This Week in the Big 12
Saturday, September 10
Missouri at Kansas State (ESPN2) 11:00 a.m.
Series: MU 60-32-5
Last Meeting: K-State won 24-17 at home on October 8, 2011.
No. 1/1 Alabama at RV/No. 22 Texas (FOX) 11:00 a.m.
Series: UT 7-1-1
Last Meeting: UA won 37-21 in Pasadena, Calif.
(BCS National Championship Game) on January 7, 2010.
Iowa State at Iowa (BTN) 3:00 p.m.
Series: IU 46-22
Last Meeting: IU won 27-17 at ISU on September 11, 2021.
No. 25/RV Houston at Texas Tech (FS1) 3:00 p.m.
Series: UH 18-14-1
Last Meeting: Texas Tech won 38-21 at UH on September 4, 2021.
Kansas at West Virginia (Big 12 Now) 5:00 p.m. CT/6:00 p.m. ET
Series: WVU 10-1
Last Meeting: WVU won 34-28 at KU on November 27, 2021.
Kent State at No. 7/7 Oklahoma (SoonerVision on ESPN+) 6:00 p.m.
Series: First Meeting
Arizona State at No. 11/10 Oklahoma State (ESPN2) 6:30 p.m.
Series: ASU 2-1
Last Meeting: ASU won 12-10 in Phoenix on September 25, 1993.
Tarleton State at TCU (Big 12 Now) 7:00 p.m.
Series: First Meeting
No. 9/8 Baylor at No. 21/25 BYU (ESPN) 9:15 p.m.
Series: BU 2-1
Last Meeting: BU won 38-24 at home on October 16, 2021.
All times are listed as Central. Rankings are listed as AP/USA Today
Conference News & Notes
The Big 12’s Week 2 schedule features the first conference matchup of the season with Kansas traveling to West Virginia, as well as contests against future members BYU and Houston in addition to four games against other autonomy conference opponents.
Two Top 25 games are on tap with RV/No. 22 Texas hosting No. 1/1 Alabama and No. 9/8 Baylor traveling to No. 21/25 BYU.
ESPN’s College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will both go live from Austin Saturday. It is the second week College GameDay has broadcast from a Big 12 game after opening the season with the West Virginia at Pitt game last Thursday.
The Big 12 has three teams ranked in the top 11 of both national polls and 70% of teams rated or receiving votes. Ranked squads include No. 7/7 Oklahoma, No. 9/8 Baylor, No. 11/10 Oklahoma State and RV/No. 22 Texas. K-State, TCU and TTU received votes.
The Big 12 posted a .900 (9-1) win percentage in season-openers with a 1-1 record vs. other autonomy league teams. The Big 12’s non-conference win percentage is third nationally while its one loss is tied for second-fewest.
The Big 12 led all conferences with four punt return touchdowns in last week’s games. The last time the Big 12 had four PR touchdowns in a week was in the second week of the 2002 season. It last happened nationally by the ACC with five in Week 2 of the 2018 season.
In non-conference outings, the Big 12 leads the nation with averages of 48.8 points, 214.5 rushing yards and 6.3 rushing yards per carry. The league’s 71.5 pass completion percentage, 8.0 TD percentage and 170.8 passer rating are also the highest. The Big 12’s six defensive/return touchdowns are tied for the most.
The West Virginia at Pitt game had 3.15M viewers, the most-watched ESPN Thursday game in five years.
Mike Gundy, the Big 12’s longest-tenured coach, collected his 150th career win in OSU’s season-opening victory over Central Michigan. Gundy is also the career wins leader among active Big 12 coaches.
Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders (offensive), Kansas’ Lonnie Phelps Jr., (defensive), TCU’s Derius Davis (special teams) and West Virginia’s CJ Donaldson (newcomer) captured Big 12 football honors for the opening week of the season.
A total of 188 players who previously competed in the Big 12 have made NFL opening day rosters, including those on IR and PUP.
Baylor has forced a turnover in 23 consecutive games. The Bears are +21 in turnover margin under Coach Dave Aranda.
Xavier Hutchinson became the first Cyclone with three touchdown receptions in a game since Quenton Bundrage against Iowa in 2013. Kansas’ 56 points were the most scored in a season opener since 1912 when the Jayhawks shutout St. Mary’s 62-0 on Oct. 5, 1912.
K-State scored its first touchdown 10 seconds into the game on a 75-yard run by wide receiver Malik Knowles. It was the fastest score in a game in school history. The previous fastest was an 11-second score against Louisiana Tech in 1988.
The Sooners held UTEP to 28 rushing yards (-19 in the first half) on 31 carries. It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by an OU defense since 2014 (19 vs. Kansas).
Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders is the second player in Big 12 history with 300 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and two rushing
touchdowns in a half. He joins Patrick Mahomes, who accomplished the feat in 2016.
Derius Davis tied TCU’s program record with his fourth career punt return for a touchdown in the Frogs’ win at Colorado. He totaled 72 punt return yards in the game while adding a 27-yard rushing touchdown and two receptions for 25 yards.
In the Longhorns’ season opener against ULM, Keilan Robinson returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, D’Shawn Jamison returned an interception for a score and the Texas offense scored three rushing and two passing touchdowns. It marked the first time since the season opener against Maryland in 2017 that Texas scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams.
Texas Tech scored 42 points in the first half against Murray State, the most points scored by the Red Raiders in an opening half since 42 versus Lamar on Sept. 8, 2018.
With 125 yards on seven carries, CJ Donaldson is the first Mountaineer to rush for 100 yards in his collegiate debut since Martell Pettaway on Nov. 26, 2016, at Iowa State. The freshman also blocked a punt in the third quarter, West Virginia’s first since Logan Thimons on Sept. 14, 2019, against NC State.
The Big 12 Football Weekly Show presented by Old Trapper Beef Jerky is available at 7 p.m. CT each Wednesday through November 30 on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Chuckie Kempf and Harold Kuntz host the program, which features highlights from previous games, analysis and previews. A media panel will also make predictions for each week’s games.
