators include DC Jon Heacock, a former head coach at Youngstown State, who also coached at YSU, Indiana, Kent State and Toledo. Offensive Coordinator Taylor Mouser also coaches TEs and is in his first year in the role. Tyler Roehl is the assistant head coach and coaches RBs. • Jamie Pollard is the AD and is in his 20th year leading the program, making him the fourth-longest serving power-five AD in the nation. Pollard is in his final year on the NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Committee in 2023-24 and is a two-time Sports Business Journal AD of the Year finalist. He had a hall of fame athletic career at Wisconsin-Oshkosh as a cross country and track letterwinner, earning XC All-America honors in 1986, winning the D3 Outdoor 5,000-meter title with a school record.

LAST MEETING

• The Bears had a four-game winning streak on Homecoming snapped with a 30-18 win in 2023 vs. Iowa State at McLane. • Baylor fell behind 27-6 midway through the third quarter but couldn’t complete a comeback bid. • QB Blake Shapen threw for 239 yards and connected with Monaray Baldwin for 117 yards and a score. Freshman Dawson Pendergrass had 37 yards rushing and two TDs, adding 39 yards receiving on three catches.

FACING CLONES IN 2021, 2022

• In the meeting in 2021 in Waco, the Bears posted a 31-29 win over No. 14 Iowa State. • The win came despite Iowa State owning a 479-282 edge in total offense, a 216-123 margin in rushing yards and committing 85 fewer yards in penalties. • It was Baylor’s fourth-consecutive win to open the season and foreshadowed a historic run to the Big 12 Championship and the 2022 Sugar Bowl. • Baylor took a 21-13 lead at the half after scoring TDs on its first three series of the game. After the Cyclones narrowed the margin to 21-16 with a field goal midway through the third quarter, Trestan Ebner returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. • Gerry Bohanon threw for 159 yards and two TDs and rushed for a score, with Abram Smith owning 47 yards on 10 carries. Tyquan Thornton and Ben Sims each had TD grabs and Dillon Doyle led a defense with nine tackles and two for a loss. • Iowa State’s Brock Purdy threw for 263 yards and a TD, with Breece Hall going for 190 yards and two TDs on 27 carries. • Baylor rolled to a 31-24 win over Iowa State in Ames to open league play in 2022, owning a 31-14 lead in the fourth quarter and using an efficient offensive attack to secure the win. • The Bears got 238 yards and three TDs passing from Blake Shapen, and 78 yards and a rushing TD from freshman Richard Reese to pull away from the Cyclones and earn the first Baylor win in Ames since 2016. • The Baylor defense forced two interceptions and held ISU to just 66 yards rushing, totaling four sacks, including two from linebacker Bryson Jackson. • Shapen found Ben Sims, Dillon Doyle and Gavin Holmes for TD strikes, with Holmes going for three catches and 92 yards. His 38-yard scoring grab pushed Baylor’s lead to 31-14 with 9:37 left in the fourth quarter. The Cyclones cut the lead to 10 with a 75-play drive and added a field goal to set up an impactful on-side kick attempt in the closing seconds, which was grabbed by BU linebacker Matt Jones to clinch the win.

Iowa State Notes

THE LEAD

No. 16 Iowa State puts its unbeaten record on the line Saturday under the lights at Jack Trice Stadium. The game has been dubbed a “White Out.” The Cyclones look to improve to 5-0 overall for the first time since 1980 and just the fifth time ever. ISU’s last 2-0 start in conference play came in 2020.

KEY STORYLINES

• Iowa State enters October after posting its first perfect September since 2011 … Matt Campbell is 19-11 in October, including a 3-0 mark in 2023. • Last weekend, Campbell became ISU’s winningest football coach when he picked up his 57th win at the school, surpassing Dan McCarney’s previous mark … he is in his ninth season leading the program, the third-longest tenured coach in ISU history and tied for the third-longest active tenure in the Big 12 Conference … in school history, only McCarney (1995-2006) and Clay Stapleton (1958-67) had longer tenures. • The Cyclones stayed perfect this season with a 20-0 shutout win against Houston last Saturday … it was ISU’s first conference road shutout since 1971. • Iowa State’s defense, under the direction of Jon Heacock, leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally allowing just 7.3 points per game … its passing defense has been stout, yielding just 102.5 yards per game and leading the nation in pass efficiency defense (73.20) … overall, ISU is allowing just 255.3 yards of total offense, 11th nationally and tops in the Big 12 … ISU has yet to allow an opponent to pass for more than 125 yards this season, one of just two schools that can claim that feat (Minnesota). • The Cyclone defense has a +7 turnover margin, which ranks fifth nationally and leads the Big 12 … five different Cyclones have combined for seven interceptions to rank among the nation’s top 10 … since the start of the 2023 season, ISU has 23 interceptions in 17 games. • DB Jeremiah Cooper has an INT in back-to-back games and seven picks in his career. • ISU’s last two opponents have not run a play in the red zone and have reached it just five times in four games. • Rocco Becht has a TD pass in eight-straight games after connecting with Jayden Higgins at Houston … he saw his streak of games with two TD passes come to an end at seven-consecutive games on Saturday … Becht surpassed 4,000 career passing yards, the 10th player in school history to reach the mark. • Becht’s favorite tandem has made it clear they are one of the nation’s best duos … Higgins extended his streak with a touchdown reception to six-straight games, breaking the school record and the nation’s active leader … Jaylin Noel has two 100-yard games this season and a pair of scores.

Central Florida Knights vs Florida Gators

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: Florida leads, 2-1

Last Meeting: UCF 29, Florida 17 (Dec. 23, 2021 – Tampa, Fla.)

Recent History: UCF, W1

In Gainesville: Florida leads, 2-0

In Orlando: N/A

In Tampa: UCF leads, 1-0

Central Florida Notes

Florida Notes

THE STORYLINE

• Week 6 marks the fourth all-time meeting between Florida and UCF, including the third in Gainesville. • Florida is 2-0 vs. the Knights in Gainesville with its lone loss in the series (2-1) coming in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl. • UCF defeated Florida, 29-17, in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. • The all-time series dates back to 1999 in Gainesville, with the Gators posting wins in 1999 (58-27) and 2006 (42-0). • In two previous games vs. UCF in Gainesville, the Gators have outscored the Knights by a combined score of 100-27. • The Gators totaled 500-plus yards and 350-plus passing yards in each of the previous-two home meetings with UCF. • Across the previous-two home meetings, UF outgained UCF, 1,138 yards to 600 yards (+538, +269 YPG). • Florida and UCF are also scheduled to play on Sept. 14, 2030 in Orlando and Sept. 3, 2033 in Gainesville. • This is the first meeting between UF HC Billy Napier and UCF HC Gus Malzahn as head coaches. • Napier and Malzahn have coached on opposing sidelines six times with Napier 4-2 (more on Page 9’s ‘Crossing Paths’). • In Week 4 at Mississippi State (W, 45-28), Florida’s two-QB tandem of Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway finished a combined 26-of-28 (92.8%, UF single-game record) for 277 yards, connecting with 10-different receivers. • Florida’s 17-point win tied for the team’s largest road victory vs. a Power 5 opponent under Napier (2022 at TAMU). • The win tied for the third-largest margin of victory by the Gators over a P5 opponent in the Napier era. • Mertz and Lagway are one of four FBS QB duos with 450-plus passing yards apiece (Texas, W. Kentucky, NC State). • Led by first-year senior analyst Joe Houston, Florida ranks third in the FBS in net punting (45.54), t-10th in punt return defense (0.50), t-17th in kick return average (24.67) and 20th in punt return average (16.67). • Florida enters Week 6 ranking 18th in the FBS in passer rating (168.4) and 30th in passing offense (278.5). • C Jake Slaughter grades No. 1 in the FBS in pass blocking (90.3) and No. 7 overall (78.3) out of 281 FBS centers. • He pairs with Week 4’s SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week in T Austin Barber, who became UF’s first OL to score a TD in 300 games in the win at Mississippi State, as well as one of two FBS OL to score this season (more on Page 4). • Florida owns the No. 1 strength of schedule in the country, featuring eight Preseason AP Top-20 opponents. • Dating back to the 2018 season, Napier ranks 15th in the FBS with 53 total victories. He has more wins than Mario Cristobal (52), Mike Norvell (51), Sonny Dykes (50) and Mark Stoops (50) in that time, among others. • The Gators have won 14 of their last 20 games in The Swamp (including nine of 14), but are 3-16 in their last 19 contests outside The Swamp and 3-12 in their last 15 true road games. • Florida boasts a 360-117-13 (.748) all-time record at The Swamp, holding the third-highest home winning percent- age in the nation since 1990 with a 179-38 (.825) record. » The Gators have outscored their opponents, 8,099 to 3,557 in 217 games inside The Swamp since 1990, putting the average outcome at 37.3 to 16.4 (20.9 points). • Florida has scored in 452-consecutive games dating back to 1988 – an NCAA record and 53 games longer than any other college football team in the history of the sport (TCU, 399-straight games, active streak).

– MERTZ & LAGWAY LEAD TWO-QB SYSTEM –

• Florida deployed a two-QB system for the second-straight game in Week 4, with QB Graham Mertz handling the first, second, fourth and fifth drives of each half and QB DJ Lagway taking the third and sixth possessions. • The duo finished 26-of-28 (92.8%, UF single-game record) for 277 yards, hitting 10-different receivers. • Mertz (218.0) and Lagway (191.2) both delivered a QB rating above 190. • Mertz has posted his top-two QB ratings as a Gator vs. a P5 team in the last two weeks (197.9, 218.0). • Mertz threw only two incompletions (19-of-21, 201 yards, three TDs) in Week 4 to record the third-highest completion percentage (90.5%) by a Gator ever while Lagway went a perfect 7-for-7 for 76 yards. • Mertz reached 75 total touchdowns for his career, passing for three scores (62 career passing TDs) while rushing for one (13 career rushing TDs). He was the 10th active FBS player (sixth in P5) to eclipse 60 passing TDs. • In his first SEC road game, Lagway led two scoring drives starting inside UF’s 10-yard line, becoming the first freshman QB to lead a pair of 90-plus-yard drives in a road SEC tilt since Jalen Hurts in 2016. • Mertz has posted a completion % above 62.0% with at least one passing touchdown in 13 of his 14 starts at UF. • The only game he fell short of those marks was the Week 1 loss to Miami. • Making his first-career start in the Week 2 win over Samford, Lagway passed for the most yards ever (456) by a Florida true freshman quarterback, breaking Chris Leak’s mark of 269 vs. Kentucky in 2003. • Lagway’s 456 passing yards are the tied for the second-most in the FBS this season and rank ninth all-time at Florida (most since Emory Jones threw for 464 yards vs. Samford on Nov. 13, 2021). • Lagway completed 18-of-25 passes (72.0%) highlighted by three touchdowns and a 264.8 rating. • Lagway became Florida’s first true freshman starter at quarterback since Treon Harris in the 2014 Birmingham Bowl (UF’s seventh true freshman starter at quarterback overall). • Mertz led the SEC with a program-record 72.9% completion percentage last season (third nationally). • Mertz has thrown just four interceptions across his last 409 passes. • Across his last nine games dating back to last season, Mertz has thrown for 2,170 passing yards (241.1 YPG), 193 completions, a 70.2% completion percentage, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions. • Mertz has started all 46 games he has played since 2020, ranking third among active FBS QBs in that time.

– EXPERIENCED JOHNSON JR. LEADS RUSH ATTACK –

• Entering with three rushing TDs on the season, RB Montrell Johnson Jr. rushed 15 times for 68 yards in Week 4 while adding three catches for 22 yards to surpass 3,000 all-purpose yards in his career. • Florida rushed for a season-high 226 yards, eclipsing 200-plus yards for the first time in the 2024 season. • Through five games, Johnson Jr. leads Florida with 234 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per carry. • Johnson Jr. ranks 17th in the SEC in rushing YPG, t-ninth in rushing TDs and 23rd in yards per carry. • Johnson Jr.’s 30 career rushing TDs are six more than any other active SEC player and sit t-eighth in the FBS. • He owns 32 multi-purpose TDs (20 at UF: 18 rushing, two receiving). • Johnson Jr. eclipsed 2,500 career rushing yards and 2,000 all-purpose yards at UF in Week 1. • Johnson Jr. rushed for 100 yards for the ninth time in his career and for seventh time as a Gator in Week 1. • Johnson Jr. is tied for ninth in the SEC (seventh among RBs) with 18 rushing touchdowns since 2022, including t-third among active SEC rushers. • Last season, Johnson Jr. led UF in carries (152) and net rushing yardage (817) for the second-straight year. • Florida has punched in a rushing touchdown in 11-consecutive games and in 24 of 29 contests since 2022.

– THE 2024 RECEIVING ROOM –

• Ten different Gators caught a pass in Week 4 while three caught TDs. Six players caught at least three balls. • TE Arlis Boardingham put Florida on the board with his first TD reception of the season (fifth of career). • WR Marcus Burke caught his first-career TD reception to put Florida ahead, 14-7, in the second quarter. • Burke set a career high with four receptions for 45 yards (t-team high). • TE Hayden Hansen hauled in his first TD catch of the season (third of career) to extend the UF lead to 21-7. • WR Aidan Mizell had a career-high five catches for 36 yards and WR Andy Jean made his season debut. • TE Tony Livingston made his first-career start and set career highs with three catches and 18 yards. • WR Elijah Badger leads UF with 305 receiving yards (fourth in SEC), 76.3 YPG (fifth), 21.8 YPC (fourth) and 14 catches (25th). • Badger has now caught a pass in 30-straight games, which ranks t-12th in the FBS. • UF returned four of its top-five receivers in terms of receptions AND yardage in 2024: Eugene Wilson III (61 for 538), Boardingham (26 for 289), WR Kahleil Jackson (21 for 251) and RB Montrell Johnson Jr. (30 for 236). • Three of the four to catch multiple TDs last year were freshmen: Wilson III (6), Boardingham (4) and Hansen (2). • Florida had two 100-yard receivers vs. Samford in Wilson III (6 catches, 141 yards) and Badger (3 catches, 123 yards) for the first time since Nov. 19, 2022 at Vanderbilt (Daejon Reynolds & Justin Shorter). • In Week 2, WR Tank Hawkins became the first UF true freshman to catch a TD pass for his first-career reception since Caleb Douglas vs. Eastern Washington in 2022.

– OFFENSIVE GRAB BAG –

• Over the last five seasons (2020-24), Florida ranks 12th in the P5 and sixth in the SEC with 449.1 YPG. • Since 2018, UF ranks ninth in the P5 in passing efficiency (153.3) and 14th in TD-INT ratio (2.86). • The Gators have totaled 500-plus yards in seven of the last 26 games and in 19 of their last 53 contests. • In Week 4 at MSU, the Gators eclipsed 400 yards for the 14th time since the start of 2022 (first of 2024). • Florida has amassed 400-plus total yards 31 times in its last 51 games including 44 of the last 70 contests. • With 226 yards at MSU, UF rushed for 200 yards 18 times since 2021 including 12 occasions in the Napier era. • Florida has scored 40 points 10 times in 42 games from 2021-24 including six times in the Napier era. • Florida has scored 30 points 21 times in 42 games from 2021-24 including 15 times in the Napier era.

Kansas Jayhawks vs Arizona State Sun Devils

Kansas Notes

The Kansas Jayhawks enter week six of the college football season with a Big 12 Conference Road game at the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, Oct. 5 inside Mountain America Stadium in Tempe. The meeting will be the first between the Jayhawks and the Sun Devils as Arizona State is among the four newcomers to the Big 12 Conference in 2024. Saturday’s game will kick off at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2 with Brian Custer (Play-byPlay), Rod Gilmore (Analyst) and Lauren Sisler (Sideline) on the call.

Saturday’s game will be Kansas’ first regular season game played in the state of Arizona in program history after playing in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, where the Jayhawks defeated UNLV, 49-36 on Dec. 26, 2023. Kansas’ first game played in Arizona came on Dec. 31, 2008, when Kansas defeated Minnesota, 42-21 in the 2008 Insight Bowl at Mountain America Stadium, formerly named Sun Devil Stadium. With Saturday’s game being the first between Kansas and Arizona State, it serves as the third of six games against Big 12 Conference teams that the Jayhawks did not play against in 2023 (at West Virginia, vs. TCU, at Arizona State, vs. Houston, vs. Colorado, at Baylor).

Kansas (1-4, 0-2 Big 12) enters Saturday’s game coming off a 38-27 defeat to TCU at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Jayhawks’ first of four games played at the home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. The Jayhawks went back-and-forth with the Horned Frogs in a game that featured six lead changes before TCU was able to put together big plays down the stretch to hand Kansas its fourth-straight loss. Kansas is led by its rushing attack of senior Devin Neal, who has rushed 86 times for 513 yards and four touchdowns and redshirt-junior Daniel Hishaw Jr., who has complemented Neal with 38 attempts for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Kansas’ rushing attack averaged 224.2 rushing yards per game, ranking third in the Big 12 Conference and 15th nationally. Defensively, Kansas’ cornerback duo of Mello Dotson and Cobee Bryant are the nation’s leaders in career interceptions (20), passes defended (59) and defensive touchdowns (6) by any cornerback duo in the country. In the loss vs. TCU, Dotson recorded his third interception of the season and 10th of his career, which leads the Big 12 Conference and is third nationally this season. The Jayhawks are looking to get back on track at Arizona State, as they enter a bye following Saturday’s matchup, before returning home to take on Houston on Oct. 19 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Arizona State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) is coming off a bye week during week five and is searching for its first Big 12 win as a member of the conference. Last time out, Arizona State fell at Texas Tech in its Big 12 Conference opener, 30-22, in a game that Arizona State outgained Texas Tech, but was unable to overcome an early 14-0 Texas Tech lead. Under second year head coach Kenny Dillingham, the Sun Devils are led on offense by senior running back Cam Skattebo, who has carried 86 times for 433 yards and 5 touchdowns. Skattebo has paired with transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt, who has rushed 39 times for 180 yards and four scores. The Sun Devils enter Saturday’s game averaging 32.8 points per game, averaging 409.3 yards of offense while holding the opposition to 286.0.

JAYHAWK QUICK HITS

• Led by fourth-year head coach Lance Leipold, the Jayhawks are among the most experienced teams in the Big 12 Conference and the country, with 30 total seniors, including 14 redshirt seniors listed on the roster. A team that was once the youngest in college football when head coach Lance Leipold arrived in 2021, the Jayhawks return seven offensive starters and eight defensive starters from a season ago, along with 516 career starts among both units. • Among Kansas’ returners is running back Devin Neal, who has cemented himself as one of the Kansas greats in his four seasons as a Jayhawk. Neal, a hometown product of Lawrence, Kansas, has been spectacular throughout his KU career and is among Kansas’ all-time great leading rushers. Neal currently sits fourth all-time in KU career rushing yards with 3,590, trailing only James Sims (3,592, 2010-13), Tony Sands (3,788, 1988-91) and June Henley (3,841, 1993-96). Neal also sits in sole possession of second in KU career rushing touchdowns with 37, trailing June Henley’s 41 rushing touchdowns scored from 1993-96. Along with his success in the Kansas record books, Neal is also the power-four leader in career rushing touchdowns (37). In four of five games this season, Neal has surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark with 112 yards in the season-opener vs. Lindenwood, 101 yards at Illinois, 120 vs. UNLV and 110 at West Virginia. • Kansas’ defense is anchored by its pair of All-Big 12 Conference cornerbacks, Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson, who are among the most experienced and productive cornerback tandems in the country. The Jayhawk duo has combined for 74 starts over their careers (Dotson 39, Bryant 35), while combining for 20 career interceptions, the most among any power-four cornerback duo in the country. The Kansas duo now ranks in the top-10 in KU school history for interceptions, with both tied for fifth with 10 career interceptions.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD …

• Move Kansas to 608-683-58 all-time, including 19-25 in the Lance Leipold era. Leipold’s career record would improve to 165-64 overall and he would move to 1-0 against Arizona State all-time. • Give Kansas its first road win of the season and improve the Jayhawks to 2-4 on the season. • Give Kansas its first win over Arizona State, while it would make Kansas 3-0 while playing in the state of Arizona all-time. Kansas would also move to 2-0 in games played at Mountain America Stadium (formerly Sun Devil Stadium) all-time. • Give Kansas its fifth Big 12 Conference Road win since 2021, including its first of the 2024 season. In the years prior to Leipold’s arrival, the Jayhawks were 1-54 in Big 12 Conference Road games from 2008-2020. • Improve Kansas to 1-2 in Big 12 Conference play this season and 10-19 under head coach Lance Leipold. • Make Kansas 2-2 in night games this season and 12-9 in night games under Leipold. • Make Kansas 1-1 this season when playing on ESPN2 and 4-4 on ESPN2 under Leipold.

Arizona State Notes

Conference News & Notes

• Half of the completed games in Big 12 play (7 of 14) have been decided by one score. • The top two Power 4 rushing performances in week five hailed from the Big 12 with K-State’s DJ Giddens totaling 187 yards, the most in a Big 12 conference game this season, and Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks running for 172. K-State also led the Power 4 with 300 team rushing yards in week five. • The Conference has six of the top 20 players in FBS in rushing yards per game this season, more than any other conference. (TTU’s Tahj Brooks fourth, UCF’s RJ Harvey sixth, K-State’s DJ Giddens eighth, Utah’s Micah Bernard 13th, ASU’s Cam Skattebo 14th and KU’s Devin Neal 20th). • Big 12 programs are 17-6 this season when ranked in the Top 25. • This week’s AP Poll ranks four Big 12 teams with Iowa State, BYU, Utah and K-State all voted in the top 20. • Seven different Big 12 wide receivers rank in the top 25 in FBS in receptions through week five with no other conference having more than four. • Five of the top 12 nationally in passing yards are Big 12 quarterbacks (TCU’s Josh Hoover, CU’s Shedeur Sanders, OSU’s Alan Bowman, UC’s Brendan Sorsby and TTU’s Behren Morton). • CU’s Shedeur Sanders, TCU’s Josh Hoover and Texas Tech’s Behren Morton have all thrown 14 touchdowns this season, which ties for fourth in FBS. • Colorado’s Travis Hunter is the first player since K-State’s Kevin Lockett in 1996 to have 9+ receptions and an interception in a Big 12 Conference game after his performance at UCF last week. • After five weeks, 11 Big 12 teams rank in the top 50 of average attendance. • The Big 12 Conference leads all FBS conferences in 100-yard receiving performances with 37 through the first five weeks of the season. • Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell became the winningest coach in program history with the Cyclones’ win last Saturday. • The Big 12 Conference has announced the return of its Big 12 Homecoming for a second year, bringing a Conference-wide celebration of the Big 12 brand to four of its campuses this fall. The three-day events will center around entertainment, campus engagement and community service for football weekends. After visiting Utah in week two and Colorado in week four, the remaining stops are Arizona State this week and TCU (Oct. 26). The Big 12 will team up with brand partners at each homecoming stop, including Allstate, the College Football Playoff Foundation, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and WWE. • The Big 12 Conference and Raycom Sports announced the launch of Big 12 Studios in September, a new programming and content venture designed to expand and enhance the league’s storytelling efforts. Big 12 Studios will create and deliver original programming and content to fans as a FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) channel across multiple major platforms, including planned launches on leading platforms early this Fall that will be announced soon, as well as major VOD platforms such as YouTube. • The 2024 season will be the Big 12 Conference’s first as a 16-team league. The Big 12 footprint now spans 10 states, four time zones and 90 million people as it begins its 29th football season. • The Conference partnered with TuneIn, the world’s leader in live audio, to launch Big 12 Radio prior to week one. The new 24/7 Conference-branded audio station, is now streaming to fans across the United States. The station includes Big 12 weekday sports talk, extensive Saturday game-day coverage, Big 12 school content and music programming. Additionally, listeners can access a ‘Game of The Week’ featuring gameday coverage from their Big 12 school’s local play-by-play broad- cast team.